RRBeard Easel question

Burgy_Tog · Jul 23, 2023

I have acquired a 12x10 RRB Easel that is in pretty poor condition, I am in the process of stripping it down, ready for powder coating, however before I get too far can anyone suggest a source for replacement of the measuring guides as I can't see them coming off in one piece, any suggestions greatfully received. I already have a source for new knobs & sliders, and I am hoping that the compression spring can be locally sourced, the rest of the steel will hopefully polish up ok.

Thanks in advance

Hilo · Jul 25, 2023

I admire your efforts to bring back alive this easel!

By measuring guides, do you mean the upright metal pieces underneath the easel's left and top sides? They serve to position the paper correctly and can be moved to achieve this.

It took me a while to find those and until I did, I used two pieces of stiff carton for mats (passe-partout). Not ideal but it worked.

Burgy_Tog · Jul 25, 2023

No the easel is complete in that respect, the item I mean is the glued on measure showing imperial and metric measurements. I can find left to right and right to left metric adhesive rules (used on mitre saws) but nothing with both. As it turns out I have successfully peeled of the originals and hopefully can reuse them

Burgy_Tog · Jul 26, 2023

Well the baseboard has cleaned up well, and now has new foam underneath. The blades & bits have gone to the powder coaters & will be ready in a week. Have new screws & machine screws and a locking collar just need to find a compression spring and we'll be hot to trot as they say.......

Burgy_Tog · Aug 11, 2023

Finished the restoration, all new stainless fittings, the measuring guides where successfully removed & reused, the locking knobs were from another RRB that I am restoring, as this frame has little in the way of branding. Quite pleased with how it turned out, now on to the next one!.

mpirie · Aug 11, 2023

Very nice!

I wish any one of my RRB easels looked that good

Mike

Burgy_Tog · Aug 12, 2023

There is something very satisfying about restoring these, I currently have 5 12x16 RRB in various states of restoration and the 10x12 which is now finished, the fact that these will now out live me because of the work I have done (and the fact that they are now actually worth the money that some are asking) brings me pleasure. Spare parts are difficult to find, so sliders are remanufactured with metric threads, new knobs that fit & suit are available, stainless metric equivalents of machine screws, nuts & nylock nuts, and compression springs (that require fettling to fit without causing other issues) are a pain, but when they come together to look like this I enjoy it

ic-racer · Aug 12, 2023

Beautiful! You do fantastic work; it looks like new!

I also restored an easel a while back. This one was a Saunders 20x24 inch.

Hilo · Aug 13, 2023

Burgy_Tog said:
Finished the restoration, all new stainless fittings, the measuring guides where successfully removed & reused, the locking knobs were from another RRB that I am restoring, as this frame has little in the way of branding. Quite pleased with how it turned out, now on to the next one!.View attachment 346252
View attachment 346253

You should be VERY pleased with the outcome, it is remarkable what you achieved. Is operating this easel (sliding and laying flat of the blades) similar to what we'd expect from an unused easel?

I agree that bringing back to life great equipment made in the past is wonderful.

One detailed question: when a blade is slightly bent and therefor not laying flat, can it be brought back to being perfect?

Burgy_Tog · Aug 13, 2023

They work at least as well as they did when new, bent blades are a pain, but as long as it isn't creased then they can be persuaded to lay flat, it is just a matter of time & patience, if I ever get one that is creased I will ask a friend that is a panel beater to have look, but would expect that they could be fixed, although I would imagine it would be easier just to cut a new peice of steel to shape and epoxy it

Bongolia · Dec 8, 2023

This looks great. Well done! I have one of these in great condition but it doesn't have any knobs. The black plastic clamps are present and I've found bolts which fit the thread but I'd like to get hold of something a bit more ergonomic. Could I trouble you for any spares or sourcing advice?
The powder coated blades look like new!

Burgy_Tog · Dec 8, 2023

I have used these [https://www.splatshop.co.uk/knurled-knob-screw-m6-x-16mm-threaded-bolt.html] and remanufactured the slider mechs, with suitable metric threads, as the old ones are imperial, you may be able to recut the old ones to metric, I didn't bother trying. I have a couple of spares, but still have on going projects that need them, sorry.

Mark J · Dec 8, 2023

Nice work - the Beard easels really are 'the business', it's great that you are bringing some back to life.

RJ- · Dec 8, 2023

Great work Burgy!
The hours you've put into restoration shows.

You managed to source the nylon washers in the UK for the pre-fitting Beard dialling knobs, or replaced the set completely? One of our student easels has gone this way and the blades no longer can sit flush without the locking nylons...I've a long way to go to get to your kind of result!

Burgy_Tog · Dec 9, 2023

Unfortunately there is no source for the any of the bits, the sliders I remake, everything else is recycled, repaired or reused. I have a few spares because having fitted replacement sliders (usually because the wrong/mis matched knobs have been installed) I have replaced them with my new ones, and kept the old ones for the next project. I have other odd bits because one of the frames was past repairing so I bought it for spares.

Burgy_Tog · Mar 4, 2024

Got lucky a couple of weeks ago, found a brand new, in box 12x16 RRB frame.

Mark J · Mar 4, 2024

Schweet !

Ian Grant · Mar 4, 2024

Burgy_Tog said:
Got lucky a couple of weeks ago, found a brand new, in box 12x16 RRB frame.

You were lucky, I've seen them sell for over £300 second hand recently. I have two, one I've owned since the mid1980s, probably the same as yours, the second and larger came with my De Vere 5108 enlarger.

Ian

Burgy_Tog · Mar 4, 2024

I currently have a 10x12, 12x16 & a 20x16 that I will keep & 4 12x16 that I am in the process of selling

Mark J · Mar 4, 2024

I should really get a smaller one, the 20x16 does overhang a lot when trying to do A4 prints.

Burgy_Tog · Mar 4, 2024

Depending on what enlarger you use, be aware that some of the older ones have a much thicker baseboard, I had two very early 10x12 with 1 inch baseboards rather than 3/4 inch, not a problem if you have a manual focus enlarger, but a pain if you have a Leitz/Leica v-35.

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Hilo · Mar 5, 2024

Mark J said:
I should really get a smaller one, the 20x16 does overhang a lot when trying to do A4 prints.

Getting a formica board to place smaller easels on works fine. And I actually prefer placing that underneath my 20x24 easel as well, see picture . . .

FYI, the white board measures 72 x 85cm (28,3 x 44,4in.) and it is 4cm thick (1,6in. thick). The 50x60cm easel is only slightly smaller, see picture.

You could make the white formica board a bit larger than your 16x20 in. easel . . .

Mark J · Mar 5, 2024

No, that's not the problem, but thanks.
I have a very small darkroom , and the overhanging easel takes up space where I like to have the paper box and scissors.

RRBeard Easel question

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