[LargeFormat] Wasted weekend and profitable afternoon

[Les Newcomer]

Uncle Dick,

I've duly noted that laminex is a very good material for contrast 
control.  Now if I can only find it here in the states.


Les


On Wednesday, April 30, 2003, at 10:21  AM, rstein wrote:

> Dear Friends,
>
>     Draw nigh and read the words of the Venerable Uncle Dick for it 
> will
> profit you vastly and save you from the toils of the Serpent of 
> Stupidity.
> He should know all about it- the Serpent has been living in his 
> darkroom for
> the last 8 months and has made itself extremely comfortable.
>
>     8 months ago Uncle Dick decided that the lensboards that united a 
> pair
> of old rapid rectilinears and Beck symmetricals to his ratty old 
> Nagaoka had
> to go. They were old dinged up Technikas and homemade cardboard 
> affairs, and
> while they did work, did nothing for the external historical image. He 
> got a
> piece of woodgrain Laminex from the builders merchant and doubled them 
> up
> for thin but strong lensboards.
>
>     The yearly trip to Taminick was a bit of a bust as the FP4Plus 
> negatives
> were flat, overexposed, and muddy, but he put it down to reading the 
> U.S.
> diaphragm stops on the old rapid rectilinear as f. stops and getting a 
> wrong
> exposure thereby.
>
>     The yearly trip to Toodyay was a complete bust as all 20 of the
> negatives were flat, overexposed, and muddy. The edges of the film 
> under the
> loading rails was fine and clear, however. It was fresh film and 
> developer.
> All 10 holders were used....
>
>     Today's reality check of careful test shots taken on the front 
> lawn  - 2
> meters agreeing with each other - careful check of filter factors,
> comparison of shutter speeds on the new Nikkor W 135mm lens with the 
> old
> reliable Schneider Symmar S led to....
>
>      Overexposed flat miserable rotten chuck it all negatives.
>
>     And here is where the Serpent of Stupidity was lurking all the 
> time. I
> wrapped my head up in a focussing cloth and looked through the back of 
> the
> camera while revolving it in front of a strong light. The bellows are 
> fine.
> The lensboards pass light through the Laminex.....All the time I was 
> out
> there in the sun with the darkslide drawn they were glowing away like 
> little
> 5-bar radiators in the dark, toasting the film.
>
>     I repaired to the local hobby shop, purchased .64 K&S Aluminium 
> sheet,
> and cut a new lensboard - I glued the spiffy Laminex to the front of 
> it for
> appearance and matte-blackened the rear face. And there is NO light 
> leaking
> into the camera. And the Serpent of Stupidity can hiss off....for the 
> time
> being
>
>     Venerable Uncle Dick
>
>
>
>
>
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