Durst S-45 (138-like) questions

So I bought this beautiful big machine and after admiring it for a few days want to actually use it.

I have 3 lenses : 80 for 6x6 135 for 4x5 and 180 for 5x7.
A nega138 w/ 1 a single piece of glass and 6x6 and 4x5 metal inserts
A couple of 300 w Atlas bulbs and 2/240, 200 and 135 condensors.

Bad news: The heat absorbing glass filter is cracked down the middle and the filters are looking pretty bad. I'd also like a 6x9 carrier and to make a 60mm x 24mm carrier and ...?

I guess I'm looking for sources and ideas for getting and/or making these things and am wondering if this is going to be like owning my old german bike: it's hard to find parts, they're expensive to maintain and nothing else will do. I'm happy to buy the expensive stuff if necessary but am wondering if there's workarounds.

Thanks alot in advance

Victor

I guess I'm looking for sources and ideas for getting and/or making these things and am wondering if this is going to be like owning my old German bike: it's hard to find parts, they're expensive to maintain and nothing else will do.

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I guess I'm looking for sources and ideas for getting and/or making these things and am wondering if this is going to be like owning my old German bike: it's hard to find parts, they're expensive to maintain and nothing else will do but they last forever.

I know what you mean about availability, I have the Durst 138 5x7 enlarger but it didn't have a head, how it thinks I don't know. I found a 5x7 glassless negative carrier, Zipper Glassless, and had to make a diffusion head. I'm working on an 8x10 diffusion head with RGB dichroic filters. It's been interesting trying to get specific parts. I had to make flanges to fit in the lens turret that hold lenses. I have a wide range of lenses, all the one's that fit my Beseler 45 now fit the Durst. I have a 240 now for 8x10 when the new head is done.

Edmund Scientific has Dichroic filters in various sizes and shapes. The Oregon Durst dealer has parts but they are really high in price so I opted out of that dealer. If you are a purest and require only the original parts then they are your choice. If it's just the heat absorbing glass and filters then it might not be that bad.

http://www.jensen-optical.us/service.html

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Just some ideas, good luck with the enlarger.

Curt

Jersey Vic said:

Bad news: The heat absorbing glass filter is cracked down the middle and the filters are looking pretty bad. ...

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So is mine. It still works, though.

Since unlike you I don't have a spare bulb, I'm currently using a CFL bulb and have removed the heat absorbing filter.

I was fortunate enough to get a full set of negative carriers with mine, and several sets of spare glass for the 13x18 glass carrier. It took a while to find a set of 9x13cm glassless inserts and a few more condensers, though...

Curt and Ole; Thanks for the information. I'm sure I'll be scavenging parts for the life of the thing (me) since it's obviously going to outlast me.

A few quick questions for anyone with the condensor head:

Is the heat absorbing glass the 'heat absorbing filter'? I only have one set of guides in the S-45 so it's going to be one or the other.

Also, with a 300W bulb will I also need to also use the graded filters to asborb some more heat before it gets to the mirror? If so, does the light get 'diffused enough' before it gets to the negative to make up for aberations in the graded filters?

I'm also really interested in hearing about cold light and CFL options for this head.

Thanks again

Victor

When I wrote "Heat absorbing filter", i meant "heat absorbing glass filter".

I use a "regular" 17W CFL bulb - i happened to find one with a very tight and regular "packing" of the tube. Mounting it at a slight angle and "tuning2 the placement by sight, I got more even illumination than I've ever got out of the humongous incandescent bulb! No diffusion is necessary.

Since the CFL has a warm-up time, I turn it on before I start mixing the chemicals for the session. Then I do the exposure timing with the lens cap - the CFL has such a low heat output compared to usable light that even leaving the lens cap on for several hours is not a problem.

Ole, do you use VC papers with the CFL light source? It sounds like the color temperature works for what you are doing, does your head have built in filters for color work? Would Vic be able to use that CFL with his head, what's the voltage?

Curt

My head doesn't have built-in filters, and neither does the enlarger's head.

But the enlarger head has a filter drawer, where the AGFA CC filters I found on ebay fit perfectly. So on the rare occasions when I use VC papers, it's easy to put whatever filter pack I want into the light path.

The CFL I use is a 230V one, I don't know if there is an equivalent for 110V.

Jersey Vic said:

Bad news: The heat absorbing glass filter is cracked down the middle and the filters are looking pretty bad.
Victor

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The heat absorbing glass comes in two pieces - I thought the same thing when I got mine that the glass was cracked. As for the bulbs - when you get above the 200 watt opal bulbs they tend to get really hot when left on for any time. Durst insists that for the higher wattage bulbs over 300 watts that a cooling fan or suction cooler be attached to the enlarger head. If you a the bigger bulbs it is also a good idea to include a voltage stabilizer to ensure that voltage fluctuations don't start to affect your prints. If you are looking for spare parts and condensers for your enlarger you might want to check with
http://www.webwoods.com/stonemills/index.cfm
Gord

Thanks for the info and additional source. I have some 300 watt bulbs so I'm just under the wire for the cooling unit.
Be Well

Victor