Replacement elevation gear for motorized Beseler 45V?

[felipemorgan]

I am trying to find a replacement gear for the elevation motor on my Beseler 45V. The Charles Besler company is unable to supply this replacement part.

My two questions are:

• Does anyone know a source for this part?
• Can I convert this enlarger to a hand-crank elevation style if I fail to find a replacement gear for the elevation motor?

Thanks for any help! This enlarger seems capable of lasting me the rest of my life, but I need to get this gear problem fixed soon.

 

[ic-racer]

Is this it? Can you post a picture of the broken part. Looks like a new module is about $500. Should be able to fashion some type of replacement gear for less that that.

 

[felipemorgan]

That's the motor unit. The broken part is the nylon or delrin spur gear at the end of the motor shaft. The gears teeth are worn to the point that they skip when the motor is trying to raise the enlarger head.

I don't have a picture of the part handy, but I removed it from the motor shaft and made some measurements:

Motor Shaft: 5/16" (measures .325")
Gear has 12 teeth, teeth are about 3/8" wide, entire gear is 3/4" wide, the flats between the gear teeth measure about .09" or so (maybe 3/32"?)

The gear is press-fitted onto a stepped (has two outside diameters) metal bushing.

The part of the bushing that is inside the gear has an OD of 1/2"
The part of the bushing that is mounted to the motor shaft has an OD of 3/4"
The inside diamter (ID) of the bushing is 5/16" and it has a setscrew to lock to the flat on the motor shaft
The bushing has a total length of about 7/8"

So perhaps if I could remove the gear from this bushing and get a replacement gear that could be press-fitted onto the bushing I would be in business?

 

[David Brown]

Check with this place: http://www.khbphotografix.com/

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Philip,

If nothing else, you may run across an intact unit on a 45M which is being given away or being sold for a bargain basement price. Your problem makes me a little worried. My Beseler is about thirty-five years old; I'd better check that gear!

Konical

 

[felipemorgan]

Thanks to all who responded with ideas. KBH Photografix was able to supply a replacement part, and assured me they had a larg-ish stock of these gears. I bought one, but thought seriously about getting two or three for future use, as this gear is easily stripped if the enlarger head isn't locked down before moving the enlarger or if the elevation motor chassis isn't detatched before moving the enlarger. I think that if I am more careful in the future with moving the enlarger, this gear should last a good long while, even though it is nylon.

Thanks again for all the ideas!