1 Attachment(s)
Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators
Thinking outside the box here, but if it had the condenser head, the negative stage could be moved higher to where the condensers are and a diffusion light source fitted. That would in effect move the whole head higher. Like on the 5x7 to 8x10 conversion. See how the negative holder is now way up where the highest condenser slot would have been.
Attachment 196466
Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators
Of course the upper column could be detached from the lower, as I already mentioned on the parallel 184 thread; but then you'd have to build a strong stable wall support for that whole upper section yourself. You could then use a hydraulic lift table for the easel. As much as you've already shot down the idea, it's waaay easier to use this enlarger in horizontal mode. Putting in a pair of floor tracks and a wall easel is both simpler and safer than trying to elevate and align that whole upper section apart from its dedicated base. But at least you have a temporary solution even if it gets the baseboard way too low for convenience. Another potential issue: if you're using a colorhead, getting it too close to the ceiling could be hazardous. I just talked to someone yesterday with reference to their own 184/CLS getting mandatorily ripped out under a Fire Marshall's orders for that. I have FRP fiberglass sheets (fire-resistant panel)
installed on my own ceiling, with a fair amount of room underneath, and an exhaust duct right at the crown of the ceiling. If I were to adopt Ice-Racer's idea - and I have done analogous things - I'd opt for Garolite phenolic material rather than plywood to build the support box. But it takes a bit of fuss to keep the neg carrier position equally precise.
Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators
If your rig is similar to that in ic-racer's photo and if you need just a bit more lift - then a hole in your ceiling just might do it, assuming joist spacing/orientation would accommodate.
The hole in the ceiling works for me with my Zone-6 for 30x40's from 5x7 w/150mm G-Claron, and from 4x5 w/120mm Rodagon WA. My homebuilt horizontal enlarger on wheeled tracks works for anything larger than this. Those tracks are nice...as moving a large, tilted enlarger (to adjust negative to easel distance) is a pain, unless your vertically mounted easel can move instead...and stay properly aligned.
Re: calling all Durst 184 Laborators
Moving a big enlarger on tracks is easy as heck if the wheels and rails are mated, and the floor is level. They do it with locomotives every day of the week. That way the wall easel itself can be kept stationary, though I fitted mine with rotation ability as well as horizontal and vertical travel on its own set of rails attached to the wall. This is because I had integral masking blades for it too, for sake of exact borders. Now I do everything vertical using a tall ceiling. It uses up less floor space. Holes in ceilings are not a good idea unless you've truly fire-proofed them. If you're subject to local fire dept inspections, that could be a deal-breaker. I know of one such case right now, where they either outright got rid of the big equipment, or got their building condemned and locked shut. Colorheads in particular can get hot if not thoroughly ventilated; and even if there's no fire risk, excess heat is not good for the device itself, or the film.