Durst L184 with Aristo T12

**largeformat apt** · 14-Aug-2009, 20:30

I hope this may help somebody

12 head on a Durst L184
G'day,
It was easier than I thought. I picked a ARISTO T12 head a while ago and wanted to fit it to my early model Durst L184. I first looked and then removed the old light chamber. I then placed some square alloy to space it out. This looked OK.
I then looked at the 4 bolts at the back of the head (where it connects to the focus and adjust area). I removed to condenser head completely. I then went to the local engineer and had the weld a piece of 70mm x 300mm x 1mm to a piece of 40mm angle, (stainless used throughout). This allowed me to place mounting bolts into the aritso head above the tube area and meant I didn't have to use a wide piece of angle. I placed 4 holes in the back of the angle to allow it to mount where the orginal condenser bolts were. The negative carrier is OK and it looks a heap better. I now will fold up some colourbond steel to fit over the back where the focus rods are. If anybody want the information send me a PM or try me on SYKPE as the same name here (largeformat_pat).
Hope this helps I took pictures as I went.

**Gudmundur Ingolfsson** · 15-Aug-2009, 03:26

Please show us some of your pictures.

**Allen in Montreal** · 15-Aug-2009, 09:30

Please post some pictures,

I too have a 184 and the height is a real issue in my darkroom. I envision removing the head and lowering the 12x12 filter drawer to the bottom slot of the condensor rack, then mounting the cold light head, sitting on top of the new filter drawer slot. This would give me 16.5 inches of extra vertical rise. I would really appreciate any pictures you could post too.

**resummerfield** · 15-Aug-2009, 12:05

I also mounted an Aristo T-12 to my Durst L1840. I prefer it over the Durst dichro head because the Aristo runs so much cooler and quieter.

At first I placed the Aristo on top of the neg carrier, but I found the Aristo leaked light through it’s case vents.

So I removed the top section from a Durst condenser head and placed the Aristo in the open bottom section. I used the 12x12 filter drawer to hold the Aristo in the proper place in the condenser shell, and fabricated a larger aluminum door or front for the filter drawer, to make it light tight in use. I also cut pieces of plywood and mat board to cover the top openings in the condenser shell to keep the light in. I can easily remove these during a long printing session to check for heat built-up, but so far I've never had a heat problem. The cords thread through a small hole in the condenser shell and out the back through a vent hole.

I normally split print and use below the lens filters, but that detail is not shown.

**Allen in Montreal** · 20-Aug-2009, 07:42

I had been considering a different approach, but I wonder if I am being overly practical to the point of taking too many short cuts?

Normal Setup with filter drawer above the condensors (not in place)

My plan is to remove the gray section, lower the filter drawer to the lowest level,

Have a stronger condensor frame made with the proper size hole for the Aristo cold light. Have the cold light head seated about a 1/2 inch or so above the gel filter holder. Until such time as I find a VC Arosito and then remove the filter holder and drop the cold light head down one groove.

**ic-racer** · 22-Aug-2009, 17:34

My Aristo (1414) is mounted to a plastic adapter that accepts the bolts that would hold the regular Durst heads.

The adapter is really too thick (but strength was required by the prior owner so the head did not fall off with horizontal projection), so I re-mounted the diffuser on the under side of the adapter plate.