Grain Focuser

[Two23]

I've been learning b&w printing at my local university, and having fun. I am assembling what I need to do this at home and have accumulated:

Bogen 22A enlarger with 35mm carrier
printing easel with hinged glass, 8x10
print washer, 8x10
8x10 trays, measuring cylinders, rocket bulb, antistat-brush, cloth gloves
Patterson domed red light
GraLab 300 timer
Chemicals: Ilford multigrad developer, Ilford rapid fixer
Ilford MG paper, pearl

I need: stop bath (?), 6x6 neg carrier, contrast filters, selenium toner, grain focuser.

Pertinent information: I've been regularly shooting and developing b&w film for ~5 years, mostly sheet film but also 120 (and some 35mm). I've now spent about 10 hours in the university darkroom making prints with Beseler 45MX and 4x5 negs. (I also shoot wet & dry plate for past 4 years.) My goals: contact prints 8x10 and 5x7 negatives at home, make quality 8x10 (and maybe 11x14) enlargements from 6x6 (and a few 35mm) negs.

My questions at the moment are:
(1) do I need a stop bath other than just water? If so, wouldn't just a bit of added vinegar work? How much?
(2) what grain focuser do I need? Will be used for 35mm and 120. Looking at ebay I don't want the cheapest. How about Bestwell? Micromega seems like overkill for me.
(3) I'm wanting selenium toner both for archival and warm toning reasons. Are the different brands basically the same? i lean toward Ilford.

[Mark Sampson]

!) Citric acid will work perfectly as a stop bath- and it doesn't stink. I just bought a 1.8 lb bottle from Amazon for maybe $12- several years' worth.
2) I've used the best Peak grain focuser, on the job and at home, for over 40 years. So I'm biased (and my eyes aren't what they were). But one of the less expensive models will still do the job.
3) All the selenium toners on the market (Berg, Ilford, Kodak) are about the same.
4) I started out with a Bogen 22A enlarger, in about 1973. A good machine- but be sure to get a good enlarging lens. That's a question for another thread.
5) Best of luck! Happy photographing!

[Two23]

!) Citric acid will work perfectly as a stop bath- and it doesn't stink.
4) I started out with a Bogen 22A enlarger, in about 1973. A good machine- but be sure to get a good enlarging lens.

1. How much citric acid per 500ml of water? It's available at Walmart fairly cheap.
2. I'm looking at replacing existing 50mm lens with an El-Nikkor 50mm f2.8. For a 75mm I'm thinking Schneider.

[Fred L]

1. How much citric acid per 500ml of water? It's available at Walmart fairly cheap.
2. I'm looking at replacing existing 50mm lens with an El-Nikkor 50mm f2.8. For a 75mm I'm thinking Schneider.

I use around 15grams per 1 litre. Unlike Mark, I made the mistake of buying 50 lbs of food grade citric acid off Kijiji. I expect I will put the remaining in my will haha. I think I've only made a 2-3 lb dent in the stuff lol

As for the focuser, there is no downside to the Peak focuser, other than the initial cost. Have used them all and the Peak is hands down the best I've ever used.

I've only ever used KRST (Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner) and am happy with it.

[Mark Sampson]

There's a recipe out there, and someone will know it. But I just throw a bunch into a tray of water- maybe a couple of tablespoons worth in 2 liters of water. Sometimes my craft is less than perfect.
EL-Nikkors are fine optics. So are most Schneiders- get a Componon or Componon-S. They are bound to be a big improvement over the "Voss" lenses that long ago came with my Bogen. No doubt the real experts will chime in...

[Michael R]

I've been learning b&w printing at my local university, and having fun. I am assembling what I need to do this at home and have accumulated:

Bogen 22A enlarger with 35mm carrier
printing easel with hinged glass, 8x10
print washer, 8x10
8x10 trays, measuring cylinders, rocket bulb, antistat-brush, cloth gloves
Patterson domed red light
GraLab 300 timer
Chemicals: Ilford multigrad developer, Ilford rapid fixer
Ilford MG paper, pearl

I need: stop bath (?), 6x6 neg carrier, contrast filters, selenium toner, grain focuser.

