From your linked journal entry:
"I sourced three sheets of aluminium with differing thicknesses ranging from 1mm, 1.5mm and 2mm so I could see which thickness gave me the optimum focus and structural strength...After quite a few test scans I decided the 1.5mm thick aluminium sheet was best which gave excellent sharp scans and was strong and stable enough for repeated use, the 1mm aluminium was too thin with the film sometimes relaxed onto the scanner glass and was not stable, the 2mm aluminium was too thick leading to a slight loss in focus and sharpness when compared to the 1.5mm film support, it was quite surprising how much a difference 0.5mm made."
Epson scanners are notorious for sample variation with respect to locating the plane of focus at different heights above their glass. While 1.5mm tested as optimum for your scanner, others' might need different thicknesses. Epson, BetterScanning and ScanScience all acknowledge this by making their smaller film holders height-adjustable.
While I would also be interested in purchasing the 8x10 mounting system you've devised, what happens if my scanner (I don't have one yet; just thinking about it) "wants" a different aluminum thickness?
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