Old contact printer as a UV light box

[oldglass]

Hi,
If I get one of these:


And swap the bulbs with this:


Can I use that to create 5x7 to 8x10 alternative process prints?
If you don't think so, please educate me as to why.

Thank you in advance.

[heespharm]

I guess you can try... Some concerns... Does the glass transmit uv light? Is it even lighting? Print time may be long...???

[heespharm]

On a second note I've seen a scanner gutted and uv lights were put in and seemed to work fine

[Jim Noel]

After building a few UV boxes and seeing more built by others, I am surprised at how well some rather odd configurations work. A few years ago an experiment was carried out by a respected alt photo worker where she place a strip of black tape on every other tube in a fluorescent box. The paper was laid directly on the tubes and there was no banding.

All this to say, I see no reason your idea won't work. Give it a try.

[holmburgers]

I use two of those bulbs for making dye-imbibition matrices (which have no pigment in them, just dichromated gelatin) and my exposures are in the 50 minute ballpark. Also, they are susceptible to voltage fluctuations & consequent spectral changes.

Something to keep in mind, that's all.

[jon]

I have an old "photocrat" contact printer very similar to the one in your shot. I've got a CFL UV bulb in it and it works great for contact printing 4x5 prints. Check my gallery for "under the bridge", its an argyrotype I made on it. You should be fine.

[jnanian]

i have a printer just like that
and i got cf bulbs ( you have to get the right ones )
and it works fine ... the images are nice and small

be careful, the light leaks out of the top when it is down
and the unit is ON ...

[michaelbsc]

i have a printer just like that
and i got cf bulbs ( you have to get the right ones )
and it works fine ... the images are nice and small

be careful, the light leaks out of the top when it is down
and the unit is ON ...

What are your exposure times?

[wildbillbugman]

Hi,
I think it depends on the process. I have found that these lights work well for dichromate sensitized systems,like gum/dichromate. On the otherhand, so called black lights are useless for ferric oxalate senitization, as in Pt/Pd printing.
Bill

[Sowers]

I built a UV box that uses 6 of those CFL blacklights. 10 minute exposures for my kallitypes and I couldn't be happier.