Pertinent information: I've been regularly shooting and developing b&w film for ~5 years, mostly sheet film but also 120 (and some 35mm). I've now spent about 10 hours in the university darkroom making prints with Beseler 45MX and 4x5 negs. (I also shoot wet & dry plate for past 4 years.) My goals: contact prints 8x10 and 5x7 negatives at home, make quality 8x10 (and maybe 11x14) enlargements from 6x6 (and a few 35mm) negs.

My questions at the moment are:
(1) do I need a stop bath other than just water? If so, wouldn't just a bit of added vinegar work? How much?
(2) what grain focuser do I need? Will be used for 35mm and 120. Looking at ebay I don't want the cheapest. How about Bestwell? Micromega seems like overkill for me.
(3) I'm wanting selenium toner both for archival and warm toning reasons. Are the different brands basically the same? i lean toward Ilford.

Plain white vinegar diluted 1:1 with water makes a working strength stop bath.

Kodak, Ilford and Moersch selenium toners are functionally identical.

Ilford makes sets of contrast filters for printing. Don’t buy them used.

The venerable Paterson Micro Focus Finder is a plenty good enough grain focuser in my opinion. I used one for the longest time until I eventually bought a fancy Peak which I don’t find better or easier to focus. It works better for checking focus away from the central image area but whatever.

[Huub]

I would advise you to get also some air blowing device to use on your negatives to get rid of the dust that will without any doubt get on your negatives, no matter how carefull you are.

Storage bottles are a second item you will need, so you can re-use your fix and selenium toner. Also larger containers to collect spend fix and perhaps selenium toner might come in handy. Don't buy the harmonica type: they are a pain to keep clean and are made from a type of plastic that leaks oxegyn.

A third advise is to get some larger trays. 8x10 trays will work with 8x10 paper of course, but a size bigger is more comfertable. Depending on the temp in your darkroom, an over sized one can be handy also, to be used as a water bath around your tray with developer when temperatures are low in winter.

When it comes to lenses: the El Nikkor f2.8 50mm is a classic, but so are the Schneider Companon (with and without S), the Rodenstock Rodagons and a bunch of others. As you buy second hand condition might be more critical then make.

[joho]

hi, here is my 2 cents

[1[-you can use metabilsulphite as a stop bath also , it does haves a smell to it but if it stops smalling you know it is not workig and has to be replaced.
[2]-I had a Magnifying glass ahd could see for a 40x60 enlargement from corner to corner with a white paper on the enlarging easel for smaller prints a simple paterson grain focuser is very useful.
[3]-for a toner there is a seleniunm-sulfide toner but I think you wil have to make it yourself??

Note that the enlarging easel are real tools it is good to have one for prints up to A4 and one other for larger prints, 11x14 in & 16x20 in

[Tin Can]

I doubt my vision. So I use

4 different grain devices

Big print corners & center are

Checked with 4x5 sheet developed for close examination

AKA test strips

[Doremus Scudder]

If you're printing, you'll need a stop bath. I use Kodak Indicator Stop mixed as per instructions. I find it more economical than buying white vinegar, plus the indicator is nice (toss the stop when it just starts to get a "greyish" look; don't wait for it to turn blue). Citric-acid stops, like Ilford Ilfostop, are fine too, but they cannot be stored for long periods of time in working solution, they grow mold. An acetic-acid stop, like the Kodak Indicator Stop, will last indefinitely in working solution, till capacity has been reached.

I'll add my vote to the majority here who like the Peak grain magnifier. Buy the best and cry once.

As mentioned, commercially-available selenium toners all work about the same. If you are environmentally-conscious and want to save a bit as well, look into re-using and replenishing selenium toner used for prints. Search here and over at Photrio along with my name for details. I've written a bit about my methods.

Best,

Doremus