Durst Laborator 1000 adjustment

[jhorvat]

I just bought a Laborator 1000 and it has a few little problems, one of them being notchy adjustment of the height. Opening the box containing the counterweight spring and rollers that guide the enlarger up and down the column, I noticed that one of the rollers is not in contact with the column when the movement becomes notchy. This occurs whenever the lifting knob is turned 180 degrees, indicating problem will be either in adjustment of the knob or rollers. There are two screws per each roller pressumably designed to adjust the postion of each of the rollers. I got the operation manual, but there is no mention of this adjustment in it. Before I start blindly digging into it, I wonder would anyone know how to make adjustments to the rollers and lifting knob? Thanks, Joseph

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

I just bought a Laborator 1000 and it has a few little problems, one of them being notchy adjustment of the height. Opening the box containing the counterweight spring and rollers that guide the enlarger up and down the column, I noticed that one of the rollers is not in contact with the column when the movement becomes notchy. This occurs whenever the lifting knob is turned 180 degrees, indicating problem will be either in adjustment of the knob or rollers. There are two screws per each roller pressumably designed to adjust the postion of each of the rollers. I got the operation manual, but there is no mention of this adjustment in it. Before I start blindly digging into it, I wonder would anyone know how to make adjustments to the rollers and lifting knob? Thanks, Joseph

Hi Joseh !
First of all, DO NOT OPEN THE SPRING CASE !!! The spring is made of razor steel and will pop out cutting your head, face, and fingers ! For opening it you need special tools to remove the strain and a special procedure not to be injured !

The head on the L1000 is guided on a set of roller bearings 4 on each side of the column. Each roller bearing has a nylon part onto which the colum is running. I do not think the play is adjustable. But you may try to do so.
The height adjustment knob actuate a rod onto which is a rubber pad acting at the center of the column (the path is often discolored on the column).
Add to this the locking knob which pressure a rubber pad onto the column at the center of it. My guess is that the head was forced to move with the lock on and that partly destroyed the rubber pad of the height adjusting knob.
My advice :
First look if by partly locking the lock you can remove the play.
Next, try to adjust the roller bearings to reduce the play.
Dismantling the cariage to get to the nylon wheels or rubber height rod require dismantling the counter wheight spring, something I refuse to do ....
If you destroy the sping or it's casing, your enlarger is dead. I think you will never find such a spring or casing since Durst stopped production in the 70's.
I hope this will help you !

 

[jhorvat]

Thanks Georges,

I wasn't intending to open that drum with the spring in it, but was thinking of removing the drum as a whole, with wire held locked to the colums....

In the meantime, I was repairing the lights in the colour head. When checking that everything is working well, the halogen bulb blew up. I have a replacement, however.... the conecting electrical lead is braided with some white fabric. When I switched the enlarger on, the fan started blowing some white fibre all over the place. Apparently, that fabric releases the fibre very easily. On closer inspection, the fibres are all straight when pulled out-would it be possible this is some sort of asbestos, even though it doesn't crumble when bending it? I am thinking of replacing the whole wiring with something else, perhaps teflon sheathed wire. Would anyone know if Durst was using asbestos in their enlargers?
Joseph

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi Joseph !
Take a look at the weird plug used to connect the head to the power supply. If the wires in it are not wel soldered, they will cause electrical spikes, forcing a short bulb life. It is advisable to go to a lighting supply wharehouse and buy a very high quality bulb socket for you lamp.
I do not think the tissue contain asbestos, but disposing it properly will help the whole world.... Just in case !
Just forgot to advise you about un fastening the box and wire from the enlarger body. It could prove dangerous and difficult to re tighten ....
I may have somewhere the dismantling instruction, but I do not have the special tools required to do the job.
But this beast is a really nice toy, use it as it is and you will find it a joy to use !
Regards

 

[jhorvat]

Hi Georges,

I just spent one week of my holidays on restoring the enlarger: all the lights on the filter dials had to be replaced, new holder for them made, switch for them sourced and installed, focusing rack re-made, and wall mount adapter made. It finally all works as it should, except for the notchiness in the lifting mechanism. I decided not to try to dismantle it, because it can still be used without problems. I suspect one of the rollers is broken because I found a broken plastic bit in that big box containing the rollers that I think is the holder on which the roller was placed....

As about the asbestos fibre, it really looks suspicious, but it burns when heating up with a match.... indicating it is not asbestos. Also, the fibres that get puled out of the fabric do not break easily-asbestos would. Anyway, I replaced that suspicious sleeve around the connecting wires with a new one that is definitely not asbestos .

