Negative carriers?

Stephanie Brim · May 31, 2007

Different people have told me different things. Machine your own. Buy the ones that go to your enlarger. Just make some out of cardboard. I'm throwing this out to you guys.

I'm likely about to come into a Beseler 23CII without a lens board or negative carriers. Not quite ready to print out of the box. I'm going to need at least two carriers at this juncture: a 35mm and a 6x9. I'm also going to need a lens board for the lenses I'd use: most likely a 50mm and a 135mm. Considering my enlarger, what would be my best option?

jstraw · May 31, 2007

23C carriers are very plentiful on the used market. I'd go ahead and look for what I needed. Not sure about how easy a 6x9 is to locate but the 35mm ones, filed and unfiled, are everywhere.

Nick Zentena · May 31, 2007

The 35mm should be fairly easy to find used. The 6x9 will be a little harder but you'll have less competition for it. If the 135mm uses a 39mm thread then I'd get a threaded 39mm lensboard and use it for both lens.

I guess it depends on how much of a rush you are in. New they'll be expensive. Used shipping might be more then the parts cost.

Stephanie Brim · May 31, 2007

I'm really not in that much of a rush. I haven't built a suitable lightproof place in the basement yet, so I have some time before I'm going to get to print. This is just the first step of many in the right direction.

Jon Shiu · May 31, 2007

I would recommend the 6x9 negative carrier with anti newton ring glass because it keeps the negatives nice and flat. They are fairly rare on the used market, but I'd sell mine if I could find it (no longer have a 23C).

Jon

bdial · May 31, 2007

They are plentiful on the auction thing, I know 'cause I've been tracking them some for a recently acquired 23c. 6x7 and 6x9 are in somewhat higher demand than some others, but there is no shortage. The biggest problem might be finding listings that want reasonable prices for shipping. (how can two pieces of aluminum cost 30 USD to ship??).
Interestingly I was just in a local shop tonight and they have 3 or 4 new 23c carriers stuffed in a back corner. Didn't notice whether one was a 6x9 though. They weren't marked for prices, and I didn't ask, but they've obviously been there for a very long time.

Curt · Jun 1, 2007

Machine your own, buy a mill, go to night school and study milling, get some material and make your own. Or use cardboard, get the good stuff from oatmeal boxes.

Then forget that and buy some on eBay, the biggest shopping center in towns. With that size and model they are plentiful.

Dead Link Removed

Steve Smith · Jun 1, 2007

Curt said:
Machine your own.

Thats what I did for my LPL/Saunders 6700. But I do have a CNC drill/router at work!

Steve.

Jim Jones · Jun 1, 2007

I improvised a temporary 35mm carrier for an ancient DeJur 4x5 enlarger from Masonite 20 years ago, and am still using it. If you can get the 6x9 carrier first, it might be easy to mask down to 35mm. I did that for a friend's 6x9 DeJur.

Philippe-Georges · Jun 1, 2007

Dear Stephanie,

As for the Besseler 23CII, I can not speak, but I was told that Besseler and Omega were build quit the same.
So Here are some examples of how I modified and build what I needed for my Omega D3.
Here in Belgium, spare parts for Omega's are hard to find, as a matter of fact, I was lucky to find one at all.
As you can see, the modifications on the lens carriers were done in black acrylic glass of about 2,5 mm thick (= 1/10 inch?), black plastic tube, black tape and 4 mm nuts and bolds. The Acrylic glass is 100% opaque and easy to be worked at and rather stiff enough to be used as such. The nuts and bolds can be used to trim the parallelism of the lens flange and the carrier.
The picture with the Schneider 105 mm shows an original lens carrier.

For the negative carrier, I had to make for 6,5 x 9 cm sheet film, I used some aluminium of about 3 mm thick. I had to cut two sheets the same outer size, but one with an opening the same as the size of the image and the second as large as the film sheet, and stuck them together with some 4 mm bolds. The over all form is copied of an original Omega negative carrier. The film is simply resting in the carrier, then I lay a 6,5 x 9 cm sheet of anti Newton glass over it to prevent it of curling upwards due to the lamp heat, this is why i did not use the acrylic glass for this item.

