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  #1  
Old 13th March 2016, 10:36 PM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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Default leaking paterson 4 tanks

I have always had fluid leaks from the joint between the screw on lid and tank body, The grey plastic gasket feels too hard to compress and make a seal even when I screw the lid on tight. Have you got any suggestions on how to stop my Paterson 4 film developer tanks from leaking when inverted?
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Last edited by GoodOldNorm; 13th March 2016 at 10:37 PM. Reason: changed text
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Old 13th March 2016, 11:54 PM
Collas Collas is offline
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The Super System 4 does away with the gaskets, but they're incompatible with the earlier tanks.
I always had dribbles with the System 4 tanks, but not with their replacements.
Fortunately the reels still work, though the cores don't.

Nick
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Old 15th March 2016, 05:01 PM
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Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
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I don't think Paterson ever got to the bottom of how to seal their System 4 tanks - so went for a completely different sealing method on the Super System 4 Tanks - and it worked.

The amount the System 4 tanks leak is usually not great - but it is annoying.

It pays we wear a set of standard yellow Marigold Gloves to keep the chemicals off your skin - more one FADU member has had to permanently retire from analogue photograph because they developed a skin reaction to the Metol developer.

Martin
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Old 20th March 2016, 01:26 AM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
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I have a Jessop tank which is obviously a rebadged Paterson system 4, but there is no gasket at all under the lid. I bought it secondhand so can't say if it ever had one. Ironically it doesn't leak from there, but from the flexible plastic centre cap. I always have to use it in the sink and wear gloves.
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Old 20th March 2016, 07:56 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EdmundH View Post
I have a Jessop tank which is obviously a rebadged Paterson system 4, but there is no gasket at all under the lid. I bought it secondhand so can't say if it ever had one. Ironically it doesn't leak from there, but from the flexible plastic centre cap. I always have to use it in the sink and wear gloves.
I also have an old Jessops tank which does have a gasket, It leaks from there, I found that most of the old system 4 tanks had a slight dribble from the gasket, didn't seem to be anything that you could do, the newer super tanks did away with that problem, but you have to lift the cover slightly to let out the air other wise you can get a dribble from the lid
Richard
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Old 31st March 2016, 09:27 AM
andycmcr andycmcr is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GoodOldNorm View Post
I have always had fluid leaks from the joint between the screw on lid and tank body, The grey plastic gasket feels too hard to compress and make a seal even when I screw the lid on tight. Have you got any suggestions on how to stop my Paterson 4 film developer tanks from leaking when inverted?
would some PTFE tape round the thread not help create a better seal? designed for use with water and used by plumbers to help create better seals.
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Old 31st March 2016, 10:51 AM
EdmundH EdmundH is offline
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Does anyone use the 'twiddling stick' in these tanks rather than inverting? - Perhaps Paterson never expected us to be turning them upside down.
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Old 31st March 2016, 02:55 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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Default leaking paterson 4 tanks

Quote:
Originally Posted by EdmundH View Post
Does anyone use the 'twiddling stick' in these tanks rather than inverting? - Perhaps Paterson never expected us to be turning them upside down.


I did use the stick, but problems with uneven development caused me to stop. I bought one of the current models of tank recently. I'm sure the instructions, which I had never seen before, suggest an initial twiddle with the stick, then lid on and inversions. The provision of a lid suggests inversion was considered an option by the manufacturer. I haven't tried the combination of both types of agitation but it may be worth a trial to see if it's any more effective.
Alex.
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Old 31st March 2016, 03:20 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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Paterson suggest that the initial agitation should be with the twiddle stick then inversion, IIRC the suggestion was 1 turn per second, I have used the twiddle stick for the whole time, without problems, I find the you need to turn one way for ten seconds then ten seconds the other, for the initial time then 5 seconds one way and 5 the other for the the remaining time, if you use 2 inversions every 30 seconds as for Rodinal then 5 one way five the other, works fine
Richard
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Old 31st March 2016, 05:15 PM
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Martin Aislabie Martin Aislabie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by andycmcr View Post
would some PTFE tape round the thread not help create a better seal? designed for use with water and used by plumbers to help create better seals.
The sealing face is the flat surface at the top of the tank.

Applying PTFE tape to the tanks top sealing face would be very tricky - as you need to do it in perfect darkness.

Depressurising the tank is often enough to stop the tank from leaking - after you pour the chemicals in to the tank and having agitated the chemicals for the first time - you then need to lift the soft lid off its sealing surface, then press the soft lid in to a slight concave shape and pop it back on to the tanks again.

It works well enough for me - YMMV

Regardless of leaks or not - its still worth donning a pair of yellow Marigold rubber gloves - keeping photographic chemicals off bare skin is always a good idea.

Martin
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