De Vere 8x10 enlarger

[cyrus]

I picked up (well, hauled is more like it) a Devere 8x10 enlarger, model 108.
Its sitting in my livign room, and I plan on putting it back together. It doesn't look like anything on the web sites that I've seen but it needs a new bellows. Anyone have any experience with these? The folks at the shop where I got it from said it was 25+ years old.

[tim atherton]

the CIA used to use the DeVere 108A/F for 24cm wide rolls of aerial surveillance film

[Tony Lakin]

Hi cyrus
I use an old Devere 108 which has a four chrome tube column and a Cathomag head, I have also adapted and fitted to this enlarger a 2kw 108 Dichromat colour head from the 108A/F thet Tim refers too.
I have also just won another complete 108A/F on Ebay U.K. for approx. $500 from which parts are being removed and shipped to me to be kept as spares, if I can help in any way please feel free to contact me at tony@tonylakin.com
Best wishes
Tony

[cyrus]

Thanks all -- here are some photos of the enlarger (with the baseboard moved all the way to the bottom and the standards removed)

It says its a "108" -- note characteristics such as the shape of the feet and the number of wheels used to raise/lower the baseboard. I haven't been able to find a matching image on the web, so I can't ID the model.

http://www.photo.net/bboard/image?bboard_upload_id=30020784

[tim atherton]

whoa - that looks like an oldie - this was the one I was thinking of

http://de-vere.com/content/products/de-vere/108.jpg

[Tony Lakin]

Hi again
Here is my hybrid of the two with some other modifications including extra counterbalances to support the extra weight of the Dichromat head on the old 108 chassis.
http://www.tonylakin.com/Devere.htm

Regards
Tony

[cyrus]

Well tony it looks like the same model minus the feet -- the rear columns and the head where the "De Vere 108" mark is located seem to match. Is that a paper safe under the baseboard & if so, are there any problems with stability etc? So what model is this enlarger, and where can I obtain a new baffles & other parts?

[Tony Lakin]

Hi cyrus
The enlarger is a Devere 108 the same as yours it came with a Cathomag head which I still have I purchased it from Robert White about 20 years ago.
I took the opportunity to buy the Dichromat head when it came up on Ebay as I was worried that graded papers may become obsolete and this would allow me to use multigrade, took a fair bit of modification but it has been worth it as the head pumps out two kilowatts of light ensuring short printing times.
It is a paper safe you see, of my own construction, stability may have been a problem however as you may see in the photo I have braced it with a timber frame.
Sorry unable to suggest where you could get the parts you require, I suppose you could try Odyssey sales in the U.K. they are usually very helpful.

Tony

[Andrew_4548]

Hi cyrus,

I've got the same vintage De Vere but mine's a 54 model - they are definitely solidly built and use good old engineering design principles so should be easy to repair unless there's a cracked casting etc.

If you need any more bellows, Camera Bellows (http://www.camerabellows.com) in the UK made all the original items for De Vere over the years and I guess still have all the patterns to cut new ones. I had a set of the main bellows made for mine and they were approximately 55 GBP. You can either fill in the online form with the measurements or do like I did after contacting them, chicken out and send them the old set and tell them what enlarger they came off - it's a lot easier that way.

[Leon Jester]

the CIA used to use the DeVere 108A/F for 24cm wide rolls of aerial surveillance film

Suitland or NPIC?

[cyrus]

Just thought I'd resurrect this old thread since I am going to start trying to renovate this old enlarger and would appreciate whatever info you all can give me on it
http://www.darkroomguide.com/2010/10/renovating-an-8x10-enlarger.html

More photos
http://photo.net/large-format-photography-forum/00Ga9i

[ic-racer]

If the enlarger column is all mechanical with no motor lift then your power requirements will be dictated by the head you use. From the pictures it looks like there is an Omega Chromega F head sitting there. If that is the head you are going to use, check the power supply (I hope you have the power supply) for the correct input voltage. That is made in USA and the USA version is 120V, but they did make export versions in other voltages.

Looks like a good project keep us posted :) .

Have you tried mounting the head on the enlarger yet? Do you have a lens yet?

Here is some info on the Chormega F lamphouse. You can search for more info. I may have a PDF of the Chromega manual at home, I'll check.


The dichroic lamphouse features quad lamp1000w quartz-halogen illumination, wall mounted cooling blower, and thermo safety cutoff. Instead of interchangeable light mixing boxes, which would be cumbersome in this size, the lamphouse uses a simpler series of Light Intensification Masks to increase light output for 5x7, 4x5, and 6x9cm formats.

