Lady Durst

[Allen in Montreal]

The story of HRH, Lady Durst, the 138s.


I don't know Allen. (Allen in Montreal) You have been hanging around these 138S threads at least since last summer when I invited you down to Cleveland to have a look. I think it is your turn. Give yourself a big heavy Christmas present. Tell yourself you deserve it. We will all stand behind that one.

Have a good one,
John


I took that advice John! Thank you for all your help over the last few months.



And here is another one. John, don't you need a spare....

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/pho/964623125.html



SSSHHHH!!!!!

I have been in contact with this seller and I think we have agreed on a package.

:--)


Someone that reads this forum I am guessing, bought this one up from under me after we had agreed on a package and price. The seller had three different 138 units, timers lens etc and I only wanted to buy one. Someone bought everything he had, lock stock and barrel, so he sold. The buyer of the Brooklyn kit sent me an e mail saying that he would let me know the full contents of the buy if I wanted to get some parts after he picked it all up today (Tuesday the 30th) in Brooklyn. I had delayed going to get the unit as I could not get a mini van rental due to the holidays. I guess I can't blame him given the chance to move off such a large package deal.



Not sure how far you want to drive, here is a 138 listing in Philadelphia:

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/pho/945114017.html

So, I dashed off to to Philly!
Thank you for the tip IC !
I owe you one buddy.


Not wanting to lose the unit as I had in Ohio and then Brooklyn, when I read Bjorn's comments, I planned to leave asap.
The unit broke down in minutes and I easily placed the top section carefully on the back seat of my Nissan Altima wrapped in newspaper and an old sheet. I used the seat belts to strap her in safe and sound.


...... These machines can be split into the foot-base, the bottom column with the table holder, the table itself, the top column and the head. It is possible that you can go further, but that is good enough for transporting it in the trunk of a small (e.g. a VW Golf/Rabbit) european sedan......this fine piece of machinery will come apart nicely.

Björn


The seller was very nice, he said he has no room in his new house for a darkroom and can not imagine a darkroom in the foreseeable future, he was happy to have it go to a good home. He was a very nice guy, I don't know Philly much, but the older red brick houses in the area were beautiful. He threw in his 5x7 stainless film hangers which was really nice.


My daughter has nicked named it:

Lady Durst.

She proclaimed on sight of it in his garage, (in hushed tones) "it must be good, cause it is ugly!"


Lady Durst in front of my print and neg storage units.
She has not gone into the darkroom just yet. Set up for 35mm, the unit has a full set of condensers with a wooden box to store the unused condensers.


http://img379.imageshack.us/img379/7342/ladydurst1387753xoz8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



The only "flaws" so to speak on an otherwise perfect unit is the baseboard, which I will borrow some clamps and re-glue in the coming weeks.

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/5352/7749xee8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

And what appears to be old dried lubricant, most washes off with a fair bit of elbow grease. It looks like rust in the picture, but it is a yellowish lubricant that leaked a little from the counter balance housing.

http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/4364/7745xlb4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Do most of you just use a fine machine oil spread on lightly with a cloth for the column?

The unit came with a non Durst neg carrier, it was equipped with a Carlwen 35mm.
It is the first time I have seen a Carlwen, it is a nice unit with a built in test/focus negative. I will have to troll around Evil-Bay and others for a 5x7 holder. Glenview is a touch mad with the asking price for a neg carrier.


I need to thank LFPF's Dave also, I almost bought his 1084, and after a flurry of e mails back and forth, it became clear I lacked the height to use that unit with the CLS head. His was pristine too, it was sad to see it go. I do have a 184 project in the works too, it will take time and work to clean it up and get it on line, but with a thin cold light head, any thoughts of using the Durst CLS have gone through the roof! (pardon the pun) :--)


Stats on the mission:

Klms driven to get the unit: 1500

Fuel costs, not much more than the Toll road fees! &%$

Travel expenses unforeseen: $115 parking ticket in NYC as I checked in at the hotel ! Double *&%$

911 calls made: One. A 4x4 driver blew by me in a nasty storm, total white out and then flew off the road into the ditch. i do not think he would have been found for many hours had I not noticed the fresh skid marks in the snow leading off the road.

