Building a darkroom

**Jon Wilson** · 2-Mar-2010, 21:33

Progress! My new 8x10 Durst enlarger has been installed and it works! It has maximum clearance and will make up to 20x24 inch enlargements!

Additional pictures of it being set up today have been added. http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=957873

It took 4 people to move it over to my "darkroom" and those persons and my friend who is doing the remodel set it up. The enlarger rack with its weights totals over 1000 lbs. It is not going to be moved again. The 220v wiring was installed over the weekend and the enlarger was fired up. It works and it is rock solid. There will not be any movement on this enlarger when printing paper.

The remainder of the carpet will be removed, the floor cleaned, the wet side set up....chemicals and paper are being delivered.

It may be done before the end of March! I am excited.

Jon

**ic-racer** · 3-Mar-2010, 09:12

Looks fantastic.

Just curious if you had a chance to check your bulb reflector. Mine has just one or two small areas where the coating has flaked off. I suspect that mine is the original one in the head, with commercial use since 1993 or so. So, I hope it will still last a long time (especially since a new one is $1600!).

**Jon Wilson** · 3-Mar-2010, 19:21

Originally Posted by ic-racer

Looks fantastic.

Just curious if you had a chance to check your bulb reflector. Mine has just one or two small areas where the coating has flaked off. I suspect that mine is the original one in the head, with commercial use since 1993 or so. So, I hope it will still last a long time (especially since a new one is $1600!).

Thanks. No, I have not had a chance to check the bulb reflector. I will do that and keep you posted.

I know the seller told me this was the 3rd time he had moved it and he too was very pleased it fired up on the first try. It told me he originally purchased it from a studio in Portland, Or.

Jon

**MR CORONET** · 4-Mar-2010, 19:47

Originally Posted by Jon Wilson

Progress! My new 8x10 Durst enlarger has been installed and it works! It has maximum clearance and will make up to 20x24 inch enlargements!

Additional pictures of it being set up today have been added. http://photo.net/photodb/folder?folder_id=957873

It took 4 people to move it over to my "darkroom" and those persons and my friend who is doing the remodel set it up. The enlarger rack with its weights totals over 1000 lbs. It is not going to be moved again. The 220v wiring was installed over the weekend and the enlarger was fired up. It works and it is rock solid. There will not be any movement on this enlarger when printing paper.

The remainder of the carpet will be removed, the floor cleaned, the wet side set up....chemicals and paper are being delivered.

It may be done before the end of March! I am excited.

Jon

Hi Looks very nice, i am very jealous.
Now i have a problem on my De vere 5108 here in the UK (South of England) : The winding wheels on mine are at the back and are not connected! There are some wires at the back but i cannot see how the pulley system works! I am not that practical a person. Could you email me some images of the pulley wiring etc form your beast ? Gerry
P.S. BTW the seller just refuses to answer my calls, I guess he does not want to help/know.

**Jon Wilson** · 4-Mar-2010, 21:34

Originally Posted by cgross

Hi Gerry, I don' think that Jon's Durst and your De Vere 5108 have the same cable set up.

However, I am pretty sure that a Devere 504 and a 5108 have the same drive cable configurations. If they are not the same I think they at least should be close enough. I have a 504 and will try to get a copy made of the pages that show how the cables are routed and instructions on how to replace/adjust.
Will try to get copies tomorrow, if not it will be over the weekend.
If you have a floor standing model you are probably going to have to separate the column from the base. If you would let me know if you do have a free standing model I can include some instructions on how to separate the column and base too. I'll PM you for your email address.

Cody

Gerry, Cody is correct. They are not the same. Here is a link where you may be able to get the De Vere 5108 manual. http://www.khbphotografix.com/devere/DevereManuals.htm

Gerry, good luck in getting yours setup. I am definitely indebted to the person I purchased the 8x10 from; for a few dollars more, he not only moved the 1/2 ton beauty, but made certain it was level and working properly.

As a side note, my Freestyle Photographic Supplies order arrived today! Yippee! Now I have all my photo paper and chemicals to make prints. Now for the rest of the darkroom to be built....I am biting at the bite.

Jon

**ic-racer** · 5-Mar-2010, 07:07

Originally Posted by cgross

Hi Gerry, I don' think that Jon's Durst and your De Vere 5108 have the same cable set up.

It is a little hard to tell from the photos but Jon's Durst head is on a massive Fotar chassis.

**MR CORONET** · 6-Mar-2010, 17:42

Jon,
Thanks for link to manual, that could be most useful if i cannot get any further myself and with help of the forum.
Best wishes for all your prints, it will be grate fun

Gerry

**MR CORONET** · 6-Mar-2010, 18:12

Hi,
It is most kind of you to help me out, how nice , thanks.
Today the bulbs i ordered have arrived and i am slowly working out how to wire then in series so i can test, first with the old 50 w bulbs then change to the new 300 w x 4 bulbs.

Yes, it is frees standing and i recall it took to people to move it in and put it together!

I have made some pictures of the enlarger as it is very heavy to move but it certainly looks like someone has pulled or broken the wires that go on the pulleys and their is a cloth tape that is knotted. I can email you my images if you iwsh.

I am and will be most grateful for any advice/help.
Legs and fingers crossed.

best wishes to you,

Gerry

Originally Posted by cgross

Hi Gerry, I don' think that Jon's Durst and your De Vere 5108 have the same cable set up.

However, I am pretty sure that a Devere 504 and a 5108 have the same drive cable configurations. If they are not the same I think they at least should be close enough. I have a 504 and will try to get a copy made of the pages that show how the cables are routed and instructions on how to replace/adjust.
Will try to get copies tomorrow, if not it will be over the weekend.
If you have a floor standing model you are probably going to have to separate the column from the base. If you would let me know if you do have a free standing model I can include some instructions on how to separate the column and base too. I'll PM you for your email address.

Cody

**Jon Wilson** · 6-Mar-2010, 19:09

Well, another step to getting my darkroom set up. We moved my sink into my darkroom today. The sink is an old stainless steel sink you find in school kitchens. It will have 2 sinks with one faucet. My good friend Phil (Viet Nam Vet) removed the door frame so the sink would fit through the door. It is about 6' + long and weights about 300+lbs., but the price was right a couple of years ago...$100. The fully functional sink is about 18 inches deep and 24 x 26 inches and is located next to the steel counter top which is about 30 x 28 inches. The sink on the other end is about 6 inches deep and about 20 x 20 inches. It will be used as a drain only. I will have shelves installed under the the sink unit for extra storage. I have a Delta Temperature Unit with a filter which will be plumbed above the sink unit.

Any suggestions on improving the sink setup?

BTW, that is my dog Spanky. She had a close call in my parking lot when someone pull in and hit her accidental. She is very sore now, having had 3 ribs broken. She is such a good dog....she is in pain, but still tried to fetch her ball today. Her activities are RESTRICTED for the next couple of weeks.

Jon

**Robert Hughes** · 8-Mar-2010, 08:57

At the Photoworks (Glen Echo Park, Washington DC) dark room, they have a long sink that was originally ... an autopsy table! With drains in all the right places. Talk about a history... I'd die for a table like that.