chassis
22-Oct-2011, 13:42
Thought I would share some experience, after reading about the difficulty of aligning this enlarger.
Bottom line - this enlarger is not hard to align, it just takes several steps and a basic knowledge of how to adjust machinery. Altogether it took me about 15 minutes to measure initial alignment, and improve the alignment. No laser required.
My measuring tools were a carpenter's rule (wood folding type rule with a sliding metal scale at one end for fine measurement) and a machinist's square. The adjusting tools were a 1/4" hex socket and two sizes of allen keys (didn't note the sizes, about 1/4"). The reference point for alignment measuring was the baseboard.
The lens stage is pretty straightforward, because the side-side and front-back adjustments are independent of one another. Side-side is adjusted by two allen screws holding the lens stage to the focusing rail. Measure the underside of the lens carrier plate, on the left and right sides of the lens. Loosen the two screws and make the two measurements the same. Tighten the two screws gradually, and re-measure alignment as you go to be sure the tightening torque doesn't change the alignment.
Front-back lens alignment is controlled by four smaller allen screws. Loosen all four, and manipulate the loose lens stage until the two measurements in front of and behind the lens are the same. The measuring point should be the undersurface of the lens carrier, or the undersurface of the lensboard. Tighten the four screws gradually, checking alignment as you go, in the same manner as the side-side alignment.
Aligning the negative carrier is done by loosening all four 1/4" hex screws, and letting the negative stage rest at its lowest point. Find the highest corner (in my case the rear left corner of the negative stage was the highest), and use it as a starting point. Tighten the 1/4" hex screw, at the highest corner, first. Then raise the opposite rear corner until the two measurements were the same, and tighten the corresponding screw. Repeat the process for the front two screws, always using the initial (highest) corner as a reference. Tighten all the screws and check measurements.
I was satisfied that alignment was improved, because some of the screws were loose before I started, and the measurements were not all the same.
p.s. Through all of the above processes, I assumed that flat metal surfaces (negative stage, lens stage, lens board) were indeed flat.
Bottom line - this enlarger is not hard to align, it just takes several steps and a basic knowledge of how to adjust machinery. Altogether it took me about 15 minutes to measure initial alignment, and improve the alignment. No laser required.
My measuring tools were a carpenter's rule (wood folding type rule with a sliding metal scale at one end for fine measurement) and a machinist's square. The adjusting tools were a 1/4" hex socket and two sizes of allen keys (didn't note the sizes, about 1/4"). The reference point for alignment measuring was the baseboard.
The lens stage is pretty straightforward, because the side-side and front-back adjustments are independent of one another. Side-side is adjusted by two allen screws holding the lens stage to the focusing rail. Measure the underside of the lens carrier plate, on the left and right sides of the lens. Loosen the two screws and make the two measurements the same. Tighten the two screws gradually, and re-measure alignment as you go to be sure the tightening torque doesn't change the alignment.
Front-back lens alignment is controlled by four smaller allen screws. Loosen all four, and manipulate the loose lens stage until the two measurements in front of and behind the lens are the same. The measuring point should be the undersurface of the lens carrier, or the undersurface of the lensboard. Tighten the four screws gradually, checking alignment as you go, in the same manner as the side-side alignment.
Aligning the negative carrier is done by loosening all four 1/4" hex screws, and letting the negative stage rest at its lowest point. Find the highest corner (in my case the rear left corner of the negative stage was the highest), and use it as a starting point. Tighten the 1/4" hex screw, at the highest corner, first. Then raise the opposite rear corner until the two measurements were the same, and tighten the corresponding screw. Repeat the process for the front two screws, always using the initial (highest) corner as a reference. Tighten all the screws and check measurements.
I was satisfied that alignment was improved, because some of the screws were loose before I started, and the measurements were not all the same.
p.s. Through all of the above processes, I assumed that flat metal surfaces (negative stage, lens stage, lens board) were indeed flat.