My daughter's walk through Central Park after breakfast:

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1537/vickynyc7671xmu5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

A very large Thank You to all those here at LFPF that helped out and gave me tips along the way.
2009 is looking a touch better already.

[ic-racer]

So, I dashed off to to Philly!
Thank you for the tip IC !
I owe you one buddy.



Fix it up and use it will be payment enough :) (post pictures too)

I love threads like this.

For the column, try some WD-40 sprayed on a rag, see if that cleans it up.

Looks like fixing the lamination on the baseboard will be an easy task with the right glue and some clamps.

[Allen in Montreal]

Fix it up and use it will be payment enough :) (post pictures too)

I love threads like this.

For the column, try some WD-40 sprayed on a rag, see if that cleans it up.

Looks like fixing the lamination on the baseboard will be an easy task with the right glue and some clamps.

I will post my first print.
Thank you for the WD idea, I had scrubbed the column, but went and got WD this afternoon, the column glows and all traces of the old lubricant are now gone.

It is a bit of a group project in the sense that different tips came from so many.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

Congratulations. It's a beautiful piece of machinery.

It seems like distances can build up over there too. :) (From here, around Stockholm I can go to the very north of Sweden, which will take me a couple of days driving. If I instead go south the same distance, I will end up in southern Spain. So yes, we do have some distances in Europe too. :) )

//Björn

[Dave Langendonk]

I need to thank LFPF's Dave also, I almost bought his 1084, and after a flurry of e mails back and forth, it became clear I lacked the height to use that unit with the CLS head. His was pristine too, it was sad to see it go. I do have a 184 project in the works too, it will take time and work to clean it up and get it on line, but with a thin cold light head, any thoughts of using the Durst CLS have gone through the roof! (pardon the pun) :--)


Allen,

Glad to see you arrived at a solution to your enlarger dilemma. The CLS 1840 I had would just have been too tall for your darkroom. Looks like you made a nice purchase with the 138. The 1840 has a new owner also so all is well. Best of luck to you.

Dave

[John Powers]

Congratulations Allen. Glad you made it round trip safely. The 138 looks in good condition. I agree with the WD 40. Light oil tends to attract dust and hold it over time.

Who knows, maybe when your daughter sees prints from negatives she will think Lady Durst is a lucky lady and want to try more things with Dad like photography. I know Dale, ic-racer, is doing that. My step daughter is 34 and raising a four year old in Denver so it will have to be video conferencing for us.

Lets us all help you with any questions that come up.
Glad it worked out.

John

[Keith Tapscott.]

There is an enlarger like that at Inversnaid lodge in Scotland, it is a very sturdy and well made enlarger.

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

When you start looking fir the negative carrier try this guy in Munich/ Germany:
Fotoservice Jungkunz
Germany

tel:- 0049 89 6519975
fax:- 0049 89 6519981
web address:- www.used-minilab.net
e-mail:- jungkunz@used-minilab.net
Darkroom equipment and accessories, Minilab systems, Other equipment and systems for photofinishing

[Allen in Montreal]

.........

For the column, try some WD-40 sprayed on a rag, see if that cleans it up.
......


On first scrub down with WD, the column is almost perfect, I will give it a second go.

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/3688/7763xps5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Allen in Montreal]

.........

Who knows, maybe when your daughter sees prints from negatives she will think Lady Durst is a lucky lady and want to try more things with Dad like photography.........

John

I am really lucky, she does a lot with me and is really into the arts. She checks the Museum schedule for upcoming shows!

[Allen in Montreal]

When you start looking fir the negative carrier try this guy in Munich/ Germany........

Thank you, I have sent him an e mail.

[Allen in Montreal]

I went digging in the boxes of "things I must save for projects I will likely never have time for" and dug my spare bulbs.

There was only one original Durst lamp, I thought I had a half dozen or so, but there were several others marked for the Durst in the 200 to 500 watt range.

http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/4217/lamp7773xzu8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


There were a few 500 watt bulbs with slightly longer necks, with the lamp house dropped to the lower position, the bulb sits in the right spot and the head of the lamp is the same size as the original Durst replacement lamp. The people I got these from years ago had them in a box of Durst 138 spare parts and were marked for use in the 138.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9730/lamp7781xhn9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


The manual calls for a fan when using bulbs over 200 watts. Should be pretty simple to zip something up with a decent volume, low vibration computer fan but has it proven to be really necessary with a 300 or 500 watt bulb in the 138?

