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Third times a charm? New (old) enlarger need info please

StoneNYC

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So got another moldy enlarger from a friend, however this one is a 4x5 enlarger, it's massive, and I would like to keep it if possible.

Here it is...





So the lens is pretty unrecoverable, the glass is moldy and the aperture blades are mangled.

I only have the 4x5 holder so does anyone know where to get the other ones?

Can I get new bellows? It's big enough that I think I can take it off and put a new one on?

And I think I can clean the rest of it to make it safe not to transfer mold spores to film etc.

Are all the lens threads the same size? I already have a 135 from another enlarger, but that's for 6x7 right so for 4x5 I need 150mm?

I'm sure I'll have more questions at some point.

Any suggestions? It's laying out in the sun now hope that kills some of the mold.

Thanks!



~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk
 
the 135 lens will most likely work for 4x5 also, depending on the lens. 6x7 is generally handled by an 80-105mm range lens. If the bellows are so permeated by mold that wiping them down with a rag soaked with dilute chlorox and letting them sun for a couple days still won't get rid of it, worst case scenario you can make a new one in a couple of afternoons worth of cutting new ribs and gluing them to some light-tight cloth. There are patterns out there on the internet you can download to help you figure it out. If you're feeling a bit more flush with cash, you can probably contact one of those Chinese bellows-makers on Ebay and order what you need. Any other accessories you'd want for this enlarger would most likely be sourced on Ebay, with a lot of time spent hunting them down. You can make carriers for it out of black solid mat board, and lens boards can be made from 1/8" plywood. You'll need to make a baseboard, which you can do out of 1/2" plywood.
 
Stone, you're worse than me even, dragging home old clunkers...

A 135 will definitely cover 9x12 cm but I think it would cover 4x5" too. Bellows can be made, there are a few resources out there on the 'net.
 
Jerevan said:
Stone, you're worse than me even, dragging home old clunkers...

A 135 will definitely cover 9x12 cm but I think it would cover 4x5" too. Bellows can be made, there are a few resources out there on the 'net.
Click to expand...

Well the prints I want to make are larger than 4x5 of course, I'm not sure if its the size of the print or film size that matters. I'm guessing as big as I can get away with on this enlarger (eventually).

As far as bringing home clunkers, these are the first 3 I've seen in the year since I've started looking that were free lol.

I had no idea it was going to be so big.

Does the height determine the largest print size? How can I tell the biggest I would be able to print with this?


~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The column height is a significant factor in how big an enlargement you can make. The taller the column, the greater the potential magnification. You should be able to print up to 20x24 with this using the (home-brew replacement) baseboard. If you wall-mount it and project onto the floor, you can probably go quite a bit bigger than that. The 4x5 designation has to do with the maximum negative size, not maximum print size.
 
StoneNYC said:
Does the height determine the largest print size? How can I tell the biggest I would be able to print with this?
Click to expand...

The height and lens determine the biggest baseboard print.

But looking at your first picture, I suspect that the head can be turned 90 degrees to project on a wall or vertical easel. In that case, the size of your darkroom is the limiting factor.
 
The print size is determined by the focal length of the lens and the height (distance between negative and easel). The shorter the focal length, the larger the magnification. The larger the height, the larger the magnification.

The focal length of the lens is a guide to what size negative can be used with it. Many 135mm lenses "cover" a 4 x 5 negative out to the corners, while a few only "cover" a smaller negative. By "cover" I mean that when you look at the print, the corners of the image aren't darkened, and the details of the image at the corners are sharply resolved.
 
Your maximum print size will be double the distance from the front edge of the column to a point straight down from the center of the lens.
 
Wow lots of info, ok the height of the enlarger from the baseboard to the tip of the lens glass if bellows are all the way up is 0.93 meters and fully extended down is 0.68 meters.

Yes the projector head swivels 180 degrees (or more I didn't want to pull it out to see but at least goes to a wall, probably could do the ceiling too) both the top of the bellows near the light, and bottom adjust up and down, and the front (bottom part with the lens board) tilts, which is fascinating to me, so you can adjust for tilt issues from a shot??? Not sure...

So it sounds like its a pretty good enlarger? But the "bulb" is actually a florescent element behind frosted glass, which seems weird, as I would think fluorescents would possibly flicker and be inconsistent?


