sadly tales

[plaubel]

Yes, I am guilty - I killed a famous machine !

I won a Hohlux Elektron enlarger at ebay in last december, for nothing than 1 Euro.
The description had been amazing :

- negative size : 30x40 cm ( 12x16" )

- it's weight : 840 KG

- big :-)

Yes, the wright thing for my knew old, 30x40cm Reisekamera !


It stood 275 km from my homebase, in a cellar, but with an elevator there.

First action in place : three not so weak men tried to pull the enlarger, because it stood in a corner.
I have to say - nothing happened, really nothing. Not 1 mm...

Ours later,after replacing some heavy elements and in using some Sumo-tricks, the enemy felt down without destroing anything.
Know, we were able to amputate the big foot, nearly 100 Kg himself.

Altogether, we've lost a lot of time by waiting for missing, but necessary tools, by rebuilding big windows ( you may imagine, that normal doors were too small), and after some painfully ours, we had to give up totally.
There has been no chance to bring the enlarger into the elevator. Too dangerous to me.
The rest of the system has been to long, and, with more than 300 Kg, to heavy for lying him diagonal, which had been the only way in fact of the short and flat elevator.

So I only rescued the head and the light system ( 8x 1000 Watts Xenon burner), the bellows and the negative room ( some kind of Pizza ofen), the amazing electronic shutter, the separate userpult ( beam me up, Scotty!) and the really big vacuum ground plate.

To the main system of this terrible enlarger I sadly have to say : R.I.P. -
It's know a case for a metal specialist with his burning tools.

I am planning to rebuild the parts as a horizontal enlarger, in using a repro camera, which will come in in some weeks.

Sad, but hopeful otherwise,
Ritchie

[Richard Wasserman]

That's quite a machine! Did they first put in place and then construct the building around it?

[plaubel]

I have heard from the seller, that there were 5 strong man bringing that beast down the cellar.

But for me, the main thing seemed to be:
Down, the elevator only has one door. Inside, there wheren't enough place for people and machine together..
Up, there are two doors, one each side. Enough space for moving.

So, bringing in must be more easy with two doors, for pulling out one door is enough.
But not the other way...

[John Kasaian]

It had an appointment with History. And kept it. Such is the case with us all.

[Vaughn]

Dang thing looks like it could enlarge electrons!

[Jim C.]

Sounds like you had tried to move it as a whole unit, why didn't you take it apart and move it in pieces ?

840 KG = 1851lbs. !
Bet that enlarger has no vibrations at all

[Jody_S]

There's always a way. You needed a good old boy with a pickup truck and a couple of come-alongs. A few bars of Ivory soap, you can move anything.

[Roger Thoms]

There's always a way. You needed a good old boy with a pickup truck and a couple of come-alongs. A few bars of Ivory soap, you can move anything.

A few pieces of pipe and a johnson bar can be helpful too.

Roger

[Jon Shiu]

There's an appliance dolly that has two smaller wheels that swing down, allowing you to wheel something around at a 45 degree angle. Not big enough for 2000lbs, but 1000lbs would be possible.

Jon

[Jan Pedersen]

Don't forget a six pack or two, it always brings out a hero or two.