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  #1  
Old 10th April 2011, 06:15 PM
Ed Moss Ed Moss is offline
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Default Photon 4 blade easel

I've been offered an easel similar to this one pictured
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Photon-Beard-4...f#ht_724wt_907

Are there any other parts that I need as I can't work out how the edge of the paper is set. I'm assuming spares for these are now none existent?
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Old 10th April 2011, 06:21 PM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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Flat metal bars are set vertically in the slots that are visible to suit the papers size required. If these were missing then replacements would be easy to make. I doubt that spares are available but I'm not sure.
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Old 10th April 2011, 06:36 PM
Ed Moss Ed Moss is offline
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So something like a strip of meccano would do?
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Old 10th April 2011, 06:47 PM
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personally I rekon 2 bladed are less hassle which is not what you asked but I've thrown it in anyway. I had a four bladed and returned it for 2 bladed. Nice theory that image can be totally centred in paper but by the time you trimmed it for final mounting then I see no advantage to 4 bladed. Except maybe you don't trim resin coated but I always trim FB paper cos its the edges that are most prone to ingres of chemicals and therefore most difficult to wash fully. And edges occasionally frill in washing so need to be trimmed. Well if you are going to trim to size then you can center image when you trim it.
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Old 10th April 2011, 07:08 PM
Tony Marlow Tony Marlow is offline
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Quote:
Flat metal bars are set vertically in the slots that are visible to suit the papers size required.
As Dave said they are easily made from aluminium flat, 15mm or 20mm wide. I did buy a set from Beard last year together with a set of bar magnets.
Whilst it is a bit more fiddly to set up you can make wider margins than you can with a two bladed easel and it does give you more flexibility in positioning the easel. Some two bladed easels have the arms out of square but you can avoid this with the four bladed one as you set both ends of the blade individually.

Tony

PS. I am in trouble now, the crumpets are cooked and I haven't done the dustbins yet!!

Last edited by Tony Marlow; 10th April 2011 at 07:13 PM.
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Old 10th April 2011, 07:32 PM
robinb robinb is offline
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Hi Ed

I can measure one for you if you want
they would be very easy to make
Photon Beard as they are now called mostly deal in lighting now but they are a very helpful company and are the sort that would have a box full on a high shelf somewhere

good luck

robin
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Old 10th April 2011, 07:45 PM
Ed Moss Ed Moss is offline
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Thanks, still undecided wether to go for a 2 or 4 blade version, there doesn't seem to be a right answer.
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Old 10th April 2011, 09:20 PM
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Default Enlarger easel

The only reason to use a four blade easel is if you want larger white borders than can be achieved with two blade easels.

As I trim my borders and dry mount my prints a two blade easel does fine for me.

During my 30 years of commercial photography, I must say that a two blade easel was quicker and far more productive.

However, any well made easel is good enough so long as it is truly square..

The most important thing is to either paint the easel black or use a piece of black paper underneath your photographic paper.

I have often read this idea being 'Poo pooed" in many blogs but if your exposures are over 10 seconds then it WILL degrade your highlights.

I did not believe this myself until I did my own tests and I can confirm that it (having a white baseboard) brings the highlights down by about a half a stop. Not good when you want maximum 'Uuumph' for your prints..
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Old 10th April 2011, 11:08 PM
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I much prefer a good four blade easel, mine are Kaiser Pro Masks and the 20x16 one allows me to keep it on the base board centraly without hanging over one side, I find it a better way of working, well it is for me.
I'm not bothered about the colour of the base on the easel is as long as it's OK to focus on, (mine are grey) the colour make no deference to the papers I use to make prints, I did test this about a while back. (about 30 years ago)
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Old 10th April 2011, 11:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Moss View Post
Thanks, still undecided wether to go for a 2 or 4 blade version, there doesn't seem to be a right answer.
Well I have two two blades(both beards which are the best IMO). A big one which will take 20x24 paper which is really too big to use for 8x10 prints cos the easel then sticks out the edge of the baseboard too much. So I also got a smaller one which takes 16x12 paper and is ideal for the smaller paper sizes and great for 12x8 image size on 16x12 paper with a two inch border.
If you are only going to have one easel then a big 4 bladed will do all paper sizes but personally I found the beard I bought to be a real pain to get all the blade angles set reliably but some people love them.
One thing a 4 bladed can do is print black borders by moving all blades out of the way. so if you want to print with white lines around image and then black borders, get a 4 bladed.
I guess you won't know what suits you until you try one or the other.

You can square any two bladed easel by bending the blades carefully and once square it will stay square unless you mistreat it.

The beard two bladed easels do upto 2 inch white borders.

Last edited by Argentum; 10th April 2011 at 11:23 PM.
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