Tired of Omega D Questions Yet?

Flotsam

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Sorry, I just snagged a D2VXL largely thanks to the excellent quality of information that I received in response to my previous questions here on APUG. They were fantastically helpful in making a well-informed purchase. Thanks to all but now I'm afraid that you have opened yourselves to more stupid Omega newbie questions.

This enlarger came without a baseboard. The bottom of the column has a narrow flange. I am wondering what sort of hardware was originally used to fasten this to the baseboard. Is there some generic fastener that would be useful in this role?
 

Donald Miller

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There originally was a base plate mounted to the baseboard that the lower column flange mounts to. The two parts are held together with three bolts that have plates with offset drilled holes to clamp to the flange on the bottom of the column.
 

Monophoto

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My Omega D also used three bolts with nuts and washers. But before leaping to a conclusion that that's the right answer for you, what do you mean by "narrow flange"? My enlarge has a cone-line base that has a flange about 1/2" wide with three bolt holes. Does that sound like yours?

When I got it, it came on a base that clearly had started life as a sink cutout - not the original. I recycled that base for another application and mounted the enlarger to a built-in counter in my darkroom.
 

Lee L

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Monophoto's D is apparently modified. The bottom of the column casting, what people seem to be calling the flange here (because it looks like one) should be solid, with no screw holes. By design, it sits on a thiner metal base plate that keeps it from digging into the mounting surface. At three places around the perimeter of the baseplate, 120 degrees apart, are bolt holes beside turned-up edges on the base plate. Thick metal pads with bolt holes rest on the tops of those turned-up edges and bridge the gap between the plate and the column casting, resting also on top of the "flange" part of that casting. A roller spacer holds the column casting centered between the cap screws, and the three cap screws pass freely through (from top to bottom) the square metal pads, then the roller spacers, then the metal base plate, then through holes in the counter/baseboard. They then thread into T-nuts (or you could use fender washers and nuts) on the bottom of the counter/baseboard. This allows the cap screws to bear down on the metal pads, and create a leverage force that pins the column casting (flange) to the baseboard. The metal baseplate also has ridges that help keep the column centered.

See the attached drawing for reference. Sorry for the poor quality. It's a scan of a poor .pdf of a bad jpg of a bad photocopy of the maintenance manual. I found it somewhere online, but can't remember where. I was looking for alignment instructions for my D5 when I found it, so some patience and creative googling might bring it up for you. If I come across it again, I'll post the url.

Lee
 

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Flotsam

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It has a cone with about a 3/8 inch flange, no holes. It looks exactly like it is supposed to mate with a baseplate as Donald and Lee describes but the pictures that I have seen on the 'net were difficult to see.
In any event, I don't have the baseplate. Anybody have any suggestions on a source? It is an XL and the need to reverse the column for bigger enlargements is beyond any wildest anticipation so I think that I may just work a way to fix this thing down. Maybe some of that glue that they use to stick exploded locomotives back together ?
 

Donald Miller

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I removed the baseboard on the one I had at one time and mounted it on a more massive table. However, in that case, I did remove the mounting plate and mounted the plate on the table.

I would think that if you had a 1/8 steel plate cut out slightly larger then the flange at the bottom of the column and then drilled through the table or baseboard that you could bolt the column down fairly securely with bolts and multiples of fender washers on each bolt. The main thing is to provide a large enough footprint for the column to make it stay in alignment by preventing compression of the baseboard material.
 

Lee L

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Harry Taylor at classic-enlargers.com should have the missing baseplate and metal pads. If that's too expensive, you could make up your own baseplate from sheet metal with three holes. I'd go with the same metal pads leveraged against supports at 120 degrees, using bolts and T-nuts under the table/baseboard to create the pressure. Shouldn't be that difficult with a modicum of tools and skills. I doubt that stacking washers to space the bolt heads high enough to catch the flange would create nearly the same pressure as the metal pads leveraged against outer supports. With the head and column cantilevered out so much, especially on an XL, I think that kind of force might be necessary.

Lee
 

rexp

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Neal;
I built a small wedge-shaped open triangular "box" from plywood and mounted my enlarger to the wall. Removed the cast parts from between the two rails, and bolted the rails directly to this box (maybe I can post a photo if you want). The drawback being the maximum print size is a little limited (16x20 for a 6x7 negative) without unbolting the table from the wall and moving it to project on the floor (bolted to the wall to reduce vibrations).

Anyway... I have the base and parts leftover, which if they are the same as what you need - you can have. Let me know if you are interested, and I will look tonight or tomorrow & take a couple of measurements to make sure this is the same as what you are looking for.

Maybe I can beg a print in exchange (sneaky little bastard, ain't I?).
 

rexp

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The casting mounted between the rails has a circular part on the bottom, about 5" in diameter. The mating part screwed to the baseboard is about 7 1/2" in diameter. Here are a couple of pictures, of the base, and of how I mounted it to the wall.

All in all, I would recommend you mount it to the wall. Sturdy as a rock.
 

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rexp

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Forgot to mention.... I also have a threaded rod from the top of the rails (thru that plate at the top) which ties the top of the enlarger to the wall. I used this to make adjustments to the angle of the rails easy, and for sturdiness.
 

Bruce Osgood

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rexp, or anyone,

Do you have any idea what the angle is off the wall of the rails from base to top? My D5 came with wall mount brackets which I am using but I'm not sure what the angle should be. There are many holes along the top wall mount to fasten the arms which would change the angle and then the arms stretching from the wall to the enlarger can also be adusted.
 

Lee L

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Just measured, and two different models and makes of protractor level say very near 74 degrees, or 16 degrees off the vertical.

Lee
 

Bruce Osgood

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Lee L said:
Just measured, and two different models and makes of protractor level say very near 74 degrees, or 16 degrees off the vertical.

Lee
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Thank you Lee,
Tomorrow I will be doing 2 degrees of adjustment. That is significant I think; as the head travels up and down the negative stage will change at each elevation assuring poor focus.
 

rexp

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Since I used a threaded rod as the top brace, after mounting on the wall it was a piece of cake (crumb cake) to get the angle close to what it was when mounted on the base. I then used the two-mirror alignment method to get the lens and negative stages parallel to my table. I used a couple of angle brackets to fasten the table to the wall, which makes the entire thing quite stable. I have the exposure timer mounted on the wall, so after placing the paper in place and waiting a few seconds I can start the exposure without causing any undue movement in the system.
 
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Flotsam

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Thanks rexp. That photo that you posted is the first clear view that I have seen of how the thing was originally meant to be mounted.
At this point, I have the enlarger set up. I used carriage bolts through the baseboard with their heads overlapping the flange at the 12:00 1:30, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 and 10:30 positions. It seems very sturdy but it seems to me that it is prone to vibration just because there is so much weight cantilevered out on such a long column. I bought one of those things that are used to hold screen doors square, two threaded rods with a turnbuckle between them. Attached to the top of the column back to the ceiling (forming a modified "Z" between the baseboard, column and rod) I will be able to take some pressure off of the bolts that are currently supporting the entire weight of the head and column and form a more integrated, hopefully more solid structure.
 

Bob Carnie

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Hi Neil
You can get parts and a brace from the top from KHB in Missisauga, as well Focal Point in Florida sells AN glass for a 4x5 carrier which I think is critical when using this enlarger.

My preferred way of mounting these enlargers is a wall mount over top of a well designed drop table (up to 30x40 ) . You then have the ability to use longer lenses for negative coverage as well do small prints with the table all the way to the top.
 
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