[cyrus]

If the enlarger column is all mechanical with no motor lift then your power requirements will be dictated by the head you use. From the pictures it looks like there is an Omega Chromega F head sitting there. If that is the head you are going to use, check the power supply (I hope you have the power supply) for the correct input voltage. That is made in USA and the USA version is 120V, but they did make export versions in other voltages.

Looks like a good project keep us posted :) .

Have you tried mounting the head on the enlarger yet? Do you have a lens yet?

Here is some info on the Chormega F lamphouse. You can search for more info. I may have a PDF of the Chromega manual at home, I'll check.

Thanks
Yes I do have the enlarger lens too as the guy who gave me the enlarger also included the lens.
I also have the power supply which looks like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280569987625&ih=018&category=29985&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

I am posting updates on my blog at DarkroomGuide.com (http://www.DarkroomGuide.com). I hope you're right about the 120 v. I can have 240 installed but that would cost $.
As I was cleaning the frame of the enlarger, I noticed an electrical wire coming out of the base which was cut, and a switch button on one of the enlarger feet that was not connected to anything. Not sure what that was all about, but I guess the foot switch was to turn on/off the enlarger.

[ic-racer]

Actually that relay goes between the power supply and your timer to protect your timer from the high current load. It is good that you have it, as I was going to suggest you need this. You should still have another bigger box, though, that is the power supply.

Here is one. If you don't have this then $200 is a really good price for this one if it really is new/unused:
http://cgi.ebay.com/OMEGA-SUPER-CHROMEGA-DICHROIC-F-POWER-SUPPLY-ENLARGER-/160488485780

[ic-racer]

Now would be a good time to check out the power supply, relay, timer, head and blower to make shure it all works before mounting it up on the enlarger. There should be 4 bulbs in that head. Check that they are all there and working, etc. Make sure the filters move back and forth etc. Make sure there are no marks on the white diffuser screen on the bottom of the Chromega F, as marks there can show up in the prints.

Did you get a negative carrier?

[cyrus]

Now would be a good time to check out the power supply, relay, timer, head and blower to make shure it all works before mounting it up on the enlarger. There should be 4 bulbs in that head. Check that they are all there and working, etc. Make sure the filters move back and forth etc. Make sure there are no marks on the white diffuser screen on the bottom of the Chromega F, as marks there can show up in the prints.

Did you get a negative carrier?

Yes sorry you're right. I don't have the relay, I have the power source. (The Ebay photos looked kinda the same to me.) And yes I do have the negative carrier (I think) but am going to have to find everything again. This enlarger has been sitting in storage since 2006 and it all needs a good wipe down, at which time I'll figure out what I have and will post photos of it. Hope it all works. I also need to replace the bellows. I bought bellows that MAY fit. I never tried them on.

[ic-racer]

Ok, so check the rating on your timer. You still may need the relay to protect your timer from the 1000watts that it will have to control.

To test it you can just plug everything (the head and fan) into the power supply and test it. I believe to get the lamp to light you need to use an AC line to jump from the "TIMER OUT" to the "TIMER IN" otherwise the lamp wont go on.

[Tony Lakin]

Thanks
Yes I do have the enlarger lens too as the guy who gave me the enlarger also included the lens.
I also have the power supply which looks like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280569987625&ih=018&category=29985&ssPageName=WDVW&rd=1

I am posting updates on my blog at DarkroomGuide.com (http://www.DarkroomGuide.com). I hope you're right about the 120 v. I can have 240 installed but that would cost $.
As I was cleaning the frame of the enlarger, I noticed an electrical wire coming out of the base which was cut, and a switch button on one of the enlarger feet that was not connected to anything. Not sure what that was all about, but I guess the foot switch was to turn on/off the enlarger.

Definately footswitch, my 108 chassis is exactly the same as yours, I can't see from your photo but are there two pieces of angle iron protruding from the column base forming a base stand, when I first received my 108 the footswitch wire ran through one of these angle irons, the angle iron feet were useless so I removed them my enlarger is screwed to the floor through the column base and bolted to the wall with the devere brackets, do you have the brackets? you will need them or need to have some made.
I hope that I have explained this to your understanding, if I can help further with questions re the chassis I will be happy to advise, as explained in my previous post the head on my 108 is different to yours mine having been adapted from another Devere enlarger.

