Hey guys... thought some of you might find this interesting...
I picked up a Durst 138s (actually a 139, as it has the 184 base) a while ago and one of the ideas I've toyed with is replacing the condenser head with another light source. I’ve considered a DIY multigrade LED head, but have been hampered with the engineering and programming (e.g., power supply, cooling, color temp, arduino code, etc) and kept on coming back to the thought of just tossing an old Beseler 45S atop it. To get anywhere close to heading in that direction, the first thing I needed was an adapter plate I could use as a platform for the change. And, that’s what this post is all about …
I acquired a piece of 3/8″ thick 5052 aluminum plate some time back and finally got around to measuring, and measuring, and measuring, and cutting it into something that meets the need. The main challenge ties back to my repetitive use of the term “measure” above. With one piece of aluminum, there wasn’t much room for error. I wanted to make sure that I hit the mounting holes nice and true and of course, the opening for the light source had to be at least the size of Durst negative carrier. The hard part is making sure the light source opening is perfectly positioned to sit right on top of the negative carrier when it’s properly seated. So, many measurements and several poster board practice templates later, I’m happy to say I nailed it and have near perfect positioning between the light source opening and the mounting holes. I’m not a machinist or anything, so the cuts were made with a carbide tipped blade on a miter saw, an aluminum cutting blade on my cheapo jig saw, and a cheapo harbor freight drill press to make sure the mounting holes were nice and straight. 5052 aluminum alloy makes a big mess, but it's pretty easy to work with....
It’s still in process as I’ve got some cleaning up to do on it, probably a couple more holes to hold down the “Super Chromega D Dichroic II” I came across recently, and then some primer and paint. Just a rough cut at this point, but thought it would interesting for those with this same enlarger. I’m quite happy with the way it’s turned out so far. If any one needs measurements or tips, don’t hesitate to reach out…
http://appetite4light.com/2015/06/du...-adapter-plate for more details and updates...
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