Yesterday I made my first print with L1000. I was concerned about the level of vibrations due to the cooling fan. If I touch the lens stage, they can be clearly felt. fortunatelly, there is no effect on sharpness with maximum magnification and the grain is seen as steady using the grain focuser. I was already considering taking the fan out and mounting it on wall ..

all the best,

Joseph

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hi Joseph !
I am happy you can print with it !
I own a color head (CLS450) but do not use it a lot (I do 99 % B&W) and use the condenser head. But the fan caused no trouble when in use. Look at the screws fixing t. Maybe they're over tightened ? (IIRC the fan sat on rubber pads so maybe the screws are compressing the rubber too much ? )
BTW, I'm on my way to wall mount my L1000, so I'll be pleased to get your plans for the mounting !
Have a nice day !
P.S. I did not find the maintenance instruction for the L1000, just the TRA450 power supply wiring.

 

[jhorvat]

Hi Georges,
Hmmm, there is no rubber pads under the screws holding the fan..... this enlarger must have been quite abused by previous owner(s)! I will try to find some soft rubber there, even though this may in fact worsen the vibrations if not done properly. I guess, the rubber has to withstand higgh temperature (fire hazard)-some springs may be a better option...Will see, for the time being the only problem is a bit loud noise.

For wall mounting, I was using a Durst Femowall system, which came with AC901 enlarger (I will be selling this one-no room for it in my darkroom for both). It consists of a metal rail that is mounted on a wall, to which two thick iron plates are attached (they can be locked in any position on the rail). I had to make an adapter, because L1000 has that big box housing the spring and it all had to be shifted further away from the wall. I don't have any drawings for this, but if you are interested, I may try to take some DIGITAL shots and e-mail them to you. Then again, this will be only useful if you are using Femowal, unless you decide to make something similar yourself.

 

[GeorgesGiralt]

Hummm !
I've just cheked. My fan has no rubber feet... My memory does not serve me right ! I've mixed with another head.
But, I've turned the head on, and let it warm for the fan to run. The vibrations are really low ! I do not think this will affect printing !
I will make my proper wall mounting making two woden shelves and a custom wood part to acomodate the enlarger's column. I've seen a FEMOWALL and it is too big to fit into my basement darkroom with its low ceiling...
Have a nice day !

 

[Denis P.]

Joseph, Georges,

I am about to get a rather worn, rusty and tattered Laborator 1000, practically for free - with 401 MK II color head. I've tried it, and the only thing I could turn on was the fan. I managed to open the lamp housing, and the lamps look like they're blown... Also, there's a lot of rust inside the head... not a good sign. One of the C/M/Y knobs is stuck...
It comes with the analyzer, and (I guess) fan control unit. I'm not sure, but there might also be a timer in the kit...

All the connecting cables/cords are very frayed, so those will probably have to be replaced...

I'm relatively handy with tools (not too good with electricity, though), and I'm thinking if it's worth the trouble... The bulbs are not easy to get, and probably not cheap, either.
Still it's the only 4x5 enlarger I managed to find in about two months. Getting one from abroad (ebay) is way too expensive, due to shipping, and the risk of breaking something in transport is very high, so it's not really an option...

But, if I do decide to try my luck with this one, I'll probably need help in restoring it...
Apart from the very good instructions on Nick Zentena's site, do you have any other manuals/info that might help?

Or any helpful hints?

Regards,

Denis

 

[doughowk]

Denis, I have a Durst L1000 Manual at my website that might be helpful. Its been awhile since I hooked it up, but believe a timer such as Gralab has to be connected for the light to work. Good Luck.

 

[Nick Zentena]

The 401 bulbs aren't that bad. Assuming they're like the ones in my head. The same bulbs were/are used in some non-photographic devices so they aren't rare.

 

[Denis P.]

Thanks for the help!

I'll probably get the monster in a few days, and when I do, I'll be back with more questions....

Anyone have any spare bulbs? Type is EJL 24V, 200W, halogen. Those are rare here
I'll gladly pay reasonable prices and the shipping to Croatia....

Thanks,

Denis

 

[Nick Zentena]

http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lampejl.html

I was going to suggest somebody in the UK but a quick glance at few UK sites and the prices are scary.

 

[Denis P.]

http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lampejl.html

I was going to suggest somebody in the UK but a quick glance at few UK sites and the prices are scary.

Thanks, Nick - I just found that site earlier today. I'll have to inquire about the shipping costs, though

 

[Denis P.]

One more thing...

