Want to Buy WTB - Pin Registration for 4x5"

holmburgers · Jul 12, 2010

Howdy,

So i'm just going to test the waters and see what I get. Usually this type of equipment fetches a pretty penny, and I can't really afford to spend much. But if you've got something that needs some work or that you're looking to get rid of, I'm your guy!

I'm looking to pin register 4x5" sheet film together, that's my only requirement really.

If I don't find anything here, I'm gonna use an office hole punch, so please... save me from such a pathetic alternative.

Thanks!

Jan Pietrzak · Jul 12, 2010

Holmburgers,

For years a good friend, used a 2 hole office punch and it worked very well. We he was doing a workshop and showing how to do masking, all was fine. One student in back of the class grumbling about something. When Al got back home a shoe box size package was waiting at the studio door. Inside the box where three custom made punches 35mm, 2 1/4 and 4x5. Some of the finest machine work any one has ever seen. Carl was a master craftsman. When I told al I was going to do some masking, we just talked about it. When I got home one of the of punches was packed into the car, a great gift.

So start off easy and see what happens.

Jan Pietrzak

holmburgers · Jul 12, 2010

Sounds good Jan, thanks. If I dont' find something for a *super* reasonable price, I do believe that the 2-hole punch will be the way to go.

What about having loose pins though?

Robert Hall · Jul 12, 2010

When I started, I simply scratched an x on opposite corners of the film, when I made the exposure and developed, I would line up the x's on the light table and taped the corners. It works great.

Just another fyi.

Jan Pietrzak · Jul 12, 2010

Holmburgers,

The big thing is to make sure the the pins and the punch are the same size hole. The pins are the alignment part. Punches are generally a standard size. The fun part is finding all the parts. Find a place that does silk screen printing they may sell you some pins then go off and look for the press. All of this stuff was very common to find then came the computer. The old way are still around it is just harder to fine the stuff and the people to teach it.

Jan Pietrzak

holmburgers · Jul 12, 2010

But since I'd be using an office punch, would those pins be standard pin-registration sizes? I guess I could just buy two office punches and cannibalize one of them.

Mahler_one · Jul 12, 2010

Without appearing to be disrespectful, would you consider purchasing a perfectly aligned and registered punch system from Alistair Inglis or Lynn Radeka? Both have excellent reputations for quality and service. I did note your concerns about price, and certainly one would expect that either of the purchased systems would cost more than the solution you are considering. Nevertheless, if one factors in time, materials, and the risk that you might waste costly film ( and the time spent photographing ), in the long run a punch system from either of the above might end up costing about the same. Simply a suggestion.

holmburgers · Jul 12, 2010

I appreciate your suggestion, not disrespectful in the least. I got a scoop on a $200 Condit 4x5/5x7 register, but that's just too much for me. I'm ok with a "ghetto" approach for the time being.

Interestingly, the famous "masking kit" that seems to be pretty prolific on the web appears to include a pretty basic office type punch. So if it's good enough for them...

holmburgers · Jul 12, 2010

Wow... http://cgi.ebay.com/Printing-Chesle...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a5b707652

This is an incredible deal, but it's too damn big..... or is it..... (yes, probably too big)

Jon Shiu · Jul 12, 2010

Wouldn't an office punch have too big of holes that would impinge on the image area of 4x5?

Jon

Jan Pietrzak · Jul 12, 2010

Jon,

You use a piece of extra film taped to what you are working with to punch. It is taped to the neg and a piece taped to the mask (if you are masking). Do your exposure and process the mask. Some people use litho film for the mask. Re-register and away you go. Look at Lynn Radicaks (sp?) site for more info.

Jan Pietrzak

ChuckP · Jul 13, 2010

I use 1/4" standoffs from an electronics store for my pins. Use a standard hole punch. A piece of extra film taped to the negative and oversized litho film for the mask.

BetterSense · Jul 13, 2010

A piece of extra film taped to the negative and oversized litho film for the mask.

Are you saying the "extra film taped to the negative" is the part that is actually punched, to save the original negative from having to be punched?

What kind of tape, and taping pattern do you use?

holmburgers · Jul 13, 2010

Yes, what type of tape? Painter's tape? Need something as non-residual-leaving as possible...

And by the way, I actually am going to punch into the film-image area. Reason being, is that I'm attaching a tri-color mask (like Dufaycolor, autochrome) onto another sheet of b&w film, and this sandwich has to fit in an ordinary 4x5" film holder. You can see my thread about it over in the alt-forum....

So for the time being at least, unless anyone can suggest something more elegant, I'm going to punch the film, tape it around the edges, put it in a film holder and then reassemble later with pins.

But yeah, what type of tape is recommended?

billdlv · Jul 13, 2010

You can get Mylar tape from an art store, its super thin.

ChuckP · Jul 14, 2010

I just use regular scotch magic tape. The film piece becomes a permanent part of the stored negative. I'll add that I use a home built carrier/mask printer for my old Elwood so I don't need to remove the film piece for printing. Also I'm at the age that I realize that my negatives will just be tossed when I pass on so working to find the exact tape isn't that important. This may not be the case if your work has a real market value.

holmburgers · Jul 14, 2010

Well, for my application I need to be able to remove it so I can process the black&white film seperate from the mask/screen. And no, my work has no real market value (yet!)

Want to Buy WTB - Pin Registration for 4x5"

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