I hope you will find some inspiration in these examples.

Good luck with your Besseler,

Philippe

40oz · Jun 1, 2007

I was able to find 35mm and 6x9 fairly easily used, but have had a hell of a time finding 6x6 even new, so I made my own out of mat board. I just used the 6x9 for a template, and cut two identical pieces to sandwich the neg, taped on one end to make a clamshell.

Monophoto · Jun 1, 2007

Stephanie -

Midwest Photo is usually a pretty good source of negative carriers for old enlargers.

DannL · Jun 2, 2007

Another alternative, in a pinch. Go to your local framing shop and get two identical mat boards cut with the hole dimensions (frame size) you require. Use tape as a hinge.

Or have them cut one mat board with two frame holes and have them do a partial cut down the middle. That's where you will fold it, like a hinge.

dphill · Jun 2, 2007

Stephanie,
Excellent thread topic as I am in the same boat as you, but much larger! Not to hijack the thread, but if I may ask your responders for some advice....

I have acquired a Beseler MVT 57 (Diffusion & Vignetting). My first problem was a replacement bulb. That's been solved so my next problem is negative carriers. Unlike Stephanie (lucky), The number of available carriers for my enlarger have been, so far, non-existent (unlucky).

I have the stock glass 5x7 neg carrier, a 4x5 glassless carrier and a 6x9cm glassless. So I have the dimensions for the overall size and thickness of the carrier. I was going to try plate steel (the original material) or wood (I do pretty good with woodworking and have the tools).

The sizes I am planning to fabricate are 6x12cm and 6x17cm.
The concern that I have is dimensional stability. Does heat or humidity affect the Masonite to any degree? Or would sealing it be advisable as Masonite can get "fuzzy" when cut?

I thought that if I used wood I would finish it and sand it supper smooth.

The Acrylic would depend on available thicknesses matching the original plate steel used. Then the question, does heat become a problem?

My last choice would be the steel as I would need to annoy my brother the Millwright for assistance although it would be the most durable.

Any discussion would be of assistance.

Thanks,
Dan

Jon Shiu · Jun 2, 2007

Hi, maybe consider using a glass sandwich?

Jon

Jim Jones · Jun 2, 2007

dphill said:
. . . The concern that I have is dimensional stability. Does heat or humidity affect the Masonite to any degree? Or would sealing it be advisable as Masonite can get "fuzzy" when cut? . . .

The tempered Masonite (I believe genuine Masonite brand) in my carrier has the finished sides facing each other to hold the negative. Only the rough surfaces were spray painted black to block stray light. I've noticed no fuzz or warping. Some other hardboard, especially untempered, can be a bit fuzzy, but paint ought to prevent that.

bdial · Jun 3, 2007

If I were going to make my own from metal rather than wood or Masonite, I'd use aluminum. Much easier to cut than steel, you can even use some wood working tooling. Masonite or plywood would be reasonably dimensionally stable. For plywood I'd use Baltic Birch or sometimes called cabinet grade which has more plys, and no voids.

dphill · Jun 3, 2007

"Hi, maybe consider using a glass sandwich?"
Jon,
For about two seconds..,I am far too clumsy with "naked" plate glass. Although I agree that it would be less prone to scratching than Acrylic. Also, I would feel uneasy allowing "guest users" access to the glass.

Jim,
Did you use a knife or a very fine saw with the Masonite? Is there a need to bevel the edges?

bdial,
I hadn't thought of solid core plywood, thanks! I'll check that out.

Thanks to all,
Dan

Jim Jones · Jun 3, 2007

Dan -- It's been 20 years, but I probably drilled large holes in two opposite corners and squared the film gate out with a fine hacksaw blade, wood rasp, and file. The upper edges are slightly bevelled so they don't block the cone of light from the condenser.

Negative carriers?

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