Would it be possible to use other lamps/bulbs in MK II 401 (Pavelle) head, besides the EJL 24V/200W?

ELC 24V/250W is a lot cheaper, and easier to obtain... but I'm not sure whether it can be used, since it's 250W, and not 200W.

I guess another option would be to totally rewire the darned thing, using household current (European 220V), and plug it into voltage stabilizer - with appropriate bulb(s).

Another thing occured to me when I saw here on Apug that another member managed to use a Meopta color head on a Durst 138 - albeit using a Durst gizmo ("LAVAKO") - see (there was a url link here which no longer exists).

I already have a Meopta color 3 head on my Magnifax 4, and I'm very pleased with it. If anything, it's even too strong for my uses (I get enlargement times not longer than 10-12 seconds the most on f22, even with ND filter dialed in fully - 2 stops). I even ordered a "weaker" lamp for it - 75W, which will enable me to use printing times of 20 seconds or longer (I hope), at the "working" f-stops - i.e. f8-f11.

Having seen that LAVAKO thingy, I thought that maybe I could hack something myself. The opening of the Meopta color head is something like 10x13 cm, but once you stick a styrofoam 6x9 mixing box in there, you get a maximum of about 11x8 cm light source above the neg. stage.... (see attached pics).

Meopta head uses just one 12V/100W bulb, but I can live with longer printing times.

I could even hack the Meopta Magnifax 4 standard (condensor) head (the one with standard "household" 100W bulb), but I don't have any condensors for Laborator 1000 - it comes with just the color head and no condensors...

Dunno, those hard-to-get bulbs for the Durst are freaking me out

Decisions, decisions...

Any suggestions from other DIY-ers?

Thanks,

Denis

 

[Nick Zentena]

You could ask Durst if they'll work. At the very least the size and base needs to be the same. I don't know what would happen to the colour output if you used them. The normal bulbs last quite a while. I think they're rated at 50 hours on average. If you're average exposure is 1 minute that's 3000 prints.

You can mount any head you can figure out how to mount

http://groups.google.ca/group/rec.p...t&q=durst+1000&rnum=15&hl=en#f84bf982b90c6b4f

Read the post by Barry Sherman

But I doubt a smaller head will cover 4x5 if that's your goal. At least not well.

 

[Denis P.]

Well, the beast is here!
I drove 60 miles there and back to get it, and (surprisingly) I was able to dump it on the back seat of my car

I'm too tired for anyting right now, but I'll post some photos tomorrow of the whole shebang.

The cables are not as bad as I thought, but a few things are still a mystery

I'll take a very close look at those manuals on your site, Nick, and will be back soon to ask more questions

And no, the Meopta head won't fit at all (at least not without some serious hacking).

Thanks and regards,

Denis

 

[Denis P.]

Well, after taking a better look, I know what lies ahead...

Mechanically, it's in good condition - but that goes without saying. Those beasts can be damaged only if run over by a steamroller

But, it must have been sitting in a wet basement for a while - the inside of the color head is rusted (see pics below).

I guess most of it can be fixed - it's not that complicated. With some work and a lot of patience, I hope I'll be able to bring it back to life. Although, looking at it right now, I don't know whether to laugh or cry

It comes with a huge transformer/analyzer combo, with one cable leading to the inside of the lens carrier - and there's a light probe INSIDE the bellows I guess it's meant to be there. Since I don't do color, I'd rather ditch that big analyzer box, but it also contains the transformer for the head...

Still, I guess it's rather compact for a 4x5 enlarger.

The only pleasant surprise so far is the fact that I will be able to use my existing Meopta lensboards

Judging from the condition of the head, my priorities are as follows:

1) Clean the inside of the head and remove as much rust as possible, avoiding any liquid cleaners.

2) Replace frayed cables inside the head - those leading to the lamps.

3) Repair/resolder frayed power and other cables connecting the head to analyzer and the fan power control box.

4) Get new lamps (already ordered).

5) Test everything using the voltmeter before plugging in the new lamps

6) Fabricate a new neg. holder for 4x5 format - I have only 9x12 neg. carrier (see pic. below). Looks simple enough - just two flat plates (perhaps I could even use two pieces of glass?).

In short, there's a lot of work ahead.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I made some carriers out of black mat board.

Can't you use the 9x12 carrier for 4x5? Not that different in image area.

 

[jhorvat]

Denis, your set-up seems to be quite different than mine. I have CLS450 head and from memory, 24V/250W bulbs, that go for about $25 on e-bay. I learned there are two types of the light bulbs. The ones with shorter life expectancy (50 hours) are designed for larger light output and are used in enlargers. The long lasting ones are of lower output and are used in disco's . I don't think extra 50W would be a problem, providing the fan system is working properly.

