Durst m600 negative carrier

[benjiiiiii]

Hi,

i recently got into darkroom printing. I got myself a dust m600. The negative carrier use glass below the negative. The piece of glass in mine as some spot mark on it.
I tried to get a new piece of glass in some local glass shop but nobody seams to carry 1/32 inch glass.

my question is two fold. Do you have tricks to remove yellow mark on glass?

Does other durst negative carrier fits the m600 ??

 

[LibraryTroll]

Hello,

The Durst M600 is a nice, compact enlarger that still performs well for its age. I am rather fond of this little Italian wonder. You can print a range of negatives up to 6x6 medium format and not have it take up a ton of space in a small darkroom of an apartment or small house. I have never used the AN glass inserts. Those would make it a truly universal negative carrier, but not generally needed for 35mm negatives when you have the proper Sixma 35 masks. Since I've only recently gathered proper enlarger lenses and lens boards for printing 6x6 negatives, I can not comment on how important it is to have the Sixcalo heat absorbing glass mentioned in the manual. Mine has never gotten hot enough that would seem to require it, but I picked one up about a year ago to compare results. It was not cheap and I have not gotten around to that project yet. Sadly, all Durst enlarger parts are harder to find, but some are still generally available.

I believe the M600's universal carrier is unique to that model, but the masks can fit some of the other models as well. I bought a box of bits years ago that had a negative carrier for the Durst M601 and the masks were the same size as the M600 versions. It would be best to study the manual and look for those specific parts. That online auction beast generally has a handful for sale and most are 35mm varieties. The 6x6 masks seem to be harder to find and the smaller formats are practically extinct examples, but they do pop up from time to time. (Be patient in your search!) As an example, there is a set of the 6x6 Sivopar 66 masks for $90 posted now for auction. The Sivopar is listed for the M601 and I know it is the same size as the Sixma 66 masks. I have one of each and they both fit. It probably means that one is the lower mask and one is the upper mask on some Durst negative carriers. I just don't know that information. (Please someone jump in here that knows what these Durst designations mean!)

If you don't already have a manual, check out this one found online: http://www.jollinger.com/photo/cam-coll/manuals/enlargers/durst/Durst_M600.pdf

I hope that helped some! Welcome to the black art under the glow of a red light!

 

[khh]

Glas is very resistant to chemicals, so you can use the strong stuff for cleaning it. I would start trying to soak it in dishwasher soap for a while. If that doesn't work, you can try soaking it in a strong base or acid (be careful and wear thick gloves and eye protection).

 

[benjiiiiii]

Thanks to library troll for the welcoming message. Last night I found one pair of six ma on eBay that is not ridiculously priced.
it seams to me that those are just fin metal plate. Is there more to it ??
Do you use both plate in your m600 or just the lower plate(since condenser is pressed on the negative)

khh do you recommand one product in particular ??

 

[khh]

We usually used hydrochloric acid in the lab.

 

[LibraryTroll]

I might need to explain with some photos tomorrow evening. I am getting in too late tonight to write a clear sentence much less illustrate it with pictures.

The short answer is “No, you use just the one mask on the lower part of the negative carrier in place of the glass...And” there is something else not really illustrated in the original manual that I will need to show as an example. The user manual text mentions it and the setup depends upon the negative format you intend to print.

Stay tuned tomorrow... the story will continue!

 

[LibraryTroll]

Here is an example setup for 35mm negatives on the M600.

 

[LibraryTroll]

The Sixnema 35 is a very thin mask with integrated spring clips that hold this mask to the base of the condenser lens. These were only available for certain negative sizes. (Consult the manual for which ones)

If you wanted to print 120 negatives (6x6) you would remove whatever Sixnema mask was attached below the condenser lens. The negative would sandwich between the flat base of the condenser and the Sixma 66 negative mask installed in the Sixneg carrier.

Does that help?

 

[benjiiiiii]

Thanks to both of you. The mark on my glass was gone after a couple of hours in dishwasher soap and a couple of hours in some windex.

the photo gives me a better view of how it works thanks. I ce spotted on sixma 35 kit on eBay. Waiting for the bid to complete.

 

[Louis Nargi]

Try Glass Cook Top cleaner and polish or if you think you need something a little stronger Copper Brass and Metal Polish. If your not sure try it on your car windshield