Usage
These carriers work almost the same way as the normal carriers. The main differences are that these do not have a metal hinge and have the negative posts on the top half pointing down (rather than on the bottom half pointing up). This means that it is advisable to mount the negative outside the enlarger and use an “upside down” method.
It is best to do the following on a flat surface. Place the top half face down with the pins facing up towards you and place the negative on top in between the posts with the emulsion side up (facing you). Then place the bottom half on top so that the mounting ring is facing up. Once you do this, grab both sides together, flip them over, and then mount into the enlarger.
Care
Generally speaking these do not require much more maintenance than the OEM carriers.
- Do not store these in a hot environment, especially if stacking something heavy on top of them. I often say store them with your lenses (you shouldn’t store your lenses in a hot attic, don’t store these there either).
- If dirty, wipe with a cloth, optionally with some alcohol. Do not use acetone based cleaners as this will chemically melt the plastic.
- It is also a good idea to make sure the enlarger is clean, particularly where the carrier mounts onto the enlarger.
- Do not sand the carriers! This is a recipe for scratched film! Instead, if you need a custom size, just contact me and I can produce something to your specifications. If you must sand, you will likely need to apply some paint afterwards to prevent scratching.