DeVere enlarger question

[Ian Grant]

Have just bought a great DeVere 5108 Colour enlarger, floor mounted but does anyone know how to split it so I can get it into my basement darkroom. I managed to get it home in a hired van. Should add its not straight foward because of the counter balances on the head and drop base board.

Great Ebay bargain - superb enlarger as complete system with full set of neg holders, timer, massive voltage stabilizer etc but also with 4 lenses including a mint 300mm f5.6 Componon S, a 210 Rodenstock and then my choice of two others in DeVere panels which could be used on 2 unsold DeVere 5x4's as well and so a few to choose from, my choice was a 150mm Rodenstock and a 100mm Componon S.

The value of the lenses alone is far more than I paid for the lot, and the frightening part is most dealers (here in the UK) don't take 10x8 enlargers as they take up too much space. So they go for landfill !

 

[claytume]

Ian

I'm curious to know how much you paid for it? I have one as well that I got at a bargain price but had to spend some money on a control box as it came with the wrong one. I'd love to buy another one just for spares. I've got the smaller 504 as well.

Mine was already split when I got it and it was a simple matter of bolting it back together. Someone posted on Photo.net the procedure to break it apart.

Clayton

 

[Peter De Smidt]

Ian,

The base does just unbolt from the top, but why not call Odyssey Sales, as they still make De-Vere enlargers? They'll even sell you a manual.

-Peter

 

[Bob Carnie]

Ian
Be careful , I just got a 11x14 deveere and when moving it , we did not lock down the head and wow , the jolt of moving and the release of the head almost knocked us out.
Odessey will have a manual for this. as stated

 

[Ian Grant]

Ian

I'm curious to know how much you paid for it? I have one as well that I got at a bargain price but had to spend some money on a control box as it came with the wrong one. I'd love to buy another one just for spares. I've got the smaller 504 as well.

Mine was already split when I got it and it was a simple matter of bolting it back together. Someone posted on Photo.net the procedure to break it apart.

Clayton

HI Clayton

£695 and it was all set up so I could see it working. the lab had ceased production at Christmas, and it had been moved to by the front door especially for me. They usually fetch more on Ebay here £1000 - £1200 and Oddessy sell them reconditioned fo £2,500 + VAT (tax) without lenses. Have to admit bidding had been at £450 for about 3 days and I made an automatic maximum bid of £700 with less than a minute to go. I'd made no previous bids, and should have won at £460 but someone-else did the same a few seconds later for I'd guess £675 which pushed the price up. Still a fair price and the seller is more than happy to see the enlarger going to be used.

There was a 504 which had failed to atract a bid, a chain was broken, and I think a good 504 unsold at the same lab, early this week there was an unusually high no of 5x4 DeVeres on Ebay.co.uk, as well as the 5108 and a Kamm with a DeVere head 108's head which went to another member of this forum.

I'm sure the enlarger splits quite simply as long as everything is set in the right places first.

Thanks for the warning Bob, I'd already made the mistake of loosening a knob after the head had been lifted off only to see the negative staging disappear up the column and gouge a hole in the ceiling of the buildings foyer Good job the seller is cnverting his premises !

Following Peter's suggestion I rang Odyssey and a maunual is in the post, they are a very helpful company.