Need some help - DeVere free standing enlarger

leeturner · Aug 21, 2006

I've tried Odyssey, bought the manual etc. but I'm still having no joy. I have a free standing 504 and in order to get it in the house had to dismantle the base board and the base board stand. This meant that the chains in the drop bed base became disconnected from the lens and neg stage focussing wheels. I've put the chains back in what appears to be a logical order but there's just too much play. Does anyone have a floor standing unit that can have a look at the way the chain is threaded through the various cogs and wheels.
The only details in the manual are for the cables in the actual column not the chains in the base.

Mick Fagan · Aug 22, 2006

I just went into the darkroom and checked out the R/H side (looking from the back).

The chain comes up the left side skimming the panel and loops left to right over the top cog. This cog has an axle that on my machine comes through to the front above the base board. (Clockwise)

After coming clockwise over the top roller it goes to the left of a solid bush. (anticlockwise)

Then it drops down to go around a plastic roller on the RH side of the roller. (clockwise)

Then it drops down around a geared cog anticlockwise.

Drops down and then goes around another roller on the RH side (clockwise).

Then it drops to the floor and the set of rollers in the foot.

I know this is difficult but if you print this out and stand behind your enlarger this is what you will see on the right side as you look at it.

Mick.

leeturner · Aug 22, 2006

Thanks Mick. That's exactly how I've got it! The strange this is in the manual it says that to tension the chain turn the screw clockwise that goes into the side of the solid bush. You have to loosen a screw at the front first, the one that has a slightly elongated hole. However because the chain goes anticlockwise around the solid bush, turning the screw clockwise the slackens the chain.

The other thing I need to check is for wear on those nylon wheels.

Mick Fagan · Aug 22, 2006

Well unles the drop board base has been up and down like a yo yo on heat, I doubt whether the nylon wheels would have any wear and tear.

My own unit saw work for close to 20 years in a commercial lab, the drop table assembly is as tight as you know what!

Mick.

Sparky · Aug 22, 2006

anticlockwise with respect to the front or the back...? Could it be frame of reference problem?

leeturner · Aug 22, 2006

Sparky, The only way you can see the layout is from the back. Here is a very crude drawing of how mine is threaded.

Right hand side viewed from the back (this is the lens board stage)

Sparky · Aug 22, 2006

I should pay attention to this thread - I might learn something..! Do any of you DeVere folks know if I'm going to have a problem putting a 5x7 head on my 504? I'm concerned because mine's wall-mounted - and if I need rear access - that may be a bit of a problem since it was an absolute NIGHTMARE to get wall-mounted in the first place (involved 4 persons holding it in place...!).

leeturner · Aug 22, 2006

Not sure about the 5x7 head. Mine's a free standing unit but has the bracket for fixing the column to the wall. I'm waiting until everythings fixed up 100% before I bolt it to the wall. Two of us had to get the monster up two flights of stairs

Peter Black · Aug 22, 2006

Sparky & Lee

I have nothing to say that could help you, but feel obliged to honour you both for the efforts you have made to get your enlargers working. I bought an Omega wallmount D2 5x4 enlarger unseen, but unfortunately my darkroom wall isn't strong enough to take it and the enlarger has sat alone and unloved in the garage ever since. I am truly not worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sparky · Aug 22, 2006

Peter Black said:
Sparky & Lee

I have nothing to say that could help you, but feel obliged to honour you both for the efforts you have made to get your enlargers working. I bought an Omega wallmount D2 5x4 enlarger unseen, but unfortunately my darkroom wall isn't strong enough to take it and the enlarger has sat alone and unloved in the garage ever since. I am truly not worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You really (to do it right) have to add blocking to the wall. I was kind of stupid about mine - I built out a 2x6 stud wall from a brick masonry wall to have elaborate 4x6 blocking - when - in retrospect, it would make so much MORE sense to not have built the wall, and bolted the brackets into the BRICK(!). I'd have more space, too! Oh well - at least I have nice lens & accessory shelves built into the wall...

Sparky · Aug 22, 2006

Actually - does anybody here know ANYTHING about DeVere 5x7 lightboxes (diffusion chambers)? I'm only familiar with the 4x5 ones... is this something I'm going to need to look at?

leeturner · Aug 23, 2006

Peter, you might be interested in this Bench converter that turns your wall mount into a bench enlarger.

Sparky · Aug 23, 2006

Peter Black said:
Sparky & Lee

I have nothing to say that could help you, but feel obliged to honour you both for the efforts you have made to get your enlargers working. I bought an Omega wallmount D2 5x4 enlarger unseen, but unfortunately my darkroom wall isn't strong enough to take it and the enlarger has sat alone and unloved in the garage ever since. I am truly not worthy!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, y'know... it MIGHT be. What's the construction? It might be as simple as bolting to the studs (lag bolts, please! - just really big screws). If it's 2x4 stud, just screwing in to them will make you about as sturdy as bench mount (depending of course, on about 1500 other extenuating factors!), but if you want to brave removing a bit of gypsum board (it's easy!) and patching it up again - it would be well worth it. What's the construction of your wall?

CGross · Sep 16, 2006

Lee, did you have any success with your chain issue? If so can you please post what you ended up doing?
I picked up a 504 floor standing model and need to dissassemble it for shipping. Do you or anyone else have any advice on dissassembly of this enlarger?
I was told by KHB Photografix in Mississauga that it should break down into 2 or 3 major pieces since that is how it comes new in the box.
The one I got almost looks like a 507 stand with a 504 head???

I have heard these are great enlargers and I can't wait to put it to use.

leeturner · Sep 18, 2006

I found detailed assembly instructions somewhere but it is quite straightforward. First thing is to lock the head and neg stages down using the two knobs above the baseboard. The baseboard is held on by wingnuts so that removes easily but if you can get away with it don't remove the baseboard frame. The two rods that are connected to the chains in the base are not supported when the frame is removed and that's where my problems started. At the back of the lower assembly you will find two nuts. It you tighten these up it prevents the chain cogs from moving about.
At the front of the enlarger you will see an allen bolt on either side of the column. These hold the column on to the base. By the way the DeVere uses imperial size hex keys not metric. I'll try and scan the relevant pages in the manual and PM then to you.

leeturner · Sep 18, 2006

Found it:

Look at the 3rd comment.

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Need some help - DeVere free standing enlarger

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