Want to Buy [AUS] Durst 4x5 Multigraph/L1200 or L1840

calebarchie · Aug 27, 2019

Hi fellow Photrians (?),

I have been slowly working on a project the past few years building a studio/darkroom/workshop in a shipping container (see the link in my signature for more info). I am hoping to bring a bit of that film 'renaissance' (if you will) to the country. I myself living in woop woop accessibility to and availability of equipment is very limited, this is where I require some help.

With space being so tight, I basically need to acquire equipment first and build the rest of the container around it to ensure most effective use of space. Currently I am working on building the studio and in the meantime have been searching for equipment for the darkroom. I wish to make this a future-proof as possible and with such space constraints I am very picky with my equipment selection.

That said I am searching for a LPL 4x5 (7452/4550XLG or older variants) preferably with a VCCE or Dichroic head and a De Vere 8x10 (5108). I have chosen these based on their relatively compact sizes and flexibility. For the LPL I really only require the head/neg stage (will be building integrated motorised columns) and De Vere wall-mount version preferable. This will dramatically cut down on shipping costs - of all the equipment I have acquired so far enlargers are the most bulky and awkward to deal with.

Considering most current darkrooms and labs have had their big ticket items donated or given to them my budget is limited. Please let me know if you have anything.

Bests,
Caleb

Lachlan Young · Aug 27, 2019

Good luck with the De Vere 5108, they're pretty thin on the ground these days (at least in UK/ Europe) - unless you want to spend big-time on a new one. Lot of demand for them currently.

calebarchie · Aug 27, 2019

Lachlan Young said:
Good luck with the De Vere 5108, they're pretty thin on the ground these days (at least in UK/ Europe) - unless you want to spend big-time on a new one. Lot of demand for them currently.

I am very fortunate to have acquired some hard to get items, especially on this island so looking forward to the challenge!

Lachlan Young · Aug 27, 2019

calebarchie said:
I am very fortunate to have acquired some hard to get items, especially on this island so looking forward to the challenge!

Reckon on 6 months to a year, and you might find one, they're much rarer than 504's. The LPL parts should be pretty easy to find.

calebarchie · Aug 27, 2019

Lachlan Young said:
Reckon on 6 months to a year, and you might find one, they're much rarer than 504's. The LPL parts should be pretty easy to find.

That all? Do you have one mate?

MattKing · Aug 27, 2019

It might help if you indicated your location in your profile - the reference to [AUS] in the thread title went right past me.
IIRC, ozphoto is in Australia, and in a recent thread asking about lenses she indicated that she had an extra LPL head that she was considering selling.

calebarchie · Aug 27, 2019

Sorry I thought the title was pretty clear.
That is gone, for next to nothing too - a real shame because it is exactly what I needed.

Lachlan Young · Aug 27, 2019

calebarchie said:
That all? Do you have one mate?

No, I'm hunting for one too - the problem is that you can't piece them together as they use a different counterweight from the 504 etc & the spacers needed to centre the optical axis aren't available as spares currently. A brand new 5108 will run about 12k GBP currently.

calebarchie · Aug 27, 2019

Lachlan Young said:
No, I'm hunting for one too - the problem is that you can't piece them together as they use a different counterweight from the 504 etc & the spacers needed to centre the optical axis aren't available as spares currently. A brand new 5108 will run about 12k GBP currently.

I get dibs on the next one you find But there is one available in France right now, free for pickup and you should be able to get a refurb for considerably less - maybe you are not looking hard enough?

http://www.deveresecondhanddarkroom.com/16-de-vere-5108-fs-photographic-enlarger.html

Those part don't sound too difficult to machine up myself.

Mick Fagan · Aug 28, 2019

I'm agreement with Matt about the Aus reference, I got it, but that is because I have seen Aus and OZ used heaps of times, but overseas people, well..... bit of a stretch.

That said, I have never seen a bench mount De Vere 5108. FS (Free Standing) models certainly, but never a bench model. If you are working on using them in a container, that could be interesting as I'm assuming a wall mount, probably one self fabricated will still push your height limit as they certainly move upwards and the heads are ginormous. You may be lucky and find an H model, horizontal unit, they are relatively compact and run on a small railway type of track you could bolt to the floor.

