Durst Laborator 1000 - what am I missing?

Some time back someone gave me an old Durst Laborator 1000 that had been converted into a copy stand, i.e. the head is gone and a 4x5 Graflok back is in it's place. (Actually I was there to pick up a darkroom sink, but since I had a pickup with me they loaded me up with everything I could get out of their way to remodel the building.) I'm trying to get it working as a decent 4x5 copy stand for now. If I run across a head I may try that later.

On the bottom standard of the bellows it's clear that the lens board is missing, so I started my search looking for a "factory" lens board. I finally found what I *THOUGHT* was right on fleabay, and now I have them in my hot little hands. But it's clear I'm still missing something. I've got some kind of a "tub" lens holder and several Lapla lens holders.

Actually now that I have a couple of them identified I know that I already had some in the junk box I got with the Laborator; I just didn't know what they were.

So, I've got a tub thingy and a plate thingy pictures attached. But there's obviously a carrier of some kind that is missing from the setup. There's a thumbscrew and a couple of points that make a three point attachment to the standard, and an oblong piece that has to cover the weird shaped hole.

So, if someone has more information about this thing than I have been able to find searching, please clue me in on what part I'm missing.

Thanks in advance.

Michael

You see the thumbscrew? There should be I'm trying to remember how many but more. Unless you find a junker 1000 I'm not sure it'll be worth it. 4x5 enlargers are cheap in good working order then the parts to get one working.

Actually the two empty ridges on the first pic don't they take screws?

The lapla should fit into the metal part that the bellows attaches to. The lapla fits under the two "hooks" and is tightened in with the screw (on the first picture). Then the lens fits into the lapla.
Incidentally, if you have a 42 mm lapla that you won't need, I'd be happy to buy it from you.
PM me if you want some digipics. I have one that works perfectly, touch wood.

I have a Laborator 1000 with a cold light head that I bought in the early 90's from one of the big camera shops. When it arrived, it had the same sort of oblong hole. I have never been able to find a lens plate or anything else that fits here. What the shop apparently did was fashion a piece of black plastic to cover the hole and fit under the posts and then cut a hole large enough to accept a lapla. Then they glued a lapla 39 to the plastic piece. I unscrew my various lenses and just use the one custom board they fashioned. This has always been a mystery to me as well.

OK, I've tried the Lapla I have in my hand next to the "hooks" and screw mount. The Lapla's I have are clearly much too small in outside diameter. The are 78mm outside diameter, but the standard on the bellows right has a milled circle that's ~104mm. How many sizes of these things are there? At least 2 I can see. Are there more sizes, or if I find one of the "other" size will that be guaranteed to fit.

As with Peter, the oblong hole has me stumped. I can't for the life of me imagine what goes there. Even a larger diameter of these Lapla's is still going to be round and leave that oblong section exposed. I had envisioned that there's some oblong lensboard, but I can't seem to find any information about it.

Anyone got any more info? Or are these the only Durst lensboards and there's some magical piece missing that never been seen in captivity.

MB

MB

I've got a Ce1000 Laborator, I'll email or post a pic here tomorrow of the two lensboards I have.
.

Michael,

The Durst L1000 manual (as a .pdf file) has just been sent. It's not quite as clear to read as an 'original'
(cheap scanner??) but it is all I have.

Ken

OK gang, thanks a million to everyone who has sent pictures and scans of things. I have determined that I am missing a piece Durst calls the "tauport" which is a receiver plate for the lensboard that has a set of filters one can switch in and out. At least this is the case for using it for color work. I haven't yet plowed through enough of the manual to see if there's another dohickey that's used for B&W.

I *LOVE* restoring old stuff. If it wasn't for things like this, I wouldn't have any gray hair at all!

MB

Well, I may as well expose myself in public about the whole process here. So here's what I've found so far.

First, again, thanks to everyone who has sent scans and pictures. They've been incredibly helpful. I could not have gotten this far without them.

What I have found is that there are *TWO* configurations for the lower standard for the Laborator 1000 enlargers. I have two manuals, one from johnnywalker and one from KenS. One matches what I have exactly, the one from KenS, while the other from johnnywalker looks like a "newer" version. I'll call one "older" and one "newer" to keep them straight, but I might have them mixed up chronologically.

The "newer" version has a red filter that protrudes from the standard and the Lapla board attaches directly to the standard. This standard has a round hole in it and the little prongs to mount the Lapla.

The "older" version has the oblong hole that I show in my pics above, and obviously the same as Peter mentions as well. What goes in this hole is one of two "connecting rings" that hold filters. The red filter version is called simply "Connection ring with red filter mount." (Wow! Who came up with that fancy name?) This is clearly the one for B&W work. The second option is a thing called a Tauport which has three filters that mount *INSIDE* the bellows unit. I haven't quite figured out if this replaces the "connection ring" or just replaces the red filter on the "connection ring". The manual states that the three filters man be used for 1)Color enlargements according to the additive process with three normal filters, 2) Production of color separations, and 3) Enlargements upon gradation paper.

So, the 104mm diameter mounting prongs I have are not where the lens board proper mounts, it's where the connection ring mounts. Then the 78mm lens board mounts to another set of prongs on the connection ring.

My guess is that the double mounting scheme, with the thumbscrews right next to each other, proved to be a mechanical mess for people. I'd bet that's why things changed to the "newer" mounting scheme.

Of course, now I'm looking at finding a connection ring, or fabricating a part to cover the hole.

Michael

Glad the pics help. I'd be interested in a copy of the "newer" manual as well.

Bob

I have two L1000s, and was going to use both with different heads (both currently have color heads). But couldn't find a consenser head. Now I have one for parts. The prices on these Durst L1000s are relatively cheap, and would recommend keeping an eye out for another in order to cobble together a working enlarger.