Paper Flasher II setup

[Mike Té]

Here's how I've rigged up my Paper Flasher from RH Designs.

I split a pair of little stainless hors-d'oeuvres tongs ($7) in half then heated the end and bent it. The flasher is glued with a double-sided foam sticky pad-thing. The flexible arm is a component of a Manfrotto-type Super Clamp. Having the clamp means that the setup is movable.

From now on, I'll have to pick up those little pickles with my fingers!

 

[Jim Noel]

Looks like a great arrangement.

 

[Mike Té]

Here's a clearer pic and description of the Super Clamp:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Flexible-Arm-fo...1445344QQihZ010QQcategoryZ30080QQcmdZViewItem

 

[ZoneIII]

I guess I'm in the dark (pun intended) but I hadn't heard of the Paper Flasher. It looks like you have a nice setup but there really isn't a need for a fancy setup with paper flashing. It looks like the Paper Flasher is an answer looking for a problem. Currently, I just use a 2nd enlarger. In the past, I used the enlarger that I was printing on simply by putting a diffuser under the lens and adjusting the lense aperture to an f/stop that I had determined in testing at an exposure time also determined by a simple test that only takes a couple minutes. There's no need for more equipment. In the past, I even had a simple light box with a cheap lens setup above a table in my darkroom all ready to go with it's own timer. When I wanted to flash something, I just laid the paper on the table and it the timer button. No problem. Even a bare 5 watt bulb with most of it taped over will do the job. I like to keep things simple.

 

[Mike Té]

It actually is simple...

It actually IS simple, just that little light and the little timer. Not really fancy, either. I just wanted to show it since there have been some recent threads about how to proceed with the RH Designs model, including one thread discussing how to keep a consistent height during flashing.

The way it's set up with the flex arm, I can keep it at a consistent height from the flashed paper, you see, which I can't do if I attach the flasher to the stage of my enlarger. I can also swing it out of the way quite readily.

I don't have the space for another enlarger (nor would I care to invest in one for this sole purpose), so this is really the cat's arse for me. Also, if my I may gently suggest, another enlarger or a light box and lens do qualify as "more equipment" as well . But I'm sure you're correct that they do work fine.

Cheers from big-snow Ottawa!

 

[BWGirl]

Nice solution! I have twin enlargers (I use one for 35mm & one for medium format) next to each other on my bench. I put a piece of velcro on the back of the flasher and the corresponding velcro piece on the underside of the enlarger. I keep the timer between the two enlargers, and only have to switch the flasher between them.

This is a great idea to have a thread about using the flasher! I'll post pics of my setup later today!