Changing Up My Darkroom and Home Studio

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Nokton48

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New Omega E3 5x7 Autofocus Enlarger by Nokton48, on Flickr

My new Omega 5x7 E3 Autofocus Enlarger arrived yesterday in three heavy boxes. These are the main pieces in my garage.

IT'S a BEAST.

It looks pretty good for being 70 years old! Having restored three 4x5 DII's I am ready for this. I am building a baseboard by gluing two pieces of 3/4" MTF. Lots of dirt and corrosion but I know how to deal with that. I will build a short 2x4 table to make a little bigger than 16x20s.

I also got a 4x5 condenser DII head with E3 Adapter, a homemade LED 5x7 E3 head (VERY COOL!), three E3 negative carriers, 5x7, 4x5 and 3x4. And two E3 lens cones and three E3 lenses. The two lens goodies are: The 190mm Wollensack, and the 135mm Wollensack. The enlarger came with both of those cams, the 190mm is serial number matched to the focusing cam on the enlarger column.

So, away I go into 5x7! I also do 8x10 but those are contact printed.
 
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Nokton48

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E3 Baseboard Bottom Side Finished by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here the E3 Baseboard is finished. This is the bottom side, I was going to also use wood glue, but really I don't think it's going to come apart. Has over a hundred countersunk 1.25" construction screws holding it together. So this is now a 1 1/2" thick MTF baseboard.

This should support the heavy E3 5x7 Enlarger with no problems, I would think.

Now I will start to put the enlarger together, and see how everything fits together.
 
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Nokton48

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E3 5x7 150 F9 Schneider G-Claron by Nokton48, on Flickr

So I need some hot glass, for doing 5x7 negs on the new E3.

I went to www.glennview.com and Glenn notes the 150 F9 Schneider G-Claron works well as a 5x7 wide angle unit. He knows the deal.

It just so happens I have this lens (I have about fifteen Schneider and Rodenstock enlarging lens from 50mm to 360mm).

Once I get a good "fit" on the enlarger I will cut down the board and build the custom table so everything is at a convenient height.

No need for a drop table with this one.

What other lenses work well for WA 5x7? I have older and newer lenses.
 
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Nokton48

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New Enlarging Setup by Nokton48, on Flickr

The DII on the left, is set up to make 8x10s from 4x5 negs, using a glassless film carrier, and 4x5 Omegalite Diffusion Head. Notice the Laser Align tool sitting on the 8x10 Speed Easel. The DII on the right, is set up make 5x7s from Minolta 16 negatives, using the Modern Enlarging Systems LED Diffusion Head and a dedicted 16mm film carrier and lens, which replaces the regular enlarging lens. This will be fun. And this is why I love having multiple enlargers.

New Enlarging Area Roughed In by Nokton48, on Flickr

The big new Automega E3 5x7 Enlarger will probably end up in the back corner. As you can see I have moved some storage shelves around. Working to clean up the E3, I did buy an original E3 instruction book from KHB Photographix. I'm also repainting parts of the E3, removing also a lot of rust and dust. I have completely cleaned up the enlarging cones for the 135mm and 190mm Wollensaks. Also trying other lenses to see what works well with 5x7 negs.
 
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AgX

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I guess I see a lead-acid battery, If true, what is it for? Back-up for a film processor?

Byt the way, I never saw such flow-meters.
 
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Nokton48

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The flow meters are made by Kreonite, it was part of my CPT16 Dry to Dry 16" Color Processor. I'm not moving anything, or changing that plumbing. No need and I repurposing what I already have. This Kreonite Water Board is worth some money.

The Marine Lead Acid Battery is the backup power for our sump pump. We are located on top of a hill so we don't get much rainwater in the basement.
Always been dry.
 
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Nokton48

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My Home Contractor "Bruce" has been around here for three days, renovating two of our smaller bathrooms. He did a fantastic job. Last year he built on a deck edition in our backyard that is amazing.

Tomorrow he is back to plumb my big black darkroom sink, that will be a job. The copper lines and drain pipes are already 75% done, he will finish it.

Our Furnace HVAC Guy looked the darkroom over, and he says all I need to do is hook up an existing bathroom exhaust (in the basement ceiling) to vent odors out of the darkroom. No need for that Harbour Freight dust fan, which sounded like a rocket engine.

So we will vent the darkroom odors out into the back yard.

Not done but getting closer.
 
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Nokton48

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Nokton48

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Poor Mans JOBO Film Processor by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is my "Poor Mans JOBO Film Processor". I have not developed any B&W film in quite a long time. In the Multitank 5 are loaded eighteen sheets of 6.5x9cm sheet film.

I will try twenty minutes approx in Microphen diluted 1:3.

The film is odd assortment of expired Eastern Bloc films and some other, so I am excited to see the results.
 

wyofilm

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I like your poor man's JOBO processor, but what are the two paper trays at each end for?
 

MattKing

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wyofilm said:
I like your poor man's JOBO processor, but what are the two paper trays at each end for?
Click to expand...
Drip catching?
I use the base of a kitchen dish drying rack for that purpose in my setup - here is the steel reel version:

 
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Nokton48

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wyofilm said:
I like your poor man's JOBO processor, but what are the two paper trays at each end for?
Click to expand...


I have found that my JOBOS do leak. Not always, but easy to clean up with the 5x7 Patterson trays. Especially now with plumbed sink.
 
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