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PaulG
20th October 2010, 12:48 PM
I'm feeling increasingly inspired to have a go at making large(ish) prints. Space constraints mean I can only use trays up to 10x12". Budget constraints means that a slot processor is not an option. This leaves the Jobo-type drums that (it seems) would allow me to make prints up to 16x12.

I was just wondering what people's experience of these was like. Are they easy to use or an unreliable faff?

RH Designs
20th October 2010, 01:41 PM
I've used drums for Ilfochrome and in something like a Jobo which has a motor they're simple enough to use. I had a Paterson Manual Colourtherm though which was a faff as you had to wind the handle for 15 minutes to get one Ilfochrome print, and I'm not sure I'd want to use a manual drum for that again! For b+w the times are shorter, and you'd save a fair bit on chemicals I imagine. For resin paper only though really - getting a FB print out of a drum without tearing it would probably be difficult.

Dave miller
20th October 2010, 02:03 PM
I have used Jobo 2840 drums for both Fibre and R/C prints up to 16x12, and much less often a Sima drum for prints up to 24x20. The latter takes 300ml of fluid whilst the former uses (from memory) about 100ml. If using the Jobo by rolling I guess you would need about 1.2m of clear bench or floor space to roll it back and forth. I use either type of drum on a Sima electric roller base, but manual roller bases are available. Both types of paper are easily inserted into the drum by rolling them slightly smaller than the drum diameter. After developing, fixing, and some washing the R/C paper is easy to extract by holding one corner and “tightening” the roll before pulling the paper out. Fibre paper is extracted the same way, but with the aid of running a trickle of water between the drum and paper to loosen the suction. The drum and cap must be rinsed and dried between uses. If you use a roller base then the “footprint” required is about the same as that for a Nova slot processer. The results obtained are as good as those obtained by any other method unless development by inspection is required with a difficult negative.
I now prefer to make my 16x12 prints using the single tray method.

PaulG
20th October 2010, 08:17 PM
Thanks both. :)


I now prefer to make my 16x12 prints using the single tray method.

Now why didn't I think of this?! :slap:

Niall Bell
21st October 2010, 11:23 AM
This is just to show my ignorance: the single tray method is what exactly? I'm guessing- develop print - pour out dev add stop- pour out stop and add fixer? Thereby saving on space used by trays?

There's also problem of washing large prints?

Or have I missed the point somewhere?

Niall

Dave miller
21st October 2010, 12:16 PM
This is just to show my ignorance: the single tray method is what exactly? I'm guessing- develop print - pour out dev add stop- pour out stop and add fixer? Thereby saving on space used by trays?

There's also problem of washing large prints?

Or have I missed the point somewhere?

Niall

That's it, except that I use a water bath in place of a stop bath. Washing isn't a problem with R/C paper as a couple of water changes in the tray will suffice, for Fibre paper I have a NOVA 5 slot washer. For larger than 16x12 I use the shower.

Jon Butler
21st October 2010, 01:09 PM
I've been using single tray print developing for over 35 years, IMO it has advantages. eg. Less smell, chemicals poured back into jugs with lids, there is no wet print handling except for carefully putting it in a archival washer. The print handling is the most important as rough handling with tongs or fingers can stretch and distort some heavy fibre papers and they will never dry flat.
The single tray does save a lot of space but it is not the reason I use it, it suit my requirements.
JON.

Mike O'Pray
21st October 2010, 04:15 PM
Presumably you pour out the dev and fix into other containers and then back into the tray if there is another print to be done. It would slow things down a little compared to three trays or a three slot 12x16 Nova processor but 12x16 prints tend by their nature to be "one-offs"

Mike

Mike O'Pray
21st October 2010, 04:19 PM
PS I hadn't seen Jon's response before adding mine. The occasional problem with forums is that your response is covered while you are composing your response.

Mike

Dave miller
21st October 2010, 04:26 PM
Presumably you pour out the dev and fix into other containers and then back into the tray if there is another print to be done. It would slow things down a little compared to three trays or a three slot 12x16 Nova processor but 12x16 prints tend by their nature to be "one-offs"

Mike

Yes it does slow things down a little, but then just how many prints do want to work on at any one time. :)