[Allen in Montreal]

..........

The manual calls for a fan when using bulbs over 200 watts. Should be pretty simple to zip something up with a decent volume, low vibration computer fan but has it proven to be really necessary with a 300 or 500 watt bulb in the 138?

That was a poorly worded question and i can no longer edit.

A blower with the 500 seems logical and I doubt I will ever use the 500 watt bulbs, but is it really necessary for the 300 watt standard bulb? The unit currently is fitted with a 250 watt.

Thank you,

[ic-racer]

As a point of reference, my Omega 4x5 enlargers are 250W and have fans.

What are you going to do for contrast control? It looks like you can use the Ilford 6" filter set, which is reasonably priced. (I just got my set the other day, though I will have to use my filters under the lens).

You may, or may not know this but, I believe you can get a diffuser to go under the condensers and this would turn it into a diffuse light source. I would think that diffuser and the Ilford filters would make an excellent B&W printing setup.

[Allen in Montreal]

Thank you IC, I will look into setting up a fan.

For the moment I will use below the lens Ilford filters, but in time I would like to get the correct filter for use above the lens.

I have located a 5x7 negative carrier, so that is first priorty along with a lens board for my 210mm.

I was not aware of a diffuser that would replace the condensers! I had thought about buying a "beater" used condenser for the frame set and trying to build a home made one, but if you are aware of something better, I am all ears! :)

I know there are cold light sources from Aristo that slide into the slots, that is a more long term desired item once I get everything else in place and running smoothly.

[ic-racer]

Thank you IC, I will look into setting up a fan.

For the moment I will use below the lens Ilford filters, but in time I would like to get the correct filter for use above the lens.

I have located a 5x7 negative carrier, so that is first priorty along with a lens board for my 210mm.

I was not aware of a diffuser that would replace the condensers! I had thought about buying a "beater" used condenser for the frame set and trying to build a home made one, but if you are aware of something better, I am all ears! :)

I know there are cold light sources from Aristo that slide into the slots, that is a more long term desired item once I get everything else in place and running smoothly.

Durst pro lists a diffuser to place under the condensers for the Durst 5x7 head for only $8 USD.

The following is a quote from the Durst Pro site, referring to the CONKIT, which I think is the newer version of what you have. I suspect yours can be adapted in a similar manner.


It [CONKIT]also doubles as a cold light head and/or as a soft lighthead. Use it as a soft-light head by introducing a diffuser below the condensers or as a regular cold-light head by introducing a diffuser and a filter pack, or as a condenser cold-light head by introducing a filter pack.

Check out this page: http://www.jensen-optical.us/Light_head_5x7_comparison.htm

[ic-racer]

This blog documents a cooling fan added to a Beseler head; may be of some interest:

http://www.philipmorgan.net/?cat=3

[Allen in Montreal]

IC,

Thank you for both of the links, both have been very helpful.
I will try the diffuser from Durst Pro rather than gut an old condenser and build my own.
I hope to start work on a head cooling fan this weekend.

[Allen in Montreal]

The Durst did not come with a 5x7 negative holder, I found a copy negative system, the Larka, in very nice condition for rather cheap. The set up is not perfect, but it has at least allowed me get one step closer to having Lady Durst up and running.

I removed the Darkslide actuation rod and assembly. While I have never used the unit for what it was intended for, the unit is brilliant and very well made. I still have my eyes on a Nega 138.

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/908/larka0548xnp3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



The holder needed to be re-felted. Thank you for the tips on this IC, it made this task easy!


http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/2033/larka0558xba6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)



Cleaned up and almost ready to go:


http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/6139/larka0564xxn0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I have a lens board for the Rodagon 210 coming this week. If all goes well, the first print may come out of the darkroom before the end of the month.

