Want to Buy WTB Darkroom essentials: enlarging lens, easel, negative carrier...

[Myxine]

Good morning ya'll!

This week end i found what i thought was a good deal on a Beseler 23cII color head from my local Craigslist that i set up in my soon to be darkroom.
I want to print 6x7 and Xpan negatives essentially but i need some items for the dry section that didn't come with the enlarger:
- a 90 / 105mm enlarging lens, even a 135 might work? not sure... - if possible mounted on a Beseler 23 lens board (i'm not sure how hard it is to mount those lenses )
- a negative carrier for 6x7 / a xpan one? those seem hard to find for cheap... i might go for DIY
- an easel that could do 5x7 and 8x10 (won't go further in my bathroom)
- a grain focuser
- an enlarger timer (?)

As anyone can guess, i'm an absolute beginner in the darkroom so this list might not be complete, but for a start that should be enough. I don't have much money that i can spend in all of this, the cheaper the better

Thank you for your help

Arnaud

 

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[ParkerSmithPhoto]

I have a grain focuser and a multiformat easel I could sell you for $20 shipped. It would be nice to find these a good home.

 

[lightwisps]

It is easy to make your own Negative carrier. Just a couple of sheets of matte board cut to the appropriate shape. If the store bought one for that enlarger has little things on the bottom of the carrier, you can just cut the same shape for more matte board and adhere them in the appropriated place. Hope this helps. It is what I do and is free to extremely cheap. Don

 

[r-brian]

I've got 2 complete 23CII outfits. Let me rummage thru the containers in the garage and see what I have. I know I have a 100mm Schneider companon, lens board, and maybe extra 6x7 negative carrier and timer and probably a 8x10 two blade easel.

 

[Myxine]

Awesome! Thank you all!!

 

[Tom1956]

My vote also for home-made neg carrier. I made all mine out of hobby plywood from the hobby store.
Stay away from Gralab timers for using on the enlarger. They're great as development timers. Lens is most important--put all your money there. Otherwise you'll have hot print centers and weak edges and corners.

 

[Myxine]

That's great advice! Thank you Tom! Will definitely go DIY for the Xpan negatives. I might have found a kind forumer for the 6x7 negative carrier so i can copy the original and adapt it to the panoramic one

 

[hacked - sepiareverb]

Any interest in a 105 Nikkor, the older scalloped ring design? PM me if so!

 

[Myxine]

Sorry! I have a lens, and actually nearly all I need. Thank you

 

[mgb74]

FYI, lensboards for Beseler 23 and 45 are the same (4"x4").