Heat is going to be an issue, more so when you start running the head for focusing, which can take some time. Would be wonderful to see your set-up when you eventually get it running. If you are in Tassie that should be alright in the cooler months, Kangaroo Island though, could get rather warm. The 810H (H = horizontal) is the smaller of the two I have used. The 1010H is longer if I remember correctly. Both of these were used by at least two labs in Melbourne and as far as I know, all went to private darkrooms.

One advantage of using one of these in your container, is that you have a ready made steel back wall, which would be perfect to use magnets to hold paper flat, which is what all of the horizontal enlargers I have used, used for holding paper.

Matt, Woop Woop is usually designated as somewhere in the middle of nowhere, however there is (or was) a place in WA (Western Australia) called Woop Woop. I know as in 1974 I was living in WA and had a mate living in Balingup, together we made a trip to Woop Woop, which was an old timber mill town that was very hard to find, we only found some stumps and some steel machine parts lying in the scrub.

Mick.

Johnkpap · Aug 28, 2019

Hi Caleb,
I am afraid you are about 15 years too late for any cheap/Free Large format enlargers, Some times a Durst 4x5 or a 5x7 will show up on Ebay in the eastern states once or twice a year maybe, The last 8x10 enlarger I saw for sale here in Adelaide was a:..... Durst 1840 Belonging to a pro lab next to the old Chanel 7 Building it Sold $8000 to a dealer who on-sold it Overseas.

Your best bet is to check local auctions and EBAY Every week something may show up. A 4x5 De Vere belonging to Modbury Tafe went to auction last year sold price was $1500 but it had all its components and a nice set of lenses.

Good luck

Johnkpap

calebarchie · Aug 28, 2019

Mick Fagan said:
I'm agreement with Matt about the Aus reference, I got it, but that is because I have seen Aus and OZ used heaps of times, but overseas people, well..... bit of a stretch.

That said, I have never seen a bench mount De Vere 5108. FS (Free Standing) models certainly, but never a bench model. If you are working on using them in a container, that could be interesting as I'm assuming a wall mount, probably one self fabricated will still push your height limit as they certainly move upwards and the heads are ginormous. You may be lucky and find an H model, horizontal unit, they are relatively compact and run on a small railway type of track you could bolt to the floor.

Heat is going to be an issue, more so when you start running the head for focusing, which can take some time. Would be wonderful to see your set-up when you eventually get it running. If you are in Tassie that should be alright in the cooler months, Kangaroo Island though, could get rather warm. The 810H (H = horizontal) is the smaller of the two I have used. The 1010H is longer if I remember correctly. Both of these were used by at least two labs in Melbourne and as far as I know, all went to private darkrooms.

One advantage of using one of these in your container, is that you have a ready made steel back wall, which would be perfect to use magnets to hold paper flat, which is what all of the horizontal enlargers I have used, used for holding paper.

Matt, Woop Woop is usually designated as somewhere in the middle of nowhere, however there is (or was) a place in WA (Western Australia) called Woop Woop. I know as in 1974 I was living in WA and had a mate living in Balingup, together we made a trip to Woop Woop, which was an old timber mill town that was very hard to find, we only found some stumps and some steel machine parts lying in the scrub.

Mick.

Hi Mick,

Glad you have taken an interest in the project, it hasn't gotten much attention but I am also hopeless with social media and what not. My biggest concern is floor area really and the plan was to wall mount and use a hydraulic lift table with the easel which can drop down to the floor or anywhere inbetween. When not use the cart can be put under the dry bench and head lifted all the way to the roof to maximise space. It won't be the main enlarger used, those will be on the dry bench. If you check out my blog the very first post has some cad drawings of the layout I am hoping to go for. It will be a HC container so almost 9' headroom, I won't be making very big enlargements probably 20x24 largest practical in such a small space without messing around troughs. Will probably need to find a good wide angle enlarging lens too and if I come across a floor model I'll just take it off the stand!

However If I come along one of those H models I certainly won't say no, just make arrangements to fit - maybe have it in the workshop container instead. Also Tazzie is such a nice place maybe when its all complete I can ship it over there for a trial run!