I plan to print 5x7, 4x5 and 6x9/6x4.5 on this enlarger. I have looked briefly at the Lapfe masks for the Nega.
But I wonder if I could make a thick cardboard mat from archival board that would do the job of the Lapfe.
One user has suggested using the A.N. glass and just masking it down with the built in masks. Have any Durst users addressed this?

IC, in post 55 of your 184 thread, you show what appears to be a 4x5 neg in your 10x10 Laraneg holder. Do you mat it down or mask it off?

[John Powers]

Allen,
"One user has suggested using the A.N. glass and just masking it down with the built in masks. Have any Durst users addressed this?" This is how my 8x10 cold light Durst 138S conversion is set up.

John

[ic-racer]

IC, in post 55 of your 184 thread, you show what appears to be a 4x5 neg in your 10x10 Laraneg holder. Do you mat it down or mask it off?

I never wound up making a mask for 4x5 because I found it easier to use my 4x5 enlarger. Now, on the 4x5 enlarger I have a 6x6 and a 35mm mask for when I want to use my glass carrier. I made them out of the black plastic bag that photo paper comes it and they just sit on top of the glass, held on the edge with some tape. I also have some left-over Rosco red filter and the next time I need to make a mask I may try that.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

Allen, I sent you a PM about neg holders, so can you check your PM box?

//Björn

[Allen in Montreal]

Bjorn, I have replied by e mail and PM.
Thank you!

[Gudmundur Ingolfsson]

http://cgi.ebay.de/Durst-L138-Buehne-Grane-13x18-Format-gut_W0QQitemZ390027421506QQcmdZViewItemQQptZFotolabor_Zubehör?hash=item390027421506&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Take a look at this !

[Allen in Montreal]

With the help of our Euro LF members, (thank you very much guys!!) a Lapla 42 arrived from Germany yesterday! I mounted an older 135 Componon-S. I now have a lens mounted and, at last, I can print something. :)

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1597/lapla428987xcu6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


This morning I moved the Beseler out of the darkroom to make way for the 138. It just barely fits in there, the ceiling took a small scuff and I will have to paint above the enlarger flat black, but there really are very few light leaks to deal with compared to the Beseler. It took me a little while to level it al out, it sits perfectly now, but I find it bounces a little too much with the wooden floors, it takes a few seconds to settle down, does anyone sand bag their enlarger?

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/3471/138sheadspace9131xtj8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I made a quick 11x14 print on graded RC paper from a 4x5 neg, just to say I have printed with it and it looks great, I am eager to really print a few negs in the coming week.

I have also mounted my 80mm Apo-Rodagon and have a board for the 210 Rodagon is enroute.

[ic-racer]

but I find it bounces a little too much with the wooden floors, it takes a few seconds to settle down, does anyone sand bag their enlarger?



You might want to consider obtaining or building a wall brace.

Looking good so far!


(photo from Jensen Optical e-bay auction)

[ic-racer]

Depending on the orientation of your floor boards and studs, a couple of strong steel tracks might widen the enlarger's footprint on the floor and make it less wobbly side-to -side.

There is nothing special about the tracks, they can be anything with a ridge for the wheel.

[Allen in Montreal]

Thank you IC,
I saw the wall brace at auction, I may try both the rails and the brace.
I only have an inch and half of height to spare, so I will visit the hardware store and look at options carefully this weekend.



Depending on the orientation of your floor boards and studs, a couple of strong steel tracks might widen the enlarger's footprint on the floor and make it less wobbly side-to -side.

There is nothing special about the tracks, they can be anything with a ridge for the wheel.

[John Powers]

You might want to consider obtaining or building a wall brace.

Looking good so far!


(photo from Jensen Optical e-bay auction)

I hate to thnk what Jensen wants for that little gem.

When Michael installed my 138S he fastened an eight inch section of wooden 2x4 to the cement block wall with cement screws. He then used two 1/2 inch by 2 inch right angle metal brace pieces connected by wood screws to the wooden 2x4 and nuts and bolts to the side holes on the round canister at the top of the pole. I think it holds the spring. Anyway there is about a 1/4" hole on either side that Jensen's gadet looks like it uses also. Michael's solution can't be more than $3 worth of materials that I had in my shop: screws, nuts, bolts, wood.

John

[ic-racer]

John,

I thought yours had a wall brace. Here is a portion of the .jpg you sent me once showing a little of the bracket.

