I have just bought a Durst G139 and am still looking for the missing parts. One of the questions related to the negative carrier: it came with a Grane/Grahal combo (It's a wonderful piece of precision!) but no Nega 138. Are there 5x7 and 4x5 inserts for the Grane/Grahal? With AN glass? Do I have to use the Nega 138?
The other question concerns the vacuum table: I think it's great and I would like to use it. I partially understood how it works. The position pins are missing (see photos from the Glenview site). Are these standard products from the industry or specifically Durst? Did any of you have these parts produced by a mechanic? On the back there is a cover for changing the filter.... Has anyone already looked inside this vacuum plate?
I'm considering buying the LED inserts from Heiland.....
Grahal / Grane was a deluxe pin registered carrier, though the film punches themselves are now almost impossible to acquire unless you have one custom made. You could still use the 2-part system like a regular carrier, minus registration, or even modify it for a new punch system if needed. The GRANE 138 slips very precisely into the GRAHAL, which gets permanently mounted into the enlarger. You also seem to show some kind of vacuum board. None of this kind of thing is available from Durst any longer. Their entire commercial enlarger division closed many years ago.
You do not necessarily need a NEGA 138 if you use this two-piece system instead. And you can't realistically use both types interchangeably. Once in awhile a NEGA 138 turns up at a reasonable price and in good condition; but you have to be awfully patient. Finding undamaged original Durst AN glass itself takes a lot of patience. But you can get precisely cut and edged new AN glass from Scantech in the Los Angeles area. I routinely use AN glass both above and below the negative.
I don't know if Heiland makes an "insert" type light that slips right into an old Durst condenser head slot. They do make something which replaces all that. But you'd have to make an adapter platform, or have someone like Glenn Evans do it for you. One inevitable problem would be due to the much lighter weight of a new LED cap-style light source versus the original system. So you might need to add some kind of offsetting weight. I wouldn't fool with the column spring tensioning itself; that can be risky.
Thank you for your feedback. I really enjoyed following your posts on Durst 138/139 in the PHOTRIO Forum (Feb. 2021) Exciting and informative!
I will try to use the GRAHAL GRANE combination as a negative holder. I sent an inquiry to Kienzle in Germany for the glasses. Is AN Glass on both sides beneficial? I just wanted to put it on top...
Heiland has a solution for the G139 (1st generation head). LED module and lightbox can each be inserted as a drawer. Finally, a cover is placed over both modules. For the later 138s, the LED module and the light box form a unit.
I'm not sure yet whether to use the classic control unit for using an external timer or the SPLITGRADE controller.
I still have to think about the weight balance. Put a steel plate on top?
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