why on earth are easels so much money

[rphenning]

I got my beseler 23C for about 100 bucks shipped. A new 16x20 easel costs about 300 bucks, a used one half that. What gives? How can I get an enlarger for roughly half of what a piece of metal with rule marks on it? Someone explain this please.

 

[Bob-D659]

Try making one by hand. Now invest the money in tooling, skilled labour, overhead costs, materials, etc, etc, now add shipping and some profits for both the maker and seller.

 

[Bob-D659]

There were way fewer 16x20 easels made than Beseler 23Cs.

 

[Q.G.]

They are indeed that expensive to have us make ours ourselves, and save a shipload of cash to be spent on more worthy things.

 

[rphenning]

Id love to make one myself. What can I use to get sharp borders?

 

[2F/2F]

They are much cheaper used. Dirt cheap, in fact, if not free. I wouldn't buy one new unless I was making my living selling the prints I made on it.

 

[Perry Way]

They are much cheaper used. Dirt cheap, in fact, if not free. I wouldn't buy one new unless I was making my living selling the prints I made on it.

You are a survivor, I can tell. Or will be... I just watched the movie "The Road" is why the sentiment.

Yeah I totally agree with you man, don't spend money on this stuff. My enlarger's baseboard will allow for a 20x24. Largest easel I have is 11x14. I have a package of 16x20, I want to burn it but I'm here contemplating how I'm going to make it happen. Until I find one absolutely free, what I'm thinking is using a mat board with the opening cut to the size I want, then use that to frame where I want the print, then outline the top and left with gaff tape. Pick up mat board place paper down, then mat board then get some things to weigh down the mat board. Quick and dirty but not low quality and costs one mat board which you can find at your local arts and crafts or framing store.

 

[rphenning]

They are much cheaper used. Dirt cheap, in fact, if not free. I wouldn't buy one new unless I was making my living selling the prints I made on it.

show me where they are free haha. Every single one on ebay and craigslist ive seen has been $100+

 

[benjiboy]

Things are worth what you can get for them.

 

[2F/2F]

show me where they are free haha. Every single one on ebay and craigslist ive seen has been $100+

$100 is not a bad asking price for a 16x20 high-quality four-bladed easel in good shape. (They are, after all, over $300 when new! ) Also, an asking price is just that: an asking price.

My 11x14 four-bladed easel and my 11x14 two-bladed easel were both free, via Craigslist, and neither of them were advertised for free (and one of them was not advertised at all). They turn up. Be patient. Keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime, double sided tape and/or weighted matboard works with fiber paper, and RC paper doesn't need an easel.

 

[Perry Way]

show me where they are free haha. Every single one on ebay and craigslist ive seen has been $100+

Well, I can say this, I have a Saunders 14x14 easel, and while I would not want to spend the money to buy another, I would if I didn't have it anymore. They are really worthy of the expense. But I have a couple of other easels which I would like to get rid of. May I interest you in an 8x10 easel with light leaks around one edge?

 

[rphenning]

$100 is not a bad asking price for a 16x20 high-quality four-bladed easel in good shape. (They are, after all, over $300 when new! ) Also, an asking price is just that: an asking price.

My 11x14 four-bladed easel and my 11x14 two-bladed easel were both free, via Craigslist, and neither of them were advertised for free (and one of them was not advertised at all). They turn up. Be patient. Keep your eyes peeled.

In the meantime, double sided tape and/or weighted matboard works with fiber paper, and RC paper doesn't need an easel.

Yeah man there is one on ebay right now that I am hovering over the "buy it now" on. Two bladed but it seems solid. Anything else I would just throw up on the wall and project it that way to print it. Ill just be patient and see how things work out.

And perry I appreciate your offer. Im set on 8x10 though. I have a very generous high school photo teacher.

 

[Blacknoise]

i like to do borderless prints, so im using a diy easel, which consists of a piece of MDF and movable mount adheisve. seems to work well. no problems with sharpness it seems.

 

[ozphoto]

I have to admit, my easel cost quite a bit, however, on the grand scale of things - it is *exactly* what I need.
For my style of printing and needs, a 4-blade is the only way I go and I forked out some $$$ for an 11x14 Saunders.

These days they are going a lot cheaper than what I paid - but like anything else, I could have waited for the price to drop, but wouldn't have been producing the work the way I wanted for at least 5 years. :O

In AU picking up an enlarger for $100 is rare - they can still be quite expensive, so my easel cost me about 2/3 of my used enlarger.

Money well spent in my opinion, but if you can get away with using a 2-blade - you'll find the savings substantial; however compare the build quality on the cheaper versions to a Saunders and you *will* see where the extra is spent.

 

[mikebarger]

11x14's are generally a lot cheaper than the 16x20's as there were a ton more made, supply and demand.

