Pretty Special People

[Calamity Jane]

There are some pretty special people hang out on this board, people with a very generous and helpful nature.

I want to thank Leonard Robertson and Kevin Crip for some very generous "deals" to help with my 4x5 homemade color enlarger! Thanks guys!!!! There will be a little something on its way to each of you soon (when the blizzard breaks).

With the parts that arrived today, the enlarger is just about finished and I'll get some pictures up on my Web site when it's mounted in the darkroom. Today I fitted the Beseler Dichro, finished the lens board, finished the negative carrier receiver and painted the required areas flat black. When the paint is dry, it's time to put it together and mount it (and see if it works!)

Thanks again Kevin & Leonard - you're great people and I hope to have the chance to shake your hand one day!

Now, if I can just track down a timer cable for the Dichro . . . . ;-)

[Jim Rice]

Cables can always be made. Anyone have specifications?

[Leonard Robertson]

Thank you for the kind words. I'm amazed you are so far along with your enlarger project. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of it on your website. As for a cable, I have seen KHB listed as a source for Beseler parts, even though they seem to be better known as Omega experts - http://www.khbphotografix.com/ Sooner or later a cable will likely show up on eBay. The cord is a 6-prong miniplug on one end and 2-prong household on the other. It makes me wonder if only two of the 6 prongs are used with a standard timer, and the full 6 are used when the DATA module is used. If this is the case, it might be easier to make one. Here is another enlarger bodging site you might enjoy: http://www.wehmancamera.com/vchead.htm You can bookmark it for when you move up to 8x10.

[Calamity Jane]

Thanks Leonard!

The problem with the timer cord is a) knowing the proper pinout and b) finding the right connector shell. I could jury-rig it but it would be much nicer with the proper connector shell, especially since the mating connector is PCB-mounted. I will continue the hunt for a cable or connector while I wait for the schematics from Beseler. Once I have the schematics, I'll know the pin functions.

The enlarger project has actually been under way for about 5 weeks. I made the bellows first (as a "test run" for my next 4x5 camera) and then I made a number of different mounts before I came up with one I was satisfied with - the others went for kindling :-(

The paint was dry this morning so the whole thing got assembled and installed in the darkroom today. All that's left to do is to make an extension cord for the Dichro, the timer cable, and to cast myself a 25Lb counterbalance for the head.

I am trying to resist motorizing the up/down movement of the head! ;-)

[Calamity Jane]

I posted a new page with a few pictures of the home-spun enlarger. If you're interested, scroll down near the bottom of my home page at http://www.geocities.com/diannebest/index.html and click on the link.

(Sure beats doing anything outside in a blizzard! UCK!)

[Bob Fowler]

WOW! You built some real nice features in that enlarger. I really like the using of a vertical column instead of one that's on an incline.

Nice job!