From: Richard Knoppow (dickburk@ix.netcom.com)
Date: 02/24/01-03:19:58 PM Z
At 01:14 AM 02/24/2001 +0000, you wrote:
>Be on the lookout for a Morse Contact Printer. THE best one ever made,
>but heavy and expensive, With mine, I can print 10 inch by many feet
>using roll stock.
>
>Bob
>
Be aware that there were a number of models/versions of this printer, not
all have the roll film adaptor on them.
Morse printers were made for printing aerial film. Although most were
sold to the military they were also available for civilian purchace direct
from Morse.
The printers have 39 argon lamps in them and four neon safelight bulbs.
The argon lamps are still available but cost around $12 US each, if you buy
a printer make sure all or most of the lamps work.
Also, make sure the air bladder which forms the pressure plate is OK.
Small leaks can be fixed with a bicycle tire kit, but a blader with many
leaks is rotting and should be avoided. I have onece or twice seen new
bladders for sale on eBay, but don't count on finding one.
The printer has a separate switch for each lamp plus a group of switches
which acivate lamps in circles to correct for edge fall off in negatives
shot with Metrogon lenses.
Typical military construction, if your house fell down the printer would
probably survive.
I got mine at a local camera show for $20 because the top plate had been
broken and the diffuser glass was cracked. The diffuser works fine with the
crack, but replacing the top plate with the right kind of glass is not so
easy. The usual green colored window glass absorbs a lot of UV, the
original was clear glass (Bob please confirm this).
The green glass will work (that's all I could get) but probably extends
exposure time by twice.
Mine came with a stainless steel adjustable mask and no roll holders,
other versions come with roll holders for 9" or 10" aerial film, but do not
have the masks.
---- Richard Knoppow Los Angeles,Ca. dickburk@ix.netcom.com
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