Mike

 

[clayne]

I picked up a Kaiser 4-blade *new* from Freestyle. Solid quality easel and I didn't feel bad one bit paying higher for something if it meant actually contributing to a manufacturer who's still in the game.

 

[ic-racer]

Get a cheap 2 blade easel for now and keep looking for a 4 blade.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

A new 23c costs about $1,000. That's the price one should use to compare to a new 16x20 easel. They are both so many pounds of sheet metal: A 23c costs $1,000 and weighs 60 lbs, a 20x24 Beseler easel costs $500 and weighs 30lbs.

I'm sure a used easel can be found for $0 - $20 if one looks long enough in dumpsters and on Craigslist.

 

[Q.G.]

Id love to make one myself. What can I use to get sharp borders?

The same thing used in commercially available easels: strips of metal.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

If only all photo gear opportunities had the convenience of good timing! Guaranteed, within 24 hours of spending 150 bones on an easel, your neighbor will come over with a never-used 16X20 that was in the attic when he moved in, and he wants to know if you have any idea what it is for . . .maybe some sorta camera thing? Here, you want it?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

A good easel is expensive, because an easel that doesn't stay in alignment is maddening. A good one will save you time and money on wasted prints, and your sanity. I recommend a Saunders V-Track.

 

[rphenning]

If only all photo gear opportunities had the convenience of good timing! Guaranteed, within 24 hours of spending 150 bones on an easel, your neighbor will come over with a never-used 16X20 that was in the attic when he moved in, and he wants to know if you have any idea what it is for . . .maybe some sorta camera thing? Here, you want it?

ahaha of course. Or my mom or dad will find one.

Anyways, yeah if I am going to spend a lot of dough on this, some worthwhile suggestions for a 16x20 easel would be great.

 

[cheekygeek]

DIY Big Paper Easel

Well, if I didn't recently get a ginormous 20x24 4-blade easel in a big darkroom purchase that i recently made, I was thinking about trying this (found when searching for a DIY easel):

Quote from a different forum post:

Years ago, in order to make big enlargements with my Durst, I rotated the head 90 deg and projected on the wall.

In order to hold my paper, I made an easel consisting of 1/4" masonite as a
base, rimmed with 1/2" 1/4-round (round side to the outside. I then filled
the easel with heated hectograph fluid. It turns into a tacky gel when cool
and holds down paper very flat. The gel can be pulled out occasionally
(couple of times a year,) heated, strained to get out lint, paper dust,
etc, and poured right back in.

This was a very good solution for me as it was easy it worked beautifully.

Hectograph fluid is no longer available but if you Google hectograph, many
"home made" recipes will show up.

Well I did Google it and found this recipe:

Gelatin
From a reasonably good grocers' shop or supermarket (look in the baking section)
Water
From the tap is just fine...
Sugar
Just your average White Death
Glycerol
AKA Glycerine. From a Pharmacist, Drugstore, or Friendly Chemist.
Preparing the 'bed'

[This recipe uses gelatin, which can be produced from non-animal sources, but which usually isn't. Somewhere we have an equivalent recipe that uses carrageenin gel or agar agar, but you will have to work these ones out for yourself by trial and error, as we're not so practised with these ones]
In a large saucepan dissolve 100g gelatin in 375ml water then begin to warm it gently while adding 385g of sugar. When it has dissolved, add 715g glycerol and slowly bring the mixture to the boil. Stir gently for one minute while boiling to avert the wrath of the Foam Ghods.
Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it slowly into your tray (care! this mixture boils at a higher temperature than water -- for the purposes of rug rats and house apes, treat it as molten fat).

Make sure that the tray is on a flat surface where it can be left for a few hours until the gel sets.

While the gel is cooling, the Foam Ghods can be further appeased by using tissue paper to remove bubbles, foam and 'bits' from the surface.

Basically, what you have done is create a big "sticky" that can be hung on a wall or used on the floor as you would a big easel. I'd probably keep the thing in a garbage bag or covered in plastic drop cloth or something to keep dust and crap from getting in it prematurely. But I like the idea that it can be reconstituted.

 

[domaz]

show me where they are free haha. Every single one on ebay and craigslist ive seen has been $100+

Look for people unloading darkrooms in large lots. If they happen to have an easel get the whole lot for cheap and throw out or sell the other bits. Sometimes you have to buy in bulk to save- like Costco.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

I make prints to 20x24 - however it is very rarely that I exceed 11x14. I almost never use anything larger than an 11x14 4-blade, and then it is often only used to hold a speed-easel in place.

Buy an easel that accommodates 90% of your work, and use a sheet of Masonite and some masking tape (or a sheet of thin steel and some magnets) for the occasional large prints.