[cyrus]

Definately footswitch, my 108 chassis is exactly the same as yours, I can't see from your photo but are there two pieces of angle iron protruding from the column base forming a base stand, when I first received my 108 the footswitch wire ran through one of these angle irons, the angle iron feet were useless so I removed them my enlarger is screwed to the floor through the column base and bolted to the wall with the devere brackets, do you have the brackets? you will need them or need to have some made.
I hope that I have explained this to your understanding, if I can help further with questions re the chassis I will be happy to advise, as explained in my previous post the head on my 108 is different to yours mine having been adapted from another Devere enlarger.

Hi Tony
Yes I have the brackets but I am trying to figure out what would be a good way to connect them to a wall which is rather thin!
On the top of the enlarger, there are three springs in the form of metal strips that act as counterbalances to something(s). On mine, one is still connected but before moving the enlarger, I disconnected whatever the other two were attached to. Can you please tell me -- or better yet take some photos -- of that arrangement of stuff on a working chassis? That would be a great time saver as I don't relish having to work with those springs that can fight back

[cyrus]

Ok, so check the rating on your timer. You still may need the relay to protect your timer from the 1000watts that it will have to control.

To test it you can just plug everything (the head and fan) into the power supply and test it. I believe to get the lamp to light you need to use an AC line to jump from the "TIMER OUT" to the "TIMER IN" otherwise the lamp wont go on.

Thanks - the big test will be this weeekend!

[Tony Lakin]

Hi Tony
Yes I have the brackets but I am trying to figure out what would be a good way to connect them to a wall which is rather thin!
On the top of the enlarger, there are three springs in the form of metal strips that act as counterbalances to something(s). On mine, one is still connected but before moving the enlarger, I disconnected whatever the other two were attached to. Can you please tell me -- or better yet take some photos -- of that arrangement of stuff on a working chassis? That would be a great time saver as I don't relish having to work with those springs that can fight back

Hi Cyrus
any chance of a photo of the top showing the springs, as I have said my 108 chassis is identical to yours going by all the photos you have shown, the two counterbalalances on mine are steel weights or the transformer for the original cold cathode head all of which run up and down between the chrome plated column tubes.

[Tony Lakin]

Hi Cyrus
I have attached some photos of the top of my 108 showing pulleys etc. photos not great as very restricted space to work, I hope it helps a little.

45934
45935
45936
45937

[cyrus]

Ah, yours is a bit different than mine up there. As you say, your enlarger uses pulleys and wire attached to a moving counterweight but mine uses steel ribbon springs. I have that counterweight on mine, but it rests uselessly on the bottom of the enlarger base and is not (was not) connected to anything. I was curious what it was!
I suspect therefore that at some point, instead of the coil springs as counterweights, the enlarger used that weight as the counterweight just as in your enlarger but somehow along the way it was changed to use coil springs. Now if I could only remember where/what the springs were attached too....Oh well, I guess I'll figure it out once I start playing around with it.

[cyrus]

Definately footswitch, my 108 chassis is exactly the same as yours, I can't see from your photo but are there two pieces of angle iron protruding from the column base forming a base stand, when I first received my 108 the footswitch wire ran through one of these angle irons, the angle iron feet were useless so I removed them my enlarger is screwed to the floor through the column base and bolted to the wall with the devere brackets, do you have the brackets? you will need them or need to have some made.
I hope that I have explained this to your understanding, if I can help further with questions re the chassis I will be happy to advise, as explained in my previous post the head on my 108 is different to yours mine having been adapted from another Devere enlarger.

Here's the photo of the springs on top of my enlager - slightly different than yours -- plus a few more shots.

[cyrus]

Ok, so check the rating on your timer. You still may need the relay to protect your timer from the 1000watts that it will have to control.

To test it you can just plug everything (the head and fan) into the power supply and test it. I believe to get the lamp to light you need to use an AC line to jump from the "TIMER OUT" to the "TIMER IN" otherwise the lamp wont go on.
Here are the photos of all the parts I have for the head on this enlarger. I cleaned them up a bit. The cable to the lamphouse is badly frayed so I didn't plug anything in. I'd like to send the whole thing off somewhere to be professional fixed. Any suggestions?

