Anyone have an L1000/500h combo?

mpirie · Jun 12, 2010

Does anyone have a Durst Laborator L1000 with the Ilford MG500H Multigrade combo?

I have the enlarger and head but marrying the two up is proving problematic. Can anyone post pictures of the head to chassis adapter? I've never seen one in real life so really don't know what it looks like.

I know the combo exists because I used one many moons ago at university.

I'd appreciate it if anyone could help me identify the missing bits so that i can fabricate my own.

Thanks,
Mike

paul ewins · Jun 12, 2010

I've got an L1200/500h and a Beseler 45 with a 500H and have also robbed heads off an Omega (which went to the Beseler) and a Laboratar 138. In each case the adapter is basically a flat plate with one set of counter sunk holes for the 500H head and another to attach to the enlarger. Naturally there is a big hole in the middle for the mixing box to fit through. If you still have the original head for your L1000 it should be fairly easy to work out the appropriate method of attachment.

The difficulty is that each type of enlarger needed a different set of mixing boxes, with the difference being the depth. The Beseler 4x5 box was a two part affair because it projected so far below the bottom of the head that if made in one piece you wouldn't be able to fit it in. The bottom of the mixing box should sit just above the neg holder. There should be one 4x5 box, one for MF and one for 35mm.

gorbas · Jun 12, 2010

Hi Mike,not long ago I had similar problem but with Durst M800 and Ilford 500H head taken from Omega D enlarger. After unsuccessful search for original adapter I took close look at parts I had and very soon I got idea how to make it work. Just try it! Solution can be very simple as in my case! Good luck!
Goran

ic-racer · Jun 12, 2010

The following pictures are from my archive of cool Durst stuff. It shows an adapter plate for the 8x10 version of the Ilford MG head to adapt to an 8x10 Durst.
The pictures may give you some ideas on how an adapter plate would be made for your case.

mpirie · Jun 13, 2010

Thanks guys. I have the Ilford head and the mixing boxes, but i want to make the adapter from the rear of the head to the chassis.

Like you say Paul, I need to make sure the head is the right distance forward to have the mixing box central to the neg holder and the correct height so that it's not sitting directly on the neg holder.

Goran, what did your adapter plate look like? I have the CLS450 and condenser head that came with it, but wondered if anyone had the original Ilford adapter that i could copy from.

Mike.

gorbas · Jun 14, 2010

Hi Mike,
My main concern was how to attach Ilford head to Durst M800 chassis.

As you see I rested head on this front edge of the chassis and used 2 existing screw holes to secure head in place. Brackets come from some kind of "dark slide" I already had.
For the bottom I simply cut opening in extra Omega negative carrier "plate" with hack saw to accommodate 4x5 mixing chamber. Now it fits 4x5', medium and 35mm chambers to. Right now i can't take apart head to show you picture of it, but most likely I will do it towards end of this week.
Considering amount of light coming from 2x300W bulbs I'm not sure what is benefit of using smaller mixing chambers. If anything, I will not mind switching to 150W lamps.
Last December I printed around 200 Christmas cards and I had to take brakes from exposing paper since head become just to hot.
Anybody here using smaller wattage bulbs???
In Ilford Manual i have here there is whole page listings of different adapters for almost all "professional" enlargers but it looks like Ilford didn't make them for long time. I contacted their service guy in N. America and he didn't have any of them.
ALL THE BEST!
GORAN

gorbas · Jun 14, 2010

How I can post pictures here other than link them to flickr??
Goran

gorbas · Jun 14, 2010

/www.flickr.com/photos/26983280@N00/4700545034/in/photostream/
www.flickr.com/photos/26983280@N00/4699913321/in/photostream/

mpirie · Jun 15, 2010

Hi Goran,

Nice solution!

I'm beginning to wonder if i have the correct 5x4 mixing box too. When I fit the 5x4 mixing box, the lamps are too far back in the head to line up with the mixing box holes. The lamp holders run on rails from left to right, but not forwards to backwards.

Thanks,
Mike

gorbas · Jun 15, 2010

Hi Mike,
in my case, lams housings are touching mixing box just on bottoms, top of the lamps are 25 or 30mm away from the openings.
When mixing box is not in place both lamp housings can move left/right easily. Only factor to make this movement "bumpy" is flex air hose from above.
Does your mix. box have V shaped "handle" in the middle. That one should face opening of the head.
I was surprised with simplicity of the Ilford design.
Goran

paul ewins · Jun 15, 2010

Mike, I had the same trouble but found out that all I needed was a spacer for each lamp. I don't know why some heads have them and others don't. I just used a piece of aluminium square U channel (around 18mm or 3/4") and attached it between the lamp and the rear heatshield using all of the original holes. I had to trim it carefully to size with notches so that I could get a screwdriver to the heads of the screws, but it wasn't hard. Just a hacksaw to cut it, drill four holes and then clean it up with a file.

mpirie · Jun 19, 2010

Paul,

I think you're right. My lamp holders are flush to the mounting plates at the rear of the head. The holes in the side of the 5x4 box are around 20mm off from the holders.

I believe the adapter kit purchased for the different heads included the spacers you had to create. They're the kind of things that disappear when swapping heads.

It's clear my head is for a Devere 504 and not the L1000 but i know a kit was made, so there can't be too much of a difference between them.

I'm off to the garage/hardware store to see what i can find now ;-)

Thanks,
Mike

Anyone have an L1000/500h combo?

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