I'm seeking advice on what to place my enlarger on. I have an Omega D5-XL, and an 8 foot ceiling. I print 4x5 as well as MF and 35mm in 8x10, some 11x14s and occasionally a 16x20 - although I would like the option of printing larger (20x24) some time in the future.

I would appreciate any recommendations in terms of equipment, etc. Unfortunately wall mounting is out of the question. The room is 10'x6'8'. I have an exhaust fan in the middle of the room, and have salvaged a 7'x2' SS sink from a school chemistry lab.

Thanks in advance,

-- Tony Pulsone (pulsone@media.mit.edu), August 15, 2001

Answers

Helle. I had a similar situation when I moved into my new darkroom. Most tables I had considered seem very inadequate to support my 4x5 enlarger. They were simply not sturdy enough. Finally I went to Home Depot and bought a RIDGID power tool table. They are rated for up to 200 pounds if I remember correctly. The size was perfect, I can adjust height (when installing, so get yourself a good level) and it is very, very sturdy. The price was around 60 bucks, very cheap considering that some dedicated to enlarging can go for over 300. Hope this helps.

-- Marcel Perez-Calisto (marcelperez@hotmail.com), August 15, 2001.

Tony, I consider myself an expert on the "miniature darkroom"!! Mine is 6 feet x 3.5 feet x 8 feet(high)!! I found wall mounting the best option for me, is it definately not an option?? I wall mounted an LPL 7451 and made a simple adjustable work surface. I fixed wooden battens to the wall at various heights and use a piece of kitchen worktop as my bench. The weight of the worktop stops it moving. Their are plenty of plans available to make adjustable enlarger tables and you don't need to have great woodworking skills either. To save space I also invested in a Nova Quad processor - superb piece of kit. I am printing to a far better quality now than when I used a purpose built communal darkroom - sometimes size really doesn't matter!! If you need any more tips get in touch. re

-- paul owen (paulowen_2000@yahoo.com), August 16, 2001.

I have a D-6 which nearly hits the 8'ceiling from a 3'3 drawer base cabinet The baseboard is screwed into the cabinet from below and, most importantly, secured to the wall at the top of the postwith a custom made wooden block and plumbers tape. It's very sturdy. To keep from bending over I put my easel on a box for 8x10s. George

-- George Nedleman (gnln@thegrid.net), August 16, 2001.

With a friend's help, I made my own table/stand out of plywood board and 1x2's for my Omega. Its only 3 feet tall, to allow ceiling clearance (I print 16x20), but since I'm not exactly of basketball player stature, this is cool. You just need to shim it so it sits level and voila--a very inexpensive option. Have fun!

-- Chris (gazebophoto@hotmail.com), August 17, 2001.