This set of photos includes the front and rear of the power source, the front of the timer, and the frayed power cable

[cyrus]

Here's the blower, the rear of timer, and two shots of the Super Chromega head disassembled. The diffuser is not scratched but the aluminium frame around it is broken. There was a whole lot of black masking tape there, and around the front of the lamphouse body, presumably to block light escaping (there was only one screw holding the front of the lamphouse assembly -- the rest was tape. Several screws were missing.)
There was also a lot of black masking tape wrapped around the blue knob, for some reason.
Turning the knobs makes the filters move, so that works. I think the bulbs work too - they didn;t seem burned out.

[cyrus]

And here are some curiosities I encountered along the way while taking apart and cleaning the head. There was a little square piece of bluish glass taped to the head, and also a tiny little l-shaped hexwrench(?) along with several pieces of masking tape with cryptic letters and numbers (f stops) written on them. There was one largish piece of making tape attached below the dials that warned operators to turn on the blower before turning on the lamps lest the bulbs burn out. Tomrrow I am going to try to find the negative holder and perhaps even the screws that held the head/negative stage to the column. I also found the baseboard this morning. It needs to be replaced since the wood seems to have dried out so it crumbles easily

[Tony Lakin]

Here's the photo of the springs on top of my enlager - slightly different than yours -- plus a few more shots.

Hi Cyrus
Thanks for the photos, your 108 is virtually the same as mine except for the sprung counterbalance system, when I originally planned to attach the heavy dichro head from the enlarger in the attached photo I contacted Odyssey sales who are the Devere people in the UK they advised me not to attempt it because the counterbalance system was not designed to take such a heavy head so I constructed an extra counterbalance using a pulley bolted to the darkroom ceiling.
Did the dichro head you have come with the DV108 ie did the previous owner use the Chromega head, the CB springs on yours may be up to the job of supporting the extra wait, I think it would be worth you giving that some consideration.
45978

[cyrus]

Yes it came with the enlarger and the previous owner used it that way. I wish I could at least get the head working for now and I'll worry about the weight later!

[Tony Lakin]

Hi Cyrus
Thanks for the photos, your 108 is virtually the same as mine except for the sprung counterbalance system, when I originally planned to attach the heavy dichro head from the enlarger in the attached photo I contacted Odyssey sales who are the Devere people in the UK they advised me not to attempt it because the counterbalance system was not designed to take such a heavy head so I constructed an extra counterbalance using a pulley bolted to the darkroom ceiling.
Did the dichro head you have come with the DV108 ie did the previous owner use the Chromega head, the CB springs on yours may be up to the job of supporting the extra wait, I think it would be worth you giving that some consideration.
45978

Did I really type wait instead of weight:confused: :o

[cyrus]

So who fixes chromega stuff nowdays?

[ic-racer]

So who fixes chromega stuff nowdays?

Where are you located? You are very lucky in that Omega (http://www.omegabrandess.com/contactus.php) still list the Chromega F on their website, so perhaps factory service is available. Or they may be able to point you to someone who can help. Also try : http://www.classic-enlargers.com/omega_enlargers.htm and http://www.khbphotografix.com/

Cables can be expensive or hard to find used in working condition. Perhaps a re-repair of the damage by a qualified person using heat-shrink tubing over the repair.


If any screws or bolts need replacement on the Omega stuff it will be SAE (USA standard). I can't speak for the DeVere, but perhaps it uses Whitworth threaded screws and bolts.

[cyrus]

Yeah I think the screws are the least of my worries right now! LOL
Glenn at Glennview offered to check the whole thing out and convert the head to using 120 so there would be no need for a power source. What do you think?

[ic-racer]

Yeah I think the screws are the least of my worries right now! LOL
Glenn at Glennview offered to check the whole thing out and convert the head to using 120 so there would be no need for a power source. What do you think?

I suspect he can check it out, but according to the pictures posted, it looks like it is already a 120v unit. Also, I just saw your timer looks like it should be fine controlling the head.

[cyrus]

Yeah if it worked!

[ic-racer]

I think I forgot to post this link earlier. This is the PDF operating manual for your Omega color head:
http://www.jollinger.com/photo/cam-coll/manuals/enlargers/omega/Super%20Chromega%20F%20Dichro%20II.pdf

[Jay Drew]

>should be easy to repair unless there's a cracked casting etc.

Actually Cast Iron has been repaired by brazing since the turn of the century (the one 110 years ago)
I could be mistaken, but I believe I've read that Cast Iron can also be repaired by welding w/ new electrodes developed w/ in the last 10 or 20 years.
For your info, JD