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Thread: Finally, I am halfway there!

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    2,639

    Finally, I am halfway there!

    After a year or so of deliberation, and months of moaning... my darkroom is taking shape!!

    The shed isn't so big but it's the only place I have for this. I spent an hour plugging the top border with newspaper and covering the windows with bin bags, newspaper then cardboard. Oh, and hanging a bedsheet and a duvet cover across the door too.

    Not great, but it's light tight enough for the evening/night work. I'll check tomorrow for how much light gets in during the day.

    The Beseler CB7 works great for 4x5, I printed a few images on 10x8 FB paper, but my old paper developer is duff and mixing a bit of Rodinal isn't the best idea!!

    Tomorrow I plan on sorting some proper images, and maybe even learning whether the brown safelight filter is adequate for loading/developing 4x5 Ortho. I'm going to have some great fun shooting the two boxes of Kodalith and developing/printing the negs in record time!


    My old Rank Aldis 35mm and Gnome 6x7 enlargers are kaput, so unfortunately small format and enlargements over 10x8 isn't possible yet; I need to arrange a date to pick up a whole bunch of darkroom stuff from a friend on another forum. Once I have that then I'll be able to print 35mm/medium-format with ease. I believe it's a colour enlarger so there should be built in filters too.

    I can't wait. Soon my darkroom will be up and running properly, I'll be making traditional wet prints on demand (plus catching up with the hundreds of shots I've yet to print), and I'll have a Razzle on the way safe in the knowledge I can develop and print all the test shots from it!!


    Watch out, I might just be able to join in on the picture posts!!

  2. #2

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    1,794

    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Quote Originally Posted by Ash View Post

    The Beseler CB7 works great for 4x5, I printed a few images on 10x8 FB paper, but my old paper developer is duff and mixing a bit of Rodinal isn't the best idea!!


    My old Rank Aldis 35mm and Gnome 6x7 enlargers are kaput, so unfortunately small format and enlargements over 10x8 isn't possible yet; I need to arrange a date to pick up a whole bunch of darkroom stuff from a friend on another forum. Once I have that then I'll be able to print 35mm/medium-format with ease. I believe it's a colour enlarger so there should be built in filters too.:

    I don't understand The CB-7 will easily handle every format smaller then 4x5. If you're missing holders they still make new ones. Or if you have a 4x5 glass holder you could mask it.

    Not to mention a CB-7 will go a lot bigger then 8x10.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Nick, you're correct the CB-7 will go down to 35mm, but I'd prefer to keep it dedicated to 4x5 if possible. I've played about with the condenser aligning and lens changing, but I'd like to know I have two enlargers set up ready for negatives, rather than mess about with the settings.

    I have a 6x7 holder, and during moving the pieces, I ruined a negative that was inside it and lost one of my favourite photo's of a friend as a result

    The 35mm holder is missing the rubber band thing to allow the moving track.

    My 4x5 holder is the tension type.


    So yes, I could use it with smaller format without *much* hassle, but I'd prefer a dedicated 4x5, and a dedicated small format

    The CB-7 goes to MASSIVE enlargements, I actually meant that I couldn't go smaller than 10x8 using the 4 1/2 inch enlarging lens!

  4. #4

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    Sep 2003
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    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Sounds like you've got the fancier neg carriers. The normal ones are just two pieces of metal with hinges.

    You should be able to switch between 35mm and 4x5 in less then 30 seconds. I think you'll find it much more stable with more even light.

  5. #5

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    Jul 2006
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    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    The 6x7 is the metal-sandwich type. I think it had some invisible grit that scratched the neg, and then the licking nipples on each corner managed to attack the film as well when it shifted!

    The 35mm is the fancy type. I wouldn't mind using one enlarger for everything, maybe I'm being difficult by wanting two setups

  6. #6

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    Sep 2003
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    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    It can be nice to have multiples if you're busy. But if you're taking your time one enlarger you know well is often better.

  7. #7

    Join Date
    May 2000
    Location
    Tamworth, Staffordshire. U.K.
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    1,167

    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Hi Ash,
    What's wrong with the Gnome, I've got a couple of condensers I think. I've also got a neat little 35mm enlarger (it's in the loft and I can't remember the make but it's got a nice looking Schneider lens and B&W and Colour heads). Yours if you want them, E-Mail me. I can't drive for a bit as they hauled a cataract out of me eye yesterday and driving ain't allowed.
    Pete.

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Jul 2006
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    2,639

    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Pete, the Gnome currently has no clamping mech! It sits on the vertical column but isn't secure by any means.

    The Rank Aldis 35mm I have is very rubbish, I'd definitely consider that 35mm enlarger though thankyou let me know what it's like when you're fit again. Speedy recovery, take care.

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    Buffalo, NY
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    286

    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Hi Ash,
    Your CB-7 will do most anything that you ask of it in short order. Switching formats is very easy and fast and there are a ton of accessories on Ebay at any one time. I have used a Beseler 45 for about thirty years and it is the little brother to the CB-7. I came across this web site on the CB-7, check it out. http://www.glennview.com/beseler.htm
    The best advise that I can give you is to lose the idea of having multiple enlargers set up and use the extra space that you will have in your darkroom for bigger trays. Also get as many negative carriers as you can afford for each format that you print and a decent lens for each format. Any thing analog for the darkroom is extremely cheap as more go to digital. I have atleast 3 negative carriers for each format and will routinely print up to three images at a time and not have to take the negative out of the carrier. My feeling is the less I handle the negs, the less chance of my Ham-Handedness to muck up a neg.
    Best of Luck in the dark.
    Robert

  10. #10

    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Posts
    16

    Re: Finally, I am halfway there!

    Thanks for the link robert ....it would help us a lot ...

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