~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Toss it, sorry to be the Debbie Downer. But mold spores and a nice clean neg just don't sit well. If you are patient a 4x5 enlarger will appear on Craig's in no time....get the app "C Mobile", check it bfast, lunch and dinner, get ready to pounce. I got a mint enlarger free that way. I hate to dissuade you but a moldy enlarger is not something to mix with your beautiful Canyon negs....just my $0.02....
 

Thanks, ugh... I was worried someone would plant that seed in my head...

Strangely enough, the old man who had passed had negs in the box with a lot of his enlarger stuff and chemical (I mean like Kodak D-76 in paper bags from probably 20+ years ago and old ektachrome 4x5 negs and the bags were covered in mold, but yet the negs were all intact no mold to be seen, I was shocked...


~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Stone, I'm with Andy on this one. I scored a 4x5 enlarger and 135mm el-nikkor lens with holders for FREE here. I see them all the time, just wish you weren't across the country...
 
^Klain...I remember when you posted here that major haul off'a Craig's you picked up. You were patient and were in your car within minutes to get that great haul...

Great find that was:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Stone,

If you are serious about setting up a darkroom, you might actually be more selective and be willing to spend some money on enlargers. After all, it's the most important equipment in printing. You should be able to find Omega D2 or some Beseler for cheap, say 50 dollars max and be reasonably clean, functional, and basically complete.

I love picking up free orphan enlargers but parts for non-common types are hard to find, and you are bound to need something either to expand your capability or to repair. If I needed, say 6x6 neg carrier or condenser lens for my D2, all I need to do is to browse APUG classified or do a WTB post. Can't say the same for non-common types. I have a complete Vivitar VI but spare parts are not easy to come by and some are basically impossible to find now.
 
zsas said:
^Klain...I remember when you posted here that major haul off'a Craig's you picked up. You were patient and were in your car within minutes to get that great haul...

Great find that was:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
Click to expand...

Actually, that was an OK haul. The next one was a Omega D6..... planning on some 20x24 this year.


...and back on topic
 
If you decide to stick with this one, You'll need something thicker than ½" for a baseboard. I'd use ¾ ply cradled with strips of ¾" oak. Laminate a piece of white formica on top. Getting the enlarger to 150º for a half hour should kill the mold. http://www.ehow.com/how_6692498_kill-mold-temperature.html
 

You're probably right, the problem is I don't know what is good and what is not, it's like asking an aboriginal minor to pick out the best automobile to purchase....

I just have no idea, I'm also not "serious" yet because I've never even seen an enlarger before these 3 I picked up, so I really want some practical experience before I invest serious money, I might not like it and end up preferring the scan and print method, I know this might be upsetting but it will be 3 years before my GF and I get married and buy a house where I can actually have the space to set up a darkroom. Right now I'll be setting up and then breaking down and putting in boxes each time I want to print...

This is just the first enlarger I've found that actually can take 6x7, the other two only went 6x6 and the other just 35mm so that doesn't help me.

I've been recently offered an Omega D2 by an APUGer after this post, which I'm excited about, I see that was mentioned as a good choice so perhaps that's good?


~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk
 
zsas said:
Toss it, sorry to be the Debbie Downer. But mold spores and a nice clean neg just don't sit well.
Click to expand...
Mold spores are everywhere. I might as well toss everything...
 
StoneNYC said:
I've been recently offered an Omega D2 by an APUGer after this post, which I'm excited about, I see that was mentioned as a good choice so perhaps that's good?
Click to expand...

Heck yeah it's good!! Glad to hear somone's taking care of ya! Follow that lead, forget that RI enlarger I linked (btw I only linked it as an example of a 4x5 enlarger that looked mint'ish and went to 4x5 and the price seemed decent but others might disagree - I don't print 4x5 so I'm outta my league anyway)

Good on ya whomever you are APUG'r helping Stone out w the D2...
 

That's some good enthusiasm so now I'm excited lol. I'm so clueless to enlarger versions/brands but considering the enthusiasm I guess it's a good one yay!

I really hope I can finally pay back/forward some of the nice help I've had from APUG. It's such an awesome community.


~Stone | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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