To operate the light bulb, I need an enlarger timer that activates a relay switch placed in the same box as the transfromer. Without the timer connected, only the fan can be activated.

I went through several enlargers in the last year, switching to 4x5 format. I had a Laborator AC901-the same layout as L1200, but with the opening for negatives of maximum 6x9 format (I planned to modify it to 4x5 format), Beseler 45MX, DurstAC800, and decided to keep L1000. The reason is, it is the most compact one and does the job perfectly for my needs. L1000 is NOT as rigid as AC901 and I would say overal built quality is very slightly lower, but it is still a great enlarger. You will have fun. Don't be dishartened with all the work you have to put into it initially. Once fixed, it will last.

You talk about the light sensor in the bellows-this is probably used for automatic exposure control, something like OTF exposure system in SLR cameras. AC901 had the same. The automatic exposure system can be very handy. Once you calibrate your system, you will not need initial test strips anymore. However, of course, you will still need to do fine tuning of individual shots, that's where the fun is.

All the best, JOseph

 

[Marco Gilardetti]

In case anyone needs them, I have the Taunobox mirror diffusion boxes for 4x5'' and 35mm and a spare Taunodap box holder to sell (I have the lab 1200 and will never use them). The boxes are brand new. Whoever might need them, just PM me.

 

[Denis P.]

Color head - gutted

Judging from the condition of the head, my priorities are as follows:

1) Clean the inside of the head and remove as much rust as possible, avoiding any liquid cleaners.

2) Replace frayed cables inside the head - those leading to the lamps.

Well, I'm on my way - wish me luck...

I gutted the head - I wonder if I'll have any leftover parts when (or IF) I put it back together

Replacement builbs are here - 7 days from USA to Croatia - record time!

I can recommend Ron Miller (where I got the replacements from): http://www.replacementlightbulbs.com/lampejl.html

The head itself is rather simple - reminds me of an old Meopta color head I saw once - lots of solid metal and very little electronics...

BTW, anyone know what those three electronic parts could be: resistors or something?
I'll have to try remove the grime and see if there's anything written on those - looks like they need replacing

Denis

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

They do look like power resistors. And they do look a bit like they are at the end of long and rather unhappy life. The block they are connected to looks pretty bad, there shouldn't be that much corrosion in an enlarger head. And some of the wiring looks burned.

Do you have an ohmeter? It doesn't look like you will be able to read the values.

What is the connector block used for?

 

[Denis P.]

They do look like power resistors. And they do look a bit like they are at the end of long and rather unhappy life. The block they are connected to looks pretty bad, there shouldn't be that much corrosion in an enlarger head. And some of the wiring looks burned.

Do you have an ohmeter? It doesn't look like you will be able to read the values.

What is the connector block used for?

Thanks for the help, Nicholas.

The connector block is fed by 24V current from the transformer, and has two 24V 200W halogen bulbs attached to it. And then there are these three green fellas.

Those are definitely resistors - after cleaning them up a bit, I managed to decypher the following:
====

CGS
010
1 (ohm - I don't know how to insert the "Omega" symbol )
5%
72 47

===

I hope this means something to you - only the 1 ohm means anything to me

The multimeter goves readings in the range of 1 ohm (I think)...

Like you said, this color head (Durst/Pavelle 401 MK II) seems to have had a long and unhappy life, judging from the amount of various deposits inside. But, I'm determined to bring it back to life

Any help (electronics or otherwise) is appreciated.

Denis

 

[Denis P.]

Transformer is working

Just tested the power supply/transformer/analyzer combo today. The main power/control/analyzer unit seems to be working OK. When I press "Expose" button, the fan powers up, and the main power leads to the head give a reading of 28V, for the selected exposure duration. So, the whole power "box" seems to be working OK.

I'm just curious about those 28V - shouldn't it be 24V? I mean, the EJL bulbs are rated at 24V / 200W.... ?

I've solved the mystery of those three green elements - wire resistors indeed. 1 Ohm, 3 of them in parallel. They seem to be still performing their intended function - combined reading gives something like 0.8 Ohm, which is about right, as I'm told (by those more knowledgeable in electronics)...

So, the next step is clening the contacts of rust and grime deposits and replacing any damaged cords/contacts....

The end is in sight - just need to get replacement ceramic lamp bases (lampholders). These old ones aren't to be trusted, given the condition of the rest of the wires/contacts...

Looks like this one might be usable after all

Denis