baseboard material

[monochromeFan]

i really would like some opinion on here..

solid wood best
butcher block second

but after that, is "particle board" actually better then plywood

[Duolab123]

Beseler went to a very dense (like particle board) with a laminate cover. I would find some really nice 3/4 " plywood and double it up. Unless you're willing to do some cabinetry, solid wood can warp and move around, of course there's ways to get around that with time and skills

[monochromeFan]

well im just thinking an actual baeboard for a D2... it needs it. And it would be more freeing then having it tied into the work table surface.

Things suck at home and i really need to get this project moving along. The D2 really has become the hold up for me, as the door layout in here is so screwed up.

[Jim Jones]

I consider plywood far better than any particle board where maximum strength and stability are important in applications like enlarger baseboards. Enlarger heads are necessarily unbalanced on their columns, and therefore constantly strain the baseboard. Just today I noticed that the column on my DeJUR Versatile Professional 4x5 enlarger leans very slightly forward. I last shimmed under the front edge of the column base to correct this several decades ago. The mating surface between column base and baseboard is fairly small, permitting the base to compress the wood of the baseboard over time. It is easy to add shims to correct this. Also, the DeJUR has adjustments on the head to compensate for this instead of shimming the column base. Just now, for the first time ever, I checked the 23x34x3/4 inch plywood base for warping. It is at least 1/8 inch lower some distance in front of the column base than at the front and back ends of the base. Hmm. I could start flipping the base over at regular intervals to neutralize warping. Better yet, tiptoe further into the 21st century and enjoy my Epson printer.

[Tin Can]

Formica sink cutout

or island

[Doremus Scudder]

Formica sink cutout or island

I second this. Find a piece of laminate countertop, either a big enough scrap or a cutout (think Habitat for Humanity thrift store or some used builders' supply place). Go ahead and get a piece with the lip and curve on the end. Then reinforce it on the bottom with cross pieces made of 3/4 ply or similar for strength with a large rectangular piece on the end where you will mount the enlarger. You have to glue and screw in from the bottom, so make extra sure your screws are short enough they won't poke up the laminate on top and still long enough to do the job. After it's all done, paint the bottom and apply felt strips. Works like a champ!

Best,

Doremus

[Pieter]

I use a butcher block tabletop form IKEA.

[John Layton]

Home Depot usually carries Melamine panels in different sizes...plus you can cut them down and use the "iron-on" Melamine edge banding kit for a neat look.

Plywood is great - but IMHO only if you go with the "good stuff" (like void-free Baltic birch), and can apply some kind of finish...like a sturdy deck paint or marine epoxy. You can also get fancy and glue up two 3/4" sheets to get a super-sturdy (and heavy!) 3" thick sheet.

Edit: and when purchasing any sort of wood these days...especially if its new - do look it over carefully to make sure its flat!

[Fred L]

both my Devere 504 and Leitz Focomat v35 have mdf baseboards, heavy af. doesn't budge at all. white laminate on top.

[Roger Thoms]

I built a new base board a few years ago for and enlarger at Harvey Milk Photo Center. I took two sheets of 1/2” CDX plywood and laminated the together with yellow carpenters glue. If I recall I screwed the two sheets together then removed the screws of the glue had dried. I the edge banded the plywood with hardwood (probably Maple) and then laid up high pressure laminate on each side. Base worked great and looked very nice too. My construction choices were heavily influenced by the materials I had on hand.

Roger