Valoy II restoration

[Skydog]

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Hi everyone

I have the opportunity to buy a Valoy II in very nice condition.... except for one thing: The negative carrier had been superglued into the negative carrier stage, which was undone at a later point in the life of this enlarger. So the negative carrier is free now but there is still residual super glue on the carrier and the enlarger... how do I remove this safely so that everything's nice and flat again? Or is it not worth the effort since it will never be the same anyway?

Appreciate your input! Cheers

Michael

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vor einer Stunde schrieb Skydog:

.... but there is still residual super glue on the carrier and the enlarger... how do I remove this safely so that everything's nice and flat again?

Hello Michael,

try to dissolve the residual super glue with acetone. Try first with a Kleenex tissue moisturized with acetone on the carrier. It will take time and may be some trials. Also possible to use chloroform. But this is a bit dangerous to handle. Both handle outside in fresh air only and don't have a finger bath neither in acetone nor in chloroform. Both are flammable, so don't smoke and keep away from open fire! 

Keep acetone and chloroform away from the red plastic window in the carrier and all other plastic. Most plastic materials will be affected by these liquids.

Much success!

Wolfgang

 

[M.Hilo]

Wolfgang's suggestions are very okay. I would like to add that you must take out the condensor in case you haven't yet. Also the redfilter. You don't want any aceton to land on these parts. Of course the condenser sits higher but these liquids can easily find their way upwards.

In case you do not know how to take out the condenser: bring down the head - push the condenser up and turn it either way. It sits in a bayonet and will drop down. To bring it back in, just push it up while turning to find the slots, it is all quite easy.

If you want you can send some pictures. I may have the part you're trying to clean up for you.

Michael

[Skydog]

Am 15.10.2023 um 08:07 schrieb M.Hilo:

Wolfgang's suggestions are very okay. I would like to add that you must take out the condensor in case you haven't yet. Also the redfilter. You don't want any aceton to land on these parts. Of course the condenser sits higher but these liquids can easily find their way upwards.

In case you do not know how to take out the condenser: bring down the head - push the condenser up and turn it either way. It sits in a bayonet and will drop down. To bring it back in, just push it up while turning to find the slots, it is all quite easy.

If you want you can send some pictures. I may have the part you're trying to clean up for you.

Michael

That's very kind of you! And I am very sorry for the delayed response..... I haven't bought the enlarger yet... and I'm not even sure I will. I love the concept of this little robust and simple tool but I don't want it to become a "project"... I do have a great working Dunco that does medium format with VC an color heads... so the Valoy would be a bonus. And the Valoy doesn't have the anti-Newton condenser.... otherwise it would have been a no brainer for me... 

[M.Hilo]

Well, to have the Valoy II and the Dunco together would not be silly. Two different light systems, which would give you a lot of options. I do alternate between Focomat Ic, Valoy II and Focomat IIc with certain negatives. The Ic and the Valoy II can be more erratic, the IIc is more subtle. For sure, installing negatives is totally easy and quick with the Valoy II.

The Valoy II's baseboard is 39x45cm (15x18in. roughly). Its short column is 65cm (25in.) and the taller variant is 80cm (31in.). This not a heavy enlarger, easy to move around.

Newton rings are easy to prevent with the negative masks of the Valoy II and Ic: pictures attached a solution I cut from thin black pvc sheet. It prevents the glass of the condenser to touch the glossy side of the negative.

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Edited October 31, 2023 by M.Hilo

[Skydog]

Thanks for the supporting words... I did it. I bought it. I simply couldn't resist. It's such beautiful piece of equipment. I'll post some pics as soon as I have it (going to pick it up next week).

And I love the negative mask you made.... I'm so going to steal this idea!

[M.Hilo]

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10 hours ago, Skydog said:

And I love the negative mask you made.... I'm so going to steal this idea!

Be my guest - Steal away !!!

After I made that, a friend found this solution, which is basically the same. So, I wasn't the first, nor the only one . . .

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[Skydog]

I finally got the enlarger, cleaned it and set it up. It's a magnificent piece of equipment. It's very easy to work with and delivers beautiful prints. The only thing I am wondering about is... will the height adjustment need maintenance at some point? It works fine for now but since this piece of equipment is probably around 70 years old I was wondering if the wheel or the guide rail will/can wear out or are adjustable. The rest of the little Valoy looks pretty failproof.

[M.Hilo]

On 11/23/2023 at 8:50 PM, Skydog said:

 I was wondering if the wheel or the guide rail will/can wear out

Not when the column is clean and you have checked there is no dirt inside the squeezing mechanism.

The column you clean using naphtha, or something alike. We shouldn't touch the column with our bare hands because our skin transfers acid which will make the shiny column rust. So clean it wearing gloves, then let the naphtha evaporate. Put a little vaseline on the palm of your hands and rub it onto the entire column. In the end make sure only a little of the vaseline is on the rails. Clean as much as you can the insides of the part that accepts the column.

You will notice a shiny metal plate inside the squeezer held in place by a screw. Turning this screw will increase or decrease the pressure on the rails. When you go up and down using the large black knob on the side, it should not be too heavy to turn the knob, nor too light. When this seems to be okay, bring the column up and down a couple of times using the black knob. After that you should be able to bring the enlarger up and down longer distances, using the squeezer.

[M.Hilo]

I had a friend who was a repairman for the Leitz importer here. He always helped me with the enlargers. I just remembered something he taught me about how to set the 'up and down' system of the Valoy 2:

When you bring it up and down using the large black knob, it should take the same effort when going up or down. When the going down takes more effort than going up, the screw was fastened too tight. And, when it takes a little less effort to bring it down, that's okay.