Beseler 45MX Enlarger Alignment

[Leigh]

I just looked at a couple of Beseler 45-series manuals.

For front-back tilt they suggest rotating the entire enlarger assembly on its mount using a setscrew as provided.

I'm not at the darkroom presently so I can't examine mine to confirm.
It sounds reasonable since you can rotate the head a full 90 degrees to project onto the wall.

- Leigh

[LabRat]

If the issue is L/R edge issues, usually it involves the lower stage detent setting, as Neal mentioned (and provided a solution)... Replacing the nylon slides (as the Prof mentioned) should be done as the parts are still available, and most are overdue for replacement (this will usually correct front to back sag)... Turn the stage knobs while carefully looking if there is side to side tilt while operating... These will be fixed with the nylon replacements (but don't overtighten the grub screws there, just barely snug)... Also check the sides of the rail for corrosion that can bind up the sliding action... After that, you can get an adjustable square to place on the rail and check each stage against the flats/rule edge to see if there's a tilt/gap anywhere... Also check the flatness of the neg carriers + neg stage to make sure they sit correctly on each other (with no gaps)...

Check your baseboard + easel with a straight edge to make sure they are flat with no rocking... I have found that the best alignment tool is a tall machinist's height gauge (used can be not too much $$$) with a long blade that can reach into the neg stage, and show you if there's side to side or front to back tilt there, then the lens stage... (I think this tool is needed for esp sheet metal based enlargers as it will directly show you what the problems are, where other tools just show that there is an error...) And the base sits about where the easel would sit on the baseboard, so measures the entire system...

Also, with Beseler's lens board holder area, sometimes some models/era's mounting area has an error where the board sits (as in incorrectly tilted), so check if the lensboard sits correctly with no play if you push it up and down...

Steve K

[faberryman]

Thank you for the detailed instructions. Unless I am missing something, however, my version of the MXT does not have the rotating lower stage. My version has the straight rather than tapered bellows. I believe only the version with the tapered bellows has the tiltable lens stage.

[LabRat]

Thank you for the detailed instructions. Unless I am missing something, however, my version of the MXT does not have the rotating lower stage.

Beselers don't give you much alignment adjustments except for the front/back screw, as I think that they assume that when everything is working well, enlarger is in OK alignment, (like zero settings on a view camera, they don't allow adjustments to the factory alignment), but when there's wear or abuse, you have to find the suspect issue and fix it...

For the lens stage, a quick/dirty check is if you have some very flat solid block that will be placed on the baseboard that's big enough to almost make contact with the lens outer ring (with the bellows extended) and see if there's any tilt there...

The thinnish neg stages can have a slight warp (and the spring lift creates tension in that region), so check carefully, and repeat checks while opening & closing neg stage...

Some of the newer (and older) Beselers will often have a flaw somewhere, that will throw things off, so poke around...

Steve K

[Gary Beasley]

Have you checked the square of the enlarger using the two mirror technique? That can show you some very subtle misalignments from head to baseboard and if you can cut a glass to set in for the lensboard you can check that as well. That may require adding some unsilvered holes at the corners of the top mirror to let light in but the technique is the same.

[tgtaylor]

LOL...Reading this thread is like reading a Three Stooges plot. Keep it coming!

Thoma

[stawastawa]

where is a description of this technique?

Have you checked the square of the enlarger using the two mirror technique? That can show you some very subtle misalignments from head to baseboard and if you can cut a glass to set in for the lensboard you can check that as well. That may require adding some unsilvered holes at the corners of the top mirror to let light in but the technique is the same.

[faberryman]

After a couple of frustrating days, I have determined that my enlarger is actually in alignment. I finally went out and got a couple of pieces of glass, sandwiched a strip of 35mm negatives between them, and voila, the projected image is sharp corner to corner. Neither the 35mm metal negative carrier nor the 35mm Negatrans were holding the negatives sufficiently flat. The negative carriers are "good enough" if I stop down to f11/16/22, but for the best print, I'll just need to bite the bullet and use the glass sandwich.

[Leigh]

I only use glass carries in my Beseler 4MXT.

The film really wants to curl, and prints don't like that.

- Leigh

[faberryman]

Did you get separate negative carriers for 35/6x6/4x5? It seems like you only really need the 4x5?