Looks like Jenson Optical wants $50 for theirs.

[John Powers]

John,

I thought yours had a wall brace. Here is a portion of the .jpg you sent me once showing a little of the bracket.

Looks like Jenson Optical wants $50 for theirs.

We must be having a communication gap. I would call what I wrote a wall brace. Why would you not? The top of the pole or the canister is fastened by two metal right angles to a 2"x4"x8" which is anchored to the cement block wall. Total cost of pieces parts including screws maybe $3. A power drill with a Phillips bit makes it very easy. I use an 18 volt Bosch portable, but a plug in would work with enough cord and you wouldn’t have to recharge.

John

[Allen in Montreal]

Thank you Gents,

Since I can not push the unit back against the wall for leveling reasons (the 100 plus year old wooden floors and walls are not square!), I will surely make a home made bracket.

[ic-racer]

We must be having a communication gap. I would call what I wrote a wall brace. Why would you not? The top of the pole or the canister is fastened by two metal right angles to a 2"x4"x8" which is anchored to the cement block wall. Total cost of pieces parts including screws maybe $3. A power drill with a Phillips bit makes it very easy. I use an 18 volt Bosch portable, but a plug in would work with enough cord and you wouldn’t have to recharge.

John

Like "I thought (meaning I DID THINK SO and confirmed for myself in the picture)..."

A setup like you have would be great for Allen.

John check you PM.

[John Powers]

Allen,

The advantage of the wooden block (in my case 2x4) is that it can be cut on one side to fit the angle of the pole and on the other to conform tp what ever angle the wall is that day.

Twenty years ago I was in a 150 year old farm house built on sand stone. You don't have time for a list of the strange things there. It was fun though.

John

[Allen in Montreal]

The lens board for the 210 arrived Friday afternoon, so I did the responsible thing, I cancelled all plans for Friday evening and locked myself in the darkroom to print a 5x7 neg for the first time on Lady Durst. :)
the session ended when I ran out of drying screens sadly.

The level of noticeable dust on a 16x20 from a 5x7 negative is up about 300 percent over an 11x14 from a 4x5 neg. Some type of dust control will become a necessity I think, I also noticed a small static shock when I changed the condensers, so perhaps a humidifier too, which I have never really had the need for to date. Do most of you run dust filters and or humidifiers in the darkroom?

The easel is just a touch higher than my knees to print a 16x20 as I can not max out the rise on the column, fortunately most of my prints are only 11x14. The 16x20 paper box is for scale, the bottle (not a Chablis :( mais avec un peu fromage Sauvagine (like camembert but local) et Baguette quand meme ) as a tribute to Henri !!

The 138 sure makes the V35 look like a baby.

[ic-racer]

I use one of those HEPA air filters. You can see it in the picture over the drying cabinet. It looks like something from the film 2001.

I was born and raised on diffusion enlarging. I got Fred Picker's book in 1974 and got a diffusion enlarger in 1975. Two years ago I pretty much abandoned contact printing my 8x10s because of dust. Using one of those white 'bunny' suits and was the only way I able to get decent prints (sad to say all the dust in my darkroom comes from me). In fact one of the main reasons I wanted to projection print my 8x10 negatives was so that I could use diffuse light to minimize the dust.

Remind me again, are you using a glass carrier?

[Allen in Montreal]

I use one of those HEPA air filters.........

Remind me again, are you using a glass carrier?

I think an air filter is one the to do list now.
For the moment I am using a Larka Copy negative holder (with glass) as a negative carrier.
I could not find a Nega138 at the time, so I bought a Larka to hold me over. I now have a Nega 138 on the way, but I really wanted to started to learn the machine and print, the glass in the Larka is not original and not that great.

