Photo Enlarger Stand, Pine & Birch Plywood

[johnpipe108]

To fully utilize my 4 x 5 cameras, I acquired an old Federal photo enlarger; for a while, it occupied my Black & Decker Workmate 425, which was inconvenient when I needed that workbench. I finally got the chance to pick up some wood, and some more pocket hole screws. One birch ply 2' x 4' handi-panel, Two 8 foot 2 x 2/s, two 10 foot 1 x 4's, a bit of cutting and drilling, and voila! A convenient stand for the enlarger:

All cuts on the frame wood were mitered by hand (everything too big for the 10" bandsaw):

All assembly was done with pocket hole screws; 1-1/4" for the frame, 1" for fastening the 1/2" ply top to the frame. The lower shelf was the left-over piece, and I had to cut 1" approximately off the end of the ply to square it up, and the leftover after cutting the top just happened to fit as a lower shelf! I was going to use polyurethane walnut stain, but trying on the rear piece was reminded that pine doesn't accept stain willingly, and I don't have any pine prep for the job; I left the end as it is, and have for the moment just given the frame a coating of Johnson's wax. I need to get some birch veneer edge tape for the top, then I can give it a wax coat.

On the left side, you can just see the blackout curtain hanging outside the "darkroom;" 8 x 10 developing trays just fit on the right-hand end of the bathroom vanity counter-top.

Hope you like it,

Regards, John

 

[Henry W]

John - Nicely done - a made to order solution.

Henry

 

[smallboat]

That enlarger sure looks familiar.
My first was a Federal handed down from my dad. it was medium format, not 4x5 but otherwise very similar.
Come to think of it, building my darkroom counter and shelves was probably my first woodworking project.
Wood shop class didn't come for another year or so.

Yours is a lot prettier than mine- nice job.

 

[johnpipe108]

That enlarger sure looks familiar.
My first was a Federal handed down from my dad. it was medium format, not 4x5 but otherwise very similar.
Come to think of it, building my darkroom counter and shelves was probably my first woodworking project.
Wood shop class didn't come for another year or so.

Yours is a lot prettier than mine- nice job.

Thanks, I'll have to post the photo of the other enlarger (2 -1/4 x 3 -1/4), a Federal medium format model 219.

Regards, Jon

 

[johnpipe108]

Thanks, I'll have to post the photo of the other enlarger (2 -1/4 x 3 -1/4), a Federal medium format model 219.

Regards, Jon

Here it is:

Did it look anything like this?

Regards, John

 

[Pop Golden]

John, My gosh are you still using film? The motion picture Folks are having a heck of a time trying to talk the "Great Yellow Father" to keep making movie film. I've been a pro for many years I'v given to digital. BUT! a 4x5 is one heck of a camera. I remember back in art school just what you could make the view camera do.

Pop

 

[johnpipe108]

John, My gosh are you still using film? The motion picture Folks are having a heck of a time trying to talk the "Great Yellow Father" to keep making movie film. I've been a pro for many years I'v given to digital. BUT! a 4x5 is one heck of a camera. I remember back in art school just what you could make the view camera do.

Pop

I'm using paper negative (I use the digital for project photos for posting), and haven't made many pix yet (mostly test pix). The 4 x 5 film, B&W, from the great yellow father is $108 for 50 sheets; I paid about $23 for 25 8 x 10 Ilford MGIV RC, and this gives a per shot cost of 23 cents for 4 x 5 cuts, v.s. $2.16 for film! There is an art renaissance in large format photography going on, thanks to the WWW. The only film sizes still being made (not counting motion picture film) are 35mm, 120 & 4 x 5! I haven't checked out motion picture film yet, but I see all kinds of outdated film for sale on Ebay.

Regards, John

 

[Mike Davis]

Nice work as always John. That makes me want to drag out my 4x5 and set up a darkroom again.