5X7 Solar Enlarger Repurposed?

[nano_burger]

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<p >I have an old Solar (B&J) enlarger which I have used for some large format enlarging. Well, the enlarger has seen better days and my family is downsizing from a large house to a 2 bedroom apartment. I agreed to get rid of this imposing piece of photographic sculpture. However, ads in the paper and on craig's list just attract scams. It seems you can't even give this thing away. The only serious offer was to haul it away for $20 (that is me paying them $20).</p>

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<p >Anywho, after discussion with my wife, we agreed that we could fit it into the apartment as long as it served a useful purpose. I figured it would make a pretty funky lamp. It is already wired with a standard bulb socket and will throw light down onto a horizontal surface as designed. I plan to put it so the focusing board is under a side table to our couch with the lamp housing all the way up on the support. The light from the condenser will illuminate the table effectively. I could also put a 5X7 negative in the carrier for some interest (or even make a positive so you could view it on the table).</p>

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<p >However, I feel this will not be enough light to justify the space this thing will take up. I'd like to modify the upper lamp housing so it will throw more light into the room. The housing is lightweight aluminum, so grinding through with a dremel tool should be easy enough. The question is, can I do this in a way that will be somewhat repairable if I want to put the enlarger back in service again? I imagine just a pattern of small holes could easily be patched with duct tape. It probably won't get used again as I have graduated to scanning and contact printing, but who knows what I will gravitate to when retirement time comes (if ever).</p>

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[john_shriver]

<p>Can you add a collar between the lamphouse and the body of the enlarger? You could make it out of slotted metal, perforated metal, or maybe even a tube of translucent Plexiglas.</p>

[nano_burger]

<p >John, Great idea! The enlarger has a collar already installed that cover the structural elements of the enlarger (condensers etc.). It has a stainless steel sheet metal cover that is purely decorative. I can replace that with something translucent. I'm thinking that the plastic lens material that normally covers fluorescent lighting fixtures could be used? I saw some in Home Depot the other day. The only factor would be if it could bend in that diameter circle. It is already designed to diffuse and direct light!</p>

[robert_meyer3]

<p>If you throw the wife out you'll have lots of room for the enlarger! The enlarger also doesn't argue with you.</p>

[vick_vickery]

<p>Set up a stand under it, convert it to a lamp as noted above, use as end table/lamp combo, keep the non-converted parts, reconvert whenever needed and enlarge in your living room! Sounds do-able to me!!!</p>

[beasleyglb]

<p>Take the diffuser out and store it securely, take out the lens and store it as well. Remove the dome and feed the wire through the lens hole and set the dome on top upside down. Store the bulb somewhere safe if it is a special purpose enlarger bulb and replace with a lower wattage bulb. Run the head to the top of the post and turn it on to bounce light off the ceiling.</p>