Tonight I hope for one nice print, an 11x14 from a 5x7 negative, on older oriental Fiber paper, I let the sink stand filled with water for an hour before entering in hopes of cutting down the dust. The last print I made on 4x5 was not bad at all, it seems as if there is a threshold on neg size and enlargement where it all just pops out. :mad:

[John Powers]

Allen,

If you haven’t read it, there is a very popular thread (689 posts) on APUG called “Darkroom Portraits”. There are many wonderful ideas.
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum43/10966-darkroom-portraits.html

I can’t see the ceiling in the picture. Is it sealed? I have seen several darkrooms where dust drops from the rafters when someone walks in the room above. I sealed mine with white 1/8”, 4’x8’ sheets of white board with a smooth surface. Then I taped the joints with white tape. I also taped the wall joints. Around the enlargers I painted with flat black to stop any light leaks from bouncing back.

My floor is cement so I vacuum often. We have hot air heat so it gets quite dry in the winter. I use the very technical solution of pouring a jug of water on the cement. It serves the multi purpose of washing dust from the floor, adding humidity to the room, and washing dust off my shoe bottoms. © I may also apply for a patent on the idea.

I have one fan that brings air into the room through a high quality furnace filter. There are two exhaust fans on the far side (from me) of an eight foot sink across the 11’x13’ room from the intake. The door to the room has rubber seals all around for both dust and light. I hope there is something useful in all this.

John

[Allen in Montreal]

Last night was immensely more successful than the night before!

I printed the first neg (a 5x7 to 11x14) with only 2 small dust marks that require spotting.
I was very happy with that, so I printed the same negative from the Friday night (again to 11x14) and it has only three small marks to be spotted! :)

The prints are beautiful and I am very pleased.

I must say that I am really enjoying using the 138 much more than my former rig, which I will dismantle and put in storage since I can not see how it would be worth selling on Flea B.

I think the 8 foot sink filled with 2 inches of water was a factor. I also was much more attentive as I loaded the negative this time.

I did notice that I got an electric shock every time I touched the light switch, which I do not ever recall happening before, perhaps Lady Durst herself needs to be grounded?

John, my floors are beautiful old hardwood, and they seep to the level below during a spill, so your idea for the jug of water can not be applied sadly! :) The ceiling is closed as are all the wall joints. I plan to paint the walls flat black around the enlarger during spring break as there is one small light leak from the right side of the Larka. On the Beseler I had made a little "bonnet" that covered the head well and ended all the light leaks from where the cold light slipped into the collar.

I had seen the Apug thread when I first signed up to Apug but had completely forgot about it. My god there are some very nice darkrooms!

[John Powers]

Congratulations. Now if I could just learn to spot those fewer dust spots without slurping the spotting material.

It is a good idea to install what I believe is called ground fault interrupt electrical outlets or gfi. They are grounded and they shut off instantly if there is a short. A wet dark room is not a safe place to have shorts or sparks. Who are we going to pick on if you are gone?

Dale, ic-racer and I are having lunch today. I am going to suggest that we go shopping for a rubber ducky for the eight foot sink with 2" of water.

Yes, there are some beautiful darkrooms out there, but also some good less expensive ideas that can be used at home.

Happy to read of good results.

John

John

[ic-racer]

John makes a good point about GFI protection.

I also noticed in your picture you have one of those in-line switches.

In the US (for 120v), we have 3 wires, one is 'hot' (the black one) and the other two ultimately go to ground (white and green). You need to make sure your switch is switching the 'hot' wire and not the ground. The chassis may well be intended to be wired to ground, but you could have the wires reversed in your home wiring or at the level of the switch or the plug (this could make the chassis 'hot').

I'm not familiar with Canadian practices, you might want to have an electrician check it out if this is out of your realm.

Also, John and I decided you will have to come to Cleveland to receive the rubber duck. :)

[Allen in Montreal]

^^^

Well IC, you called that one right. Seems the wiring in here is worse than I thought.
My brother took a quick look (I am ok with basic wiring but I have no testing tools etc) as it is all pretty well buggered up and patched together as they renovated the old building. I have the enlarger re-wired now and shocks are way down.


One more step taken towards a great darkroom. :)

Thanks.

[Allen in Montreal]

Durst pro lists a diffuser to place under the condensers for the Durst 5x7 head for only $8 USD........

I picked one of these up, and there is no way on earth it fits without aid of ball-peen hammer!

Has anyone used one of these with success?

I also picked up a spare 240 condenser, brand new, for $18.00.
Not sure that I will ever need it, but for 18 dollars it seemed like a worth while purchase as backup.