Johnkpap said:
Hi Caleb,
I am afraid you are about 15 years too late for any cheap/Free Large format enlargers, Some times a Durst 4x5 or a 5x7 will show up on Ebay in the eastern states once or twice a year maybe, The last 8x10 enlarger I saw for sale here in Adelaide was a:..... Durst 1840 Belonging to a pro lab next to the old Chanel 7 Building it Sold $8000 to a dealer who on-sold it Overseas.

Your best bet is to check local auctions and EBAY Every week something may show up. A 4x5 De Vere belonging to Modbury Tafe went to auction last year sold price was $1500 but it had all its components and a nice set of lenses.

Good luck

Johnkpap

Thanks John, I am hoping maybe some of those lucky guys can pass that equipment along for a good cause after 15 years

I have come across a Durst L1000 just last month but it was missing a lot of stuff, had to turn down a Omega D6 few weeks later and there was also ozphotos LPL that I just missed out on yesterday! So hopefully something else comes along soon otherwise I have been trawling fleabay and scumtree on and off for years!

PS: Regarding overseas items I am happy to consider if the price is low enough to offset shipping costs aka free

Johnkpap · Aug 28, 2019

Hi Caleb,
A durst l1000 is one of the enlargers that there are a lot of bits for on $bay, if it was local I would think it would be a option.

I currently have 3 durst enlargers (sorry not for sale) a AC800, a l1200 and a old 138s......it took me along time to find some of the Parts for them, the L1200 is really nice it belonged to the department of transport I paid $600 for it with two heads and 90% of the accessories that you need. Yes I got it at auction 15 years ago........I also got the Dept of defence Arca Swiss 4x5 camera for $250 to go with it.

I will let you know if I see or hear of anything nice for sale......most stuff out there is rubbish or nice and way overpriced......Jobo stuff is a example

Just keep a eye on Evans&clarke auctions they still get some Govenment stuff when they close a School or a TAFE

Johnkpap

calebarchie · Aug 28, 2019

Johnkpap said:
Hi Caleb,
A durst l1000 is one of the enlargers that there are a lot of bits for on $bay, if it was local I would think it would be a option.

I currently have 3 durst enlargers (sorry not for sale) a AC800, a l1200 and a old 138s......it took me along time to find some of the Parts for them, the L1200 is really nice it belonged to the department of transport I paid $600 for it with two heads and 90% of the accessories that you need. Yes I got it at auction 15 years ago........I also got the Dept of defence Arca Swiss 4x5 camera for $250 to go with it.

I will let you know if I see or hear of anything nice for sale......most stuff out there is rubbish or nice and way overpriced......Jobo stuff is a example

Just keep a eye on Evans&clarke auctions they still get some Govenment stuff when they close a School or a TAFE

Johnkpap

Hi John,

Those sound like some great deals, I know a few labs got some lots from TAFEs for next to nothing I think $9 only a few years ago.

Regarding the L1000 do you reckon? I end up getting it anyway since went all the way to inspect it but I don't see many parts. The few parts I see cost way way way more than what I paid for it, I imagine it would take years to get everything needed! Not terriblly keen on the condensor setup either, perhaps I can make a LED head module eventually but got too much other stuff to work on first. The film resurgence thing is a bit of a double edged sword, there is a lot of trash inflating the price of things for sure!

BTW I am based in the Riverina region of NSW basically flat desert but anywhere in Australia would be better than sourcing overseas of course!

Bests,
Caleb

Johnkpap · Aug 29, 2019

The l1000 is a great enlarger...... all you need to start is the 2 180 condensers and a glass insert for the carrier, bolt on a 150 mm lens and you can print 5x4 negs.

What did you get with yours? The good thing about Durst is that most pro level enlargers use the same lens boards

There is nothing wrong with condenser heads, you just have to be cleaner and have a dust free darkroom.

Johnkpap

calebarchie · Aug 29, 2019

John, basically just the chassis which I took off his hands for $50 as a favour. No condensers, lenses, lens ring/board, masks, red filter, filter drawer, heat-glass, the neg holder is missing glass and has the wrong size opal lamp (just a normal bulb installed). Would just prefer a colour diffusion head for split, also there is no filter drawer (I know you can slot some before the light source or use an under lens turret). I could probably collect all these parts over time but not really willing to spend hundreds for a single otocon 180 considering what I paid!

