Beseler CB7 old model refurb, Age?

[Tin Can]

I got this CB7 for free some time ago. Everything works, but the 2 fans are noisy and slow. One is in the ancient color head and one is in the voltage stablizer.

I was going to change the light source, until I opened it up and realized how well built it is. And how clean it is. So I am going to change the head fan and use it as is.

The 4x5 condensers cleaned up nicely. The 3 sets of bellows are VG. Focus and elevation motors work well. This thing makes the MX next to it look like junk.

It has 2 sets of color filters. One set pulls straight out, perhaps for color separations? The other set is the dial type with really well made mechanisms.

Does anybody remember this head?

[jp]

That's pretty old. My cb7 has a separate fan box attached to the head with vac cleaner hose; presumably to provide cooling without fan vibration. It too is noisy and I'm thinking a fanless LED upgrade might be due.

[Tin Can]

I have one of those also. I paid real money for this one from a member here and drove 300 miles for it. It's VGC.

[dsphotog]

I have a similar head, (never used it) mine might be even older, kinda OD green, it says Beseler/Agfa on. it , doesn't have a fan, came on am early black 45M
I also have a silver gray hammertone color CB7, came with a condenser, and an Aristo cold light head.

[Eric Woodbury]

That's pretty nice. Mine is blue, but didn't come with the fancy light head. Mine had condenser, which I set aside and now use cold light. I sold off my timer. I paid little but had to drive 100 miles. S/N 5271. It is used for 2-1/4 and dirty-five.

My everyday enlarger is a very abused, heavily modified 45M. The bellows looked beat when I got it, but are still working 33 years later. I bought it from a guy that had it stored outside on his patio.

[Tin Can]

I have a similar head, (never used it) mine might be even older, kinda OD green, it says Beseler/Agfa on. it , doesn't have a fan.
I also have a silver gray hammertone color CB7, came with a condenser, and an Aristo cold light head.

Please tell me more about using the cold light with condensers. I thought they worked best with a small intense point light source.

Mine has 250 watt, 120 volt bulb that costs $100. Fortunately it works.

But with the slide projector type of concentration of that bulb, that is a lot of light for 4x5.

I will have the fan tomorrow and then see about enlarging times.

[dsphotog]

I'll rephrase... My CB7 came with 2 heads, a cold light head, and also a condenser head.
They don't work together.

[dsphotog]

What bulb does your Beseler Agfa head use?
I don't know of any other LF colorhead that uses condensers.
Mine has been packed away, but I'll unearth it.

[Larry Kellogg]

I have one of those also. I paid real money for this one from a member here and drove 300 miles for it. It's VGC.

I like how you have a Leitz V35 under the other enlarger! I've been forced to do exactly the same thing by the fact that I'm running out of space. I just got a V35 with VCC head, and I'm in heaven, it's the best 35mm enlarger ever made, in my opinion. I've tucked the V35 under my Zone VI, an enlarger that I've always had trouble dealing with for some reason.

By the way, where do I get those little wings for the V35? I shoot some half frame stuff with a Olympus Pen F and don't cut the roll when I do that so that I can enlarge any two successive frames.

[Tin Can]

Serial #'s. Great idea Eric!

I have 2 CB-7

# 3210-Condenser Color head Internal fan
# 3732-Dichro DG diffusion Color head air cooled with suction fan

1 - 45MCRX -# 51791-Condenser head no cooling

Also,

1-23CII-163732 Condenser Head no cooling
1-23CIII-XL 005977504 Dichroic Color Diffusion Head fanless by design

Which leads me to believe Beseler numbered their products sequentially.

Maybe I will start a dedicated Beseler thread.