Picked up an enlarger and had a question

A

AlTheKiller

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Its been about 11 years since my last time in the darkroom and at the time it was very basic printing. Anyway, I was wondering what on earth is this thing?



Probably a stupid thing to ask :D

Here the Durst all cleaned up:



All the goodies minus a roto-dryer:

 
Just a wild guess but maybe that is a kind of clamp to fix the enlarger column to the wall to give it additional support to reduce vibrations ?
 
Could it be something mounted on a bracket, perhaps from a wall, then slip the enlarger head into to make large prints? Did it screw into an arm mounted on a wall to get the enlarger out to make big prints?

Looks like a nice weld bead though. I did TIG and MIG welding in the Navy.

Or msybe storage space for couple bottles of wine! Ha.
 
The kid I bought it from said the previous owner made a few "custom" things for it that you cant find anywhere. No idea what that really means though
 
The previous owner seems to have been a good metalworker. There are a number of custom pieces there. It looks like several lens disks and some negative masks that are non-factory pieces.

It's been nearly a 1/2 century since I last used a 606, and then for only a few months, so memory is a bit weak. I seem to remember there being a large screw knob to remove the head from the upright carriage. If correct, the mystery object combined with the long brass screw may combine to convert the enlarger sans head into a copy stand, a common use for many of the smaller Durst enlargers.
 
Is the inside diameter of the circular sleeve the same as the enlarger column? Could be a way to mount it on the base to allow the head to project on a wall. All in all looks like a nice setup.
 
Did some more playing around with the object. looks like it was machined from a solid piece. The bottom has a hole completely though it, no threads. The top is threaded and only part way through. None of the extra knobs fit it. Strangely it fits right through the hole where the film holder goes. No idea why this would make sense.











Not the same diameter at all.



For reproduction you flip the glass/mirror around





More playing with it i found it could be used for vignetting. first is nice sharp edges:



Soft square edges:



Soft circle:



The wood frame box thing that came with it must be used for reproduction because the back is spring loaded to press whatever is in it flat against the glass. Maybe the aluminum piece has something to do with that aspect?
 
Its possible. It does seem like the guy used it primarily for reproduction. So maybe it was used to keep everything lined up so all he had to do was flip the switch
 
AlTheKiller said:
... The bottom has a hole completely though it, no threads. The top is threaded and only part way through. None of the extra knobs fit it. ...
Click to expand...

I still think you have it either upside down or sideways.

Questions:
  1. Does the brass screw with knob (just in from of the mystery object in the first overview shot) fit through the "bottom" hole from the inside and leave enough thread exposed to fit into a camera?
  2. Is the thread on the brass 1/4-20?
  3. Does the enlarger's head separate from the traveler on the upright column as most Durst's do, and if so, does its attachment screw fit the threaded hole in the mystery object?
 
Dwig said:
I still think you have it either upside down or sideways.

Questions:
  1. Does the brass screw with knob (just in from of the mystery object in the first overview shot) fit through the "bottom" hole from the inside and leave enough thread exposed to fit into a camera?
  2. Is the thread on the brass 1/4-20?
  3. Does the enlarger's head separate from the traveler on the upright column as most Durst's do, and if so, does its attachment screw fit the threaded hole in the mystery object?
Click to expand...

I will have to check when I get off from work this evening.

FrankS said:
Can you ask the seller?
Click to expand...

I sent a message but still no reply. I was hoping that if he doesn't know, maybe he still has the previous owners info and I can try and get in touch with him.
 
Ok so I heard back from the guy. He said from what he could remember,

"The older gentleman made it so he could get closer to the board. I never ended up using it, so I cant exactly recall how he used it. He custom made it and I believe it somehow screws into where the lens would go. That's as detailed as I can get right now. Ill rack my brain later and see if I can remember anything else."
 
AlTheKiller said:
Ok so I heard back from the guy. He said from what he could remember,

"The older gentleman made it so he could get closer to the board. I never ended up using it, so I cant exactly recall how he used it. He custom made it and I believe it somehow screws into where the lens would go. That's as detailed as I can get right now. Ill rack my brain later and see if I can remember anything else."
Click to expand...


Sounds rather odd.

I could be a riser block to go between the baseboard and the column's mount, which would allow for larger prints by raising the head further from the baseboard.

My early questions were leading to whether it was a converter to mount a camera in place of the head to do copywork.
 
Ill look under the base and see if there is a hole drilled through it where this could mount to raise the head higher. That makes more sense than having it mount in the lens area
 
AlTheKiller said:
Ill look under the base and see if there is a hole drilled through it where this could mount to raise the head higher. That makes more sense than having it mount in the lens area
Click to expand...

That seems right to me, as an extension of the column. The four large circular openings would be to enable access to the bolt that goes into the base of the column. I would have found an easier way to achieve this, but it looks solid enough.
 
well nothing on the current board under the mount. Nothing seems to fit it either. Im guessing there are pieces missing that the guy never let go of or tossed. If I can figure anything out Ill let you guys know
 
Could it be an extension to the column by placing it between the column base and the baseboard?
 
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