As we need to fix the position of paper during enlarging, an easel is needed. The normal size 10"x12" easel has adjustment ruler to reduce the frame size. For personal use, bigger easel costs too high, especially when enlargement of such size is random. We suggest our hand made model which have been used for some years with our darkroom couses.

Material includes a wood plate with size 10 to 15 cm. wider and longer than the paper size, one inch wide aluminum strips, hinge, round head screws, square nuts, dull black paint etc.

First, mark the paper from the middle of wood plate; draw a rectangle with 0.6 cm shorter on both sides. Follow the length to cut four aluminum strips. Then cut four aluminum strips of 5 cm long for joints of frame and another strip with length doubling the size of hinge. Fix the frames strips on the wood plate to their position. Put the shorter strip covers each joint overlapping both sides. Use an electric drill with twist fitting the screws to make four to five holes on all strips and a bit further to the wood. Put the screw from bottom and fix with nuts on top. The round head of screws will act as guides of frame on base. Then place the strip (double hinge size) next to the top strip. Drill and fix the hinge on it and the top strip of frame. After all have been fixed, paint all frames with dull black paint.

The last step is to fix four pieces of cards 2 cm wide and half the length of the four sides of frame. Tape them along the wood plate so that the paper can fit it with these cards as guides.

EASEL