Wood specks from contact frame

[mjs]

I have an older wooden Premier 8x10 contact print frame made of soft wood and it seems to be shedding tiny bits of wood. When I use it I have to be very careful to vacuum out or brush off small specks of wood in between each sheet of paper. Is this typical, or just the penalty for buying a really cheap contact print frame?

Mike

 

[JOSarff]

Premier frames do shed, and thats the penalty. I believe their made of pine. A hard wood such as oak or maple works better. If you have woodworking skils, buy a oak board at home depot and make your own. It's not hard to do. I made a frame for 8x20 negs in about 2 hours. The springs were aluminum stoak 1/8 x 1" x 36" cut to fit.

 

[DannL]

If this frame is a throw-away item, you might consider sealing the wood. I would consider shellac first, or maybe then a varnish or oil based paint. Just a thought.

 

[mjs]

I suspected that this was a result of just buying the cheapest thing I could find on E-bay. Another lesson in that cheap isn't necessarily savings. I'm not much of a wood worker, but my brother in law is. I'll see if I can get him to make me one out of hardwood, using the Premier as a pattern. Thanks a lot for the replies!

Mike