The press is a Great find, much harder to find than the enlargers. I paid $700 for mine shipped, in as new condition! Free is better, howerver. L
The press is a Great find, much harder to find than the enlargers. I paid $700 for mine shipped, in as new condition! Free is better, howerver. L
Beastly? Those are tiny as far as enlargers go. The mounting presses was obviously heavier, but the real prize. It can be fun getting everything back to full working condition, and even more fun using it.
Hopefully it works but it seems minty aside from a layer of dust that I should probably remove before I fire it up.
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It's not pictured but there are about 3 other boxes with just about everything else I need including timers, filters, 3 lenses (50,80,150) all kinds of film carriers and even some assorted developing gear and a 35mm bulk loader. Maybe with a bulk loader I'll spool up some 12 shot rolls. I just hate shooting 35mm because of how many frames it takes to get a finished roll.
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When I bought my Bessler 45MXT chassis from somewhere in the central valley, I picked it up with a 2-door Toyota Echo and transported it home - about 150 miles. I now have a 4-door Corolla and can easily slide in a 10" Meade SCT in its JMI case with the big wheels installed in the back seat (on its side). The scope did fit in the Echo's trunk but only in the foam factory cushion - the JMI case wouldn't fit in. In the Corolla the scope and the case with the wheels installed will fit but it is a dead lift getting in in, if you know what I mean. Much easier and quicker sliding it in the back seat.
I've picked up several Omega D and an "E", series enlargers, both in Mini-vans and a Honda Accord and also, as it happens, a B66 as well, but that was in a open pick-up.
The tool I've found most useful is a small, 3 or 4 inch adjustable wrench, which opens about 3/4 - 1 inch between the jaws.
Screwdrivers. slotted (-) and crosspoint (+) will be needed/wanted, but a cheap set of Harbor Freight black-handled screwdrivers will do to start with, about medium small size, I believe they can be had for free, with a purchase, or, for a couple of bucks; check online and in the weekly advertiser flyers that come in the mail, for coupons, including the 20-25% off single items. Better sets are available and I recommend the socket head blue handled set, as a purchase, in addition to the black handled set, if you have a pair of coupons, and a few bucks to spend.
When moving remove the bases, the small wrench comes in handy here, and in the case of the "D", the condenser, first thing, pull it and place in cloth lined box, with a top, and carefully place in secure place in the car, with the glass panels inside the condenser head filter drawer, wrapped separately, as well.
Take the top of head off (the "D" only) and carry it alone to the car, alone with any mounted lens board, with lens(s).
A card stock panel can be cut and slid into the lens board slot, and a piece of masking tape to secure it.
A lint free pillow case can be tied to the open head with twine, as keeping dust and dirt out of it will be all the less clean-up when setting it back up.
Put the frame into the car, if possible, on it's backside, by carrying it by the fixed outer frame, NEVER BY THE SLIDING RAIL!
Be careful putting it in the car, and be sure to have locked down sliding rails, PULLING ON THE WRONG PART OF THE FRAME CAN CAUSE ONE OF THE NYLON GEARS TO BREAK.
Trust me on this one, as a fraction of second of pulling on the wrong rail cost me gear teeth on a 'perfect' Universal "D" unit, and I was very lucky to have a parts "D" to make the repair with.
Reassembly is simple, but here are a few recommendations.
Replace the base-point hex nuts with large wingnuts and make sure it has the correct size and number of washers, in place.
If you have a heavy enough table for a granite board of about 3cm. buy one and longer mounting bolts and, have the holes drilled for the baseboard, 5cm. from the back edge.
Stone supply houses often have cutoffs polished on one side and edges, at a discount, always ask for a 'special deal', and explain what your doing with it and have them drill the holes.
If there are no such supply houses, look around shops that carve grave stones, there are, IMO, always folks that will be happy to help others with unique projects, it makes them happy to do so, and you happy you asked, a good thing all around.
Likewise, pay them to drill the holes, using the base-plate as the guide.
Glue thick cork-board feet to the underside off the board, before assembly, or buy a pair of rubber pads, about 4x4in. from the plumbing department at your local home center,they're a dull earth-red/iron oxide, and cut for a single thickness for board feet, including the middle sections.
Have on hand levels and a magnetic angle-finder, analog (HF also sells a good one) or a squarish base-plate compass, with a angle-finding function, to make sure your table is flat and square, and the baseboard/assembled enlarger are also level and square.
If you have to build a table, use 3x3in. or 4in. square beams for legs, cut to a 3 degree double angle, splayed outwards, at the four corners, for best stability.
That's forward and to the side, all the way around.
Use 2x4 Douglas Fir or Oaks, etc for the frame and heavy, painted grey, plywood for the top, with bracing on the middle or the 1/3ed or 1/4th lengths, left and right, on the underside of the top, if it is a longish length, out to eight feet, with a single, full length shelf of heavy plywood, braced all around, and single thickness right at 1/3ed the height of the table.
A table/bench built this way will be quite stable, especially if double cork or single rubber pads are attached to the feet.
I hope you will find this some use.
Good Luck and Godspeed.
Last edited by eli; 17-Nov-2020 at 13:49. Reason: additional info
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