Thomas Duplex Safelight Questions

[Michael R]

For anyone interested, here is the manual for the Thomas safelight.

Thanks for posting this. It is strange that they differentiate VC papers from orthochromatic papers, since VC papers are orthochromatic. Regardless, it is always a good idea to do a proper safe time test with any paper, whether the safelight is red, amber, sodium vapour yellow.

[Luis-F-S]

The Thomas lights have always been sodium vapor, not mercury vapor. (save the Merc. vapor for nice tube rectifiers like 866s and the like. ;-)

+1 Yup, that's correct!

[EdSawyer]

Glad that somone got the rectifier reference! ;-)

[Kevin Crisp]

These certainly are durable. I spent about 90 minutes on one of my $12.50 ones. Mice had been living in it and it was obviously exposed to the elements. The MASSIVE French transformer inside is why these weigh so much. I tested it and still good at 400V on the secondary. For all the on line comments about this or that unit having a bad ballast it turns out there isn't one. It is just a transformer and a socket. Unsoldered and took the transformer out, then pressure washed it out and let it dry. Transformer back in and a new bulb and it works fine. I am making the replacement filters in a couple days and I'm in business. I'm going to try the Roscoe "fire" filters many recommend.

If you're in the LA area and have any interest in the second one (similar condition but I don't know about mice, I haven't looked under the reflector...) let me know. It needs a bulb, but the transformer on that one is working too.

[stradibarrius]

Thanks Greg for that!

For anyone interested, here is the manual for the Thomas safelight.