Filter holder for Beseler 45MCX

[acpictures]

Hi. This is my first post.

I just bought a Beseler 45MCX. I'm going to be using it for black and white only with Ilford Multigrade paper.

Although the enlarger has a filter drawer the filter holder is missing. It seem to require a filter that is semi circular at one end. So the filters have to be cut I would assume. Has anyone got a filter holder? I could do with some dimensions please. I've seen a photo of what it looks like on line. If I had dimensions I can probably make something to fit.

I have some 6" filters. Are these big enough? The slot seems to be closer to 7".

I'm not keen to fit filters under the lens if I can avoid it although I know people do.

In the old days when I had my last darkroom (1979!) I had an old MPP enlarger that had no filter drawer. Multigrade had not long come out. I used to take the lamp housing off and put the filter on top of the condenser. Would that be OK as a stop gap?

Many thanks

[Wayne]

I presume its the same as my 45MX. Mine is 7 5/8" x 6 3/8". All it does is hold the glass/plexiglass that you lay the filters on. I used 6x6 filters that I cut myself. I cut the plexiglass to fit it myself.

I think you might be able to do away with the holder and just cut a piece of plexiglass to the same shape, perhaps with a bumper stop of some kind to make sure the filters are slid in all the way, and just lay the filters on that.

[Wayne]

Here is a scan of mine. If you print it to those dimensions you can make your own for a few cents. It has a clip on top to hold the filters but I'm not sure how necessary that is if you make a bumper to hold them in place. Just an idea.

[acpictures]

Many thanks Wayne.

Armed with the dimensions and the scan I'm confident I can make a filter holder to suit.

[bigdog]

You can make your own out of plexi. But just FYI, they do come up on the auction site periodically.

[acpictures]

Thanks Bigdog.

I'm in the UK so Beseler enlargers and parts come up quite rarely. De Vere large format enlargers are much more common here. I'll keep my eye on the various auction sites just in case.