How to transport Beseler 45MX?

OK, I took the advice posted elsewhere on this forum and bought an 80's era Beseler 45MX in gorgeous condition from a local seller.

Now - how to get it home safely? I'm most concerned about the head - I don't see an easy way to detach the head / bellows / filter drawer from the frame. Can I just lay the whole thing down in the back of my pickup track with some moving pads and secure it with truck straps?

It's got a dichro head (analog), and the whole unit weighs about 80 lbs guestimating from my test-lift yesterday.

Any thoughts from you old hands would be most appreciated, this thing is in pristine condition and I'd like to keep it that way!

Thanks & best,
-- Scott

the Dichro head definitely comes off, and you can just compress the lens standard and the upper bellows down as far as they'll go, and wrap carefully in packing blankets. Then just lay it down on its rails in the bed of your truck, and have it well padded and strapped. The baseboard and the baseboard rails should also come off with a few screws. You might be able to fit it in the back seat of a roomy sedan as well, in that case.

If it is a Bessler Dichro head, it basically just sits on top and is retained with a couple of clips, that you just pull toward you, then lift the head off.
I would run the enlarger chassis down as far as it can go towards the baseboard, remove the head (see above) and wrap the enlarger in a blanket, and move it. Wrap the head separately.

You can also remove the baseboard and the 2 rails that hold it then it would be a flatter package. With the pickup truck there should be no problem.

Years ago my 5x7 Elwood survived a 65 mile trip with no problems strapped down to carrier bars on top of a VW bug. I lowered the head, compressed the bellows, and removed the lamp housing and negative carrier. The Beseler should ride easier if you do as the previous posts suggest.

PHOTOTONE said:

If it is a Bessler Dichro head, it basically just sits on top and is retained with a couple of clips, that you just pull toward you, then lift the head off.

Click to expand...

I didn't see clips, the head seems to be securely anchored to the two horizontal tubes which are themselves securely anchored to the frame. Is it possible that the clips are on later model Beselers?

Do the "tubes" have tabs on the end, where they bend up? If so, pull forward on them and the head will release.
My 1972 MX is now in it's fourth state (MI, VA, FL and TN), and is still in perfect alignment. You should be able to get yours home without a problem. Dean

sorange said:

I didn't see clips, the head seems to be securely anchored to the two horizontal tubes which are themselves securely anchored to the frame. Is it possible that the clips are on later model Beselers?

Click to expand...

I think the clips have been a part of the 45MX enlarger design from day one. You are confusing the horizontal round supports for the whole head. You need to look closer.

The Enlarging head consists of a light source (in your case Dichro head), then a bellows (which may be completely compressed, or removed) leading down to the Negative stage, which opens and shuts with a lever, and below this a bellows leading down to the Lens stage, where you put your enlarging lens.

Just below the light source (your Dichro color head), but above the negative stage should be two little horizontal strips of bright metal one on the left and one on the right (if you are facing the enlarger) They have little L bends at the ends facing you. You put your fingers behind these L bends and pull the metal strips toward you..they slide forward..they may be tight if they haven't been pulled in a while. They WILL move toward you. Once they have moved toward you, the Dichro head is released, and by grasping JUST the Dichro head, nothing else, and lifting straight up, the head will separate from the rest of the enlarger and can be set aside and transported separately. One of the features of all Bessler 45 series enlargers was the option to have many different styles of light sources easily interchangeable, such as condensor, point source, cold light, color head, etc. You can remove this head, I know you can do it. Look close. Remember you don't want to remove the whole enlarger head, just the light source..the Dichro head

Thanks for the additional detail, PHOTOTONE - very helpful!

Congratulations! Enjoy.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Thanks to all of your sage advice, I successfully got the light source off and got her home safely. Hooray!

Good thing folks mentioned the clips, once I found them I noticed the light source hadn't been secured to the bellows assembly. I can only image what would have happened if I'd laid the whole thing down in the back of the truck...

Once again, many, many thanks for sharing your knowledge.