Durst 138 dismantling

Valentin Trandafir

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Hi, everyone! I hope you all are good...
I try to dismantle my Durst 138. It is the first time and I could not find on internet instructions about how to do this.
I allready removed the big, gray case of the head (where the condensers and the bulb goes). But now I want to detache the rest of the head from the upper coloumn. I am not sure wich screws shoul I un-screw: some of the first picture (inside the base of the head...) or the 4 screws of the second picture (I am affraid I release the wrong screws and then ....it's bad ..!)
Please, excuse my english.
Your help will be higly appreciated.

Thanks !
Valentin

P.S. I would like to remove the bellows as well and the entire mechanics that slide the bellows up and down..
 

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AgX

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In any case be aware of the springs, or rather their force, compensating the weight of that head!
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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AgX said:
In any case be aware of the springs, or rather their force, compensating the weight of that head!
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I am affraid of..
Actualy, I need to transport this enlarger with a bus. Smaller the parts I can get, better can I packing with buble wrap and other protection.
Thank you for your answer.
 

AgX

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For untensioning the spring (it is only 1 spring) you need a dedicated long-lever wrench plus a means to arrest this for a while. (At least this is the Durst way of doing this.) This all is dangerous for the uninitiated. Moreover the reverse operation has to be done at re-installing. I would leave that mount of the head at the collumn with the spring untouched, unless further disassembling is really necessary for transport.
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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I have no intention to deal with that spring at all. I just thout there would be a way to take the mount off without touching the spring and its mechanics.
I just took a look on ebay where some sellers offer for sale only the upper coloumn without the headmount. I looked closer and I think they released the 4 screws from my second picture.
But I'm still wandering if this could be the solution....
Thank you for posting!
Valentin
 

ags2mikon

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I have 2 of these and have dismantled them before. The spring tension is great enough to kill or maim you for life. The column comes apart in the center and the bottom. When you say a bus please explain.
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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ags2mikon said:
I have 2 of these and have dismantled them before. The spring tension is great enough to kill or maim you for life. The column comes apart in the center and the bottom. When you say a bus please explain.
Click to expand...

A couch, actually... and I need to dismantle the enlarger to put the parts in plastic boxes (of cours, not the colomns and base). Please, take a look at my second picture: do you think that if I unscrew the 4 screws, with the head at the highest position, the spring will react? Thank you for your post!
 

AgX

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Valentin Trandafir said:
I have no intention to deal with that spring at all. I just thout there would be a way to take the mount off without touching the spring and its mechanics.
Click to expand...
The problem is that even with the mount at most upper point of the collumn there still is a pulling force on it. It must be as in ordinary circumstances it would need to carry still the mount plus the head. And to take off the mount you need to undo its carrying cable. Well you just could cut off... but aside of it whipping around what would you do later at re-assembling? Thus you either take the hassle, and possible danger, of correctly un- and later re-charging that spring, or leave the collumn and mount as it is.
 

pentaxuser

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When you say bus is this a long distance passenger coach which has a large luggage compartment down the side of the bus/coach? If it is one of those then as long as the bus company is happy that your enlarger will not damage other passengers luggage and take up a lot more space in the luggage compartment than will be available then talk to the bus company

If it is a municipal bus and the journey is only a few miles then is it not possible to find a friend who might be willing to transport you and the enlarger

pentaxuser
 

gordrob

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Check these four documents that will help to disassemble the L138. The first pages are instructions on how to assemble the L138 when you got it new. It came I believe, in three sections. In order to disassemble it you should reverse the assembly instructions. There are two links on how to assemble it and a third link for the service manual. As noted above do not tamper with the counterweight spring.

MASTER FOR DURST MANUALS Laborator 138S L138S Manual

User Manual:
usermanual.wiki

Dis-assembly of DURST Laborator 138 for storage.

Several years ago, I was given a Durst 5x7 Laborator 138 and all the necessary accessories, for enlarging from 35mm to 5x7 and everything in between. When I picked it up, I took it apart into three pieces, base, bottom column, and top column with head and fitted it into my Toyota Echo...
www.largeformatphotography.info
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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Thank you ! I'll read all this
 

quine666

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You can break the enlarger down into the following pieces without using tools: 1) floor stand 2) lower column and table arm 3) table 4) upper column and head. A single person can then move each of these pieces individually. Additionally, it's possible to remove the housing for the head by unscrewing the four screws that secure it to the negative stage (the heads protrude from underneath the stage). This makes the upper column assembly a little lighter, but isn't really essential.

I personally would not touch the screws you have pictured just for the purpose of moving the enlarger.
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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Thank you!
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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If you check this offer on e-bay, in picture 8 you can see the 4 screws and that the "clamp" that hold the head is not tight...I think.

Thirst Pillar Top kopftträger for Laborator 138 138S. 10569 | eBay

Durst Säulen-Oberteil Kopftträger für Durst Laborator 138S Vergrößerungsgeräte. Durst Column Top Headband for Durst Laborator 138S enlargers. Vielen Dank! Der ist in einem gebrauchten Zustand. Siehe Fotos.
www.ebay.co.uk
 
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Valentin Trandafir

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Hello, again! I dismanteled the head. The 4 screws I was asking about in my first post have nothing to do with the spring: thei are there just to hold the heads plate.
It's enough to loosen them a little bit and the head plate comes out nice and easy.
Thanks everyone for your answers!
 

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Valentin Trandafir

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Just take care: I saw that some models have 2 screws instead of 4, like mine has.
 
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