Picked up a Beseler 23CII today for $10. Needs Gears.

[68degrees]

So its a blue one. I figure mid 1960's. Good condition except one of the gears that raises the whole thing up and down has a tooth broke off.

I priced some reubuild kits for $100. and I saw one kit of just 2 gears and 2 roll pins for $40 including shipping.

Do you know where I could get two gears for reasonable? Like 10 or 15 bucks for pair? Ideally Id like aluminum ones instead of these nylon ones.

I didnt really need it but for $10 I couldnt pass it up. The bellows is nice, condensor nice, baseboard all good, lens good and came with carrier (35mm) I was hoping for 6x6 and a componon but no such luck. Also got two books with it, "The Basic Darkroom Book" by Tom Grimm 1999 and "The Darkroom Handbook" 1984 by Michael Langford. So if nothing else Ive got parts but still I could repair it and trade it for something else on my wish list.

 

[nikon_sam]

Sorry to say this but ebay...
Check it every once and a while sometimes people will sell them separately...

Check out this dealer...http://www.uscamera.com/7002.htm

Or if you're desperate enough I have the old pair off my 23c...they show wear but should work just fine...I bought the Rebuild kit from Beseler for other parts but decided to go ahead and replace the gears since I had them...I'll send you these gears for free...

 

[68degrees]

Sorry to say this but ebay...
Check it every once and a while sometimes people will sell them separately...

Check out this dealer...http://www.uscamera.com/7002.htm

Or if you're desperate enough I have the old pair off my 23c...they show wear but should work just fine...I bought the Rebuild kit from Beseler for other parts but decided to go ahead and replace the gears since I had them...I'll send you these gears for free...

Well I got the gears in and I discovered why the old ones broke. I noticed that the gears did not fully engage the teeth on the rails. They were only engaging about half way which was enough for one side but the other side was not even half way. It went up but wouldnt come down very smooth at all.

Upon closer examination of the wheels on the carriage, I noticed that they are adjustable forward and backward by means of an elongated hole where the wheel axle resides. There is a hole in the rails for adjusting these wheels. So now the gears are fully engaged in the rails and the spring is also properly adjusted so she rides very smooth now.

I also removed the condensers and cleaned them they were very very filthy.

Thanks to nikon_sam we were able to save this old girl.

 

[Dwig]

...

Upon closer examination of the wheels on the carriage, I noticed that they are adjustable forward and backward by means of an elongated hole where the wheel axle resides. There is a hole in the rails for adjusting these wheels. So now the gears are fully engaged in the rails and the spring is also properly adjusted so she rides very smooth now...

So now you need to make sure the negative stage is square to the baseboard. You're adjustments to the wheels may have disturbed the alignment.

 

[zsas]

Congrats, welcome to the dark side! These 23C's are tanks! You must be close to getting the DR online? T minus x???

 

[kbg32]

A great find for $10. The 23c was my first enlarger. I hated it. Could never keep it in alignment. Sold it and got an Omega D2V. Love, love, love...

 

[68degrees]

A great find for $10. The 23c was my first enlarger. I hated it. Could never keep it in alignment. Sold it and got an Omega D2V. Love, love, love...

do you think it was defective or just poor design?

 

[RichL]

Besseler, Omega, Leitz.

All top of the line, well designed, rock solid enlargers. For the average darkroom user the choice between them is purely personal preference.

Just my opinion of course.