I could probably make a very basic LED module to slot in the condenser draw (just white remote phosphor) and machine up a ring/masks and manual B/G filter turret to get started for minimal $$. Still would like to look for a nice LPL or De Vere in the mean time

Cheers

awty · Aug 29, 2019

While we are talking about Dursts, Anyone know where I can get hold of a new tension belt spring thingy for a L1000?
Mine broke and wouldn't know where to look for a replacement it is about 8mm wide, about 1mtr long and thin spring steel. I rigged up a pulley and weights to keep it operational.
Good luck finding a 8x10, haven't seen a complete unit up for sale in the past 3 years. Took me 6 months to find a complete 4x5 and someone willing to organize delivery to Brisbane. The old durst if fine up to 20x24 prints.
The container darkroom looks great, very jealous of the space.

calebarchie · Aug 29, 2019

awty said:
While we are talking about Dursts, Anyone know where I can get hold of a new tension belt spring thingy for a L1000?
Mine broke and wouldn't know where to look for a replacement it is about 8mm wide, about 1mtr long and thin spring steel. I rigged up a pulley and weights to keep it operational.
Good luck finding a 8x10, haven't seen a complete unit up for sale in the past 3 years. Took me 6 months to find a complete 4x5 and someone willing to organize delivery to Brisbane. The old durst if fine up to 20x24 prints.
The container darkroom looks great, very jealous of the space.

Try smallparts/minibearings or RS online for this kind of stuff
https://www.smallparts.com.au/store/partslist/springsconstantforce/?v=9168

Haven't had a close look at the one on mine yet.

awty · Aug 29, 2019

Great! Thanks for that, they should have something suitable.

Johnkpap · Aug 30, 2019

Another option for a spring would be a “Clock Spring” a lot of places on line sell this sort of stuff to fix old clocks

Johnkpap

awty · Aug 30, 2019

Johnkpap said:
Another option for a spring would be a “Clock Spring” a lot of places on line sell this sort of stuff to fix old clocks

Johnkpap

Thanks but its not a spring but a steel strip, made from what looks like high tensile sprung steel (probably should of been more clearer than calling it a thingy). It wraps around a sprung drum, as you lower the enlarger head it tensions the drum spring so the drum takes the weight and makes it easy to raise, the drum spring is ok. Think this is it https://www.smallparts.com.au/store/partslist/stripspringsteel/?v=6615
Unfortunately they dont seem to be anything the right size. Mine needs to be 8mm wide and about 1200mm long and thin. Might contact them and see if they have anything suitable.

calebarchie · Aug 30, 2019

awty said:
Thanks but its not a spring but a steel strip, made from what looks like high tensile sprung steel (probably should of been more clearer than calling it a thingy). It wraps around a sprung drum, as you lower the enlarger head it tensions the drum spring so the drum takes the weight and makes it easy to raise, the drum spring is ok. Think this is it https://www.smallparts.com.au/store/partslist/stripspringsteel/?v=6615
Unfortunately they dont seem to be anything the right size. Mine needs to be 8mm wide and about 1200mm long and thin. Might contact them and see if they have anything suitable.

Paul, he is talking about a type of strip rather than a spring used in clocks I am just not sure if you are going to find something that is going to fit.
I have PM'd you regarding some other sources.

calebarchie · Aug 31, 2019

Since posting this thread I have located three 5108 enlargers available, of course none were willing to work with me to get it here!

Bump!

ozphoto · Aug 31, 2019

calebarchie said:
Since posting this thread I have located three 5108 enlargers available, of course none were willing to work with me to get it here!

Bump!

Yeah, that *always* hurts. (I just bought some car parts and the seller was brilliant - took him almost 2 months to find a suitable box for one of the parts, but he stuck with it and I appreciated his efforts.)

It's not that difficult to figure out, I've sold a couple of enlargers; used the weight from the manual and added some extra to cover packaging and the extra weight. If the buyer overpays, I simply refund the difference.

Good luck!

markbau · Aug 31, 2019

calebarchie said:
Since posting this thread I have located three 5108 enlargers available, of course none were willing to work with me to get it here!

Bump!

If it was me, I'd use it as an excuse for an overseas holiday. Go over with very little luggage and come back with an enlarger and some great memories of an overseas trip!

Want to Buy [AUS] Durst 4x5 Multigraph/L1200 or L1840

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