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$150 contact printer
I have not forgotten about you folks asking about the contact printer. It is
that I have become suddenly incredibly busy. I will get the drawings out to
all who have asked as soon as 1) I find them 2) get them scanned.
Others asked how could I possibly have made a contact box for under $150. I
can answer that in one word: SCROUNGING.
The orginal box that I built was for an 8X10 prints. The box size is 12X16.
I went to a building materials recycling company and found an old kitchen
cabinet the size I needed. $15.00. At the same place I picked up a piece of
tempered glass for another $7.00. A scrap piece of 3/4 inch plywood that
was residing in my garage became the inside shelf for the flourecent lamps.
The flourecent fixtures was a problem. As luck would have it, the same
recycler that had the box and glass had a boat load of those under the
counter fl light strips, the ones with the little can ballasts, 12 inch long
ones, package deal at $4.50 each, only eight would fit in the cabinet box.
The bulbs came from Home Depot, forgot what they cost exactly, but these
were the single most expensive part of the whole thing. I used flourecent
BL bulbs 15 watters. The cord and male plug cost about $15, I only use
expensive three wire cord. (Can't be that cheap all the time). Another piece
of plywood volunteer from my scrap pile became the lid, a piano hinge for
connecting the top to the box, $2.99), The top was covered with some felt my
wife picked up for me while junk store hopping with her buddies, $2.00. And
bam! A cheap contact box. Oh, I did forget the three cans of spray paint. As
time went on, a small biscuit fan was added and I improved the lid with
better plywood and jazzed up the appearence some.
This setup has long since gone away. I gave it to a kid wanting to get
started in alt processes. My latest box can do 16X20 prints. And this DID
not cost me under $150 to make.