Enlarger advice

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Really? That would be a first to me. Do as Peter suggested and get a horizontal DeVere, or mount the Durst horizontally on a table.

L

I am considering that if I can get away with it horizontally mounted on the table. That thing is quite large! That is why I was thinking wall, to save desk space, but if it is easy enough to mount horizontally on table then remove and store till next use, maybe that would work. But it is a lot to move around, so I would like to mount once and be done. Most likely I will leave vertical for now or mount vertically on wall.

Besides, I want to be damn near an expert given the price of photopaper that is 30x40 and the roll paper. B&H had 30x40 sheets, 50 to a box, for over 500 dollars with a minimum of 4 to order for almost 3000 bucks! So, when I start printing at that size, I want to be "expert" at it. 16x20 and 20x24 is more affordable as is 8x10 which I will do most of my learning on. Hopefully next summer I will be ready for the L138 or the Devere or the Focomat.

[bob carnie]

If you are dead nuts set on making 30 x 40 prints with an enlarge, you either need to use a vertical system with drop table that is aligned and easy to use.
If you want to go horizontal then you do have to put down some rails to make the projector able to move forward or back or move the wall back and forth in perfect alignment to the neg stage.

any thing less than this is going to drive you crazy , waste paper and turn you off, to level an enlarger to a wall takes technical expertise, equipment and time, if you want to wing it get ready to keep saying to yourself ,, well that print is good enough for govt work.

[Tin Can]

During WW II 'Government Work' meant the highest caliber in the USA.

Later the term became derogatory...

However, in my 3 decades of high-end factory work, it always meant it a High Caliber personal project done on company time. Side work. Often started and directed by owners and upper management.

As foreman in the test laboratory I filled slack times by making my specialists make a personal project to enhance their skills. We had full access to anything in the factory, any worker, any engineer.

We constantly improved skills through internal and external networking. IVY League colleges were sourced as were actual goverment laboratories.

Now back to work.

[Fred L]

pretty sure a colleague has his mounted on a wall but can check later today. Will need good support onto studs if you do however.

and yeah, the V35 is a very nice enlarger to print with, love using it.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I am not opposed to anything for mounting. In the end it will be what provides the best approach and the easiest solution. Horizontal or vertical should require the same amount of expertise to mount and align, but then I am just starting out. What I may do, if so inclined is to make the end portion of my work table removable, like a separate cabinet that I wheel out of the way, or find a table top that is adjustable from floor height to even with my work table. For me good enough is not good enough, but it does have its usefulness in learning what not to do and what to do.

As Randy mentioned, gov't work is often times some of the best quality out there. Look at NASA for example. They don't often make mistakes.

I pick the big monster up in October. Would anyone have a manual for this thing? I can't find one online.

[Luis-F-S]

If you want to go horizontal then you do have to put down some rails to make the projector able to move forward or back or move the wall back and forth in perfect alignment to the neg stage.

any thing less than this is going to drive you crazy , waste paper and turn you off, to level an enlarger to a wall takes technical expertise, equipment and time

Bob he’ll figure it out eventually.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Bob he’ll figure it out eventually.

I think I have a slim chance being an aerospace engineer, we never do things the easy way but we do make things work.

[Bob Salomon]

I think I have a slim chance being an aerospace engineer, we never do things the easy way but we do make things work.

Challenger?

[Tin Can]

I think I have a slim chance being an aerospace engineer, we never do things the easy way but we do make things work.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Challenger?

Do you mean the Challenger space vehicle? I did work at NASA after that though, but some work on the shuttle and space station