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Vintage Graflex Enlarger-Printer

 
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cruiseamatic



Joined: 04 Apr 2005
Posts: 1
Location: rochester ny

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 3:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a very old Graflex enlarger-printer. Pictures of this can be seen on ebay. I would like more info on this please...thank you
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a neat looking piece of equipment. The only reference I could find was right here on graflex.org under the various graflex equipment listings as:

Graflex Enlarg-or-Printer (35mm 2-1/4 x 3-1/4) 1936 1942

I got permission from the owner to supply this pic to make it easier for anyone to offer some help on what this thing is and does...




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Graflite



Joined: 08 Nov 2001
Posts: 103
Location: Southeast US

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't ever remember seeing one of these personally while I was in Photo retail sales in the early 70's, as they came along much earlier, but an older salesman who worked out of the warehouse and had a sales territory of several counties remembers seeing one in an older catalog.

It rather reminds me of the old "Franklin" type kerosene stoves with the tall metal and glass chimmeys that each member of my family had in their bedrooms.

They did a passable job of heating, but in the mornings before school, my brother and I would have to dress in front of the fire place in the living room in order to really stay warm.

Oh, for the good "ole" days,

graflite
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2005 4:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I _knew_ it reminded me of something

Wonder if it could serve a dual purpose?
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well.... I now own this thing

If anyone knows any more about it, I'd sure like to hear about it...

If anyone has any questions about it, I'll offer what I can...

So far it's undoubtedly missing any kind of lens it may have had, but the negative carrier is there. Needs a new AC cord, and you'd figure that when I stopped at the hardware store for something else on the way home I would have bought one...

It looks like it may also work as an 8x10 contact printer. I hope so... Got some cleaning up and exploration to do
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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:40 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Okay, now I have a question

This 'enalrger' seems pretty much complete, except for a lens. The box is marked for a 2 inch and 3 inch lens. It actually has a cute little lens board that measures 63mm square with a 30mm mounting hole.

Since this was made from 1936 through 1942 according to this site, does anyone have a clue as to what enlarging lens Graflex may have used in this thing?

I know that 3 inch lenses are generally called 75mm even though it's a little off. But 2 inches? Would that have been a 50mm, or just 2 inches?

I would like to get at least one lens for this that 'fits' and belongs there...

Then I will play a bit after the re-wiring. Turns out that the negative holder is for 2 1/4 x 2 1/4, but that's the mask! The actual carrier (glass plates) is 4x5! I have a feeling that with the right lens, this thing could actually make an 8x10 enlargement of a 4x5 negative... If not, it's back to being an 8x10 contact printer....

Anyway, if anyone has a lens suggestion, I'd appreiate it. Remember, 1936 through 1942
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glennfromwy



Joined: 29 Nov 2001
Posts: 903
Location: S.W. Wyoming

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That thing looks like you could use it to smoke fish. It would make your photos smell funny, though.

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RichS



Joined: 18 Oct 2001
Posts: 1468
Location: South of Rochester, NY

PostPosted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 5:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:

On 2005-04-13 09:24, glennfromwy wrote:
That thing looks like you could use it to smoke fish. It would make your photos smell funny, though.


There's another good secondary use for it

It's suprisingly smaller than it looks in the pic. The top is just big enough for an 8x10 sheet and is maybe 10x12 total. It's too low for floor use so would sit on a bench or table. Even has a red bulb inside, which seems odd to me since it doesn't work like a normal enlarger. It has a white-translucent focusing screen that lays on top of the glass. Then there's 4 movable framing leaves. So once focused and framed with white light, why use the red for anything?

And I found an Ektar 50mm f/4.5. It may be newer, may be older, but it was so cheap that I couldn't pass it up and I thought it would 'fit' this device. Mounting-wise, it should fit perfectly... Now all I have to do is clean it up, re-wire it, find out the bulbs don't work ( ) and then order a new bulb. And oddly enough, bulbman (or something like that) actually lists a replacement bulb for this enlarger!

What a great thing to tinker with
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