Student in need of 6x6 Negative Carrier for Saunders/LPL 4550XLG

[Lee Birder]

Hello all,
I'm a photography student working on a final darkroom project for my BFA show. I'm lucky enough to have access to a Saunders/LPL 4550XLG in our school darkroom, but we unfortunately do not have a 6x6 negative carrier for it. As I shoot almost exclusively with rolleiflex cameras, I'm in dire need of a 6x6 carrier -- does anyone here have one they would be willing to sell?
Thank you all for your help,
Lee

 

[Andrew Patteson]

Hi there, if you don't have any success locating one you can cut a pretty functional one of out matboard. Use another neg carrier as your template. Hinge with tape on outside & inside.

Good luck with your show!

 

[bdial]

An Omega D 6x6 carrier should work. It won't have the locating guide under it, but if you center the carrier by eye, you'll be fine. A Beseler carrier might work too, though they are probably too big around. I used an Omega glass carrier in my LPL for a while until I found an LPL one.

Or else, some matboard as Andrew suggests. Another option would be to use a 4x5 carrier if your school has one, and mask off the 6x6 area. It probably won't hold the negative as flat as a matboard carrier though.

 

[Barrie B.]

Hi there, if you don't have any success locating one you can cut a pretty functional one of out matboard. Use another neg carrier as your template. Hinge with tape on outside & inside.

Good luck with your show!

I agree with the D I Y matboard choice too , however, if the enlarger you are using has a 4" x 5" ' glass carrier ' then a black paper mask can be stuck on the top of the 'upper glass ' to mask off the unwanted area of white light. The glass neg carrier will guarantee flat negatives , just remember to make sure that all 4 glass surfaces are ' dust free and clean '.
Good luck , Cheers Barrie B. Melbourne - Australia .
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[jvo]

if, in fact an omega d carrier will work, i have one... pm me if an lpl doesn't appear over the next few days!

jvo

 

[avb]

I bought mine from khb - the price was painful but I couldn't source it elsewhere.
http://store.khbphotografix.com/6x6-Negative-Carrier-for-LPL-and-Omega-4x5-Enlargers.html

 

[Lee Birder]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses! I really appreciate your help. jvo, thank you for your generous offer, but I'd like to retain the locating guide, if possible.
We do have a 4x5 glass negative carrier, but it is absolutely filthy, and I have been afraid to try to clean it. Is it safe to try to clean it with lens cleaning solution and a microfiber? Does anyone have a tip for how to avoid dust? It seems like a lot of surfaces to attract dust, which is a bit scary.

 

[tedr1]

You are in luck! Clean it up. Yes those materials will be fine, it is glass aluminum and stainless steel, if need be you can put it under the faucet
Get a can of compressed gas to blow off dust.
Get a roll of black paper tape to mask off the unwanted area.

 

[Patrick Robert James]

You are in luck! Clean it up. Yes those materials will be fine, it is glass aluminum and stainless steel, if need be you can put it under the faucet
Get a can of compressed gas to blow off dust.
Get a roll of black paper tape to mask off the unwanted area.

Yup.

 

[bdial]

Under the faucet with a bit of dish soap would be the best way for cleaning it, actually. Just dry it thoroughly afterward.
As for dust, Dust Off or similar and plenty of it. Keeping 6 surfaces clean can be a challenge though.

 

[shashinzukuri]

Do you still need one of these? I prefer not to sell gear I'm still using, but I might have a spare one I can lend you for a while. I'll let you know later tonight, once I've had a chance to check my darkroom locker.

edit: Nevermind, I only have one 6x6, but two 6x7s for some reason. How long would you need the 6x6?

 

[voceumana]

There are a number of Omega 6x6 negative carriers on eBay for reasonable prices; Saunders used to advertise that the LPL 4x5 enlargers could take the Omega D carriers.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

Under the faucet with a bit of dish soap would be the best way for cleaning it, actually. Just dry it thoroughly afterward.
As for dust, Dust Off or similar and plenty of it. Keeping 6 surfaces clean can be a challenge though.

...and wipe down with a clothes dryer sheet after it's dry.