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  #1  
Old 7th June 2020, 09:16 AM
Tony Marlow Tony Marlow is offline
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Default Tight for space?

Reading Dave Wenham's web site and setting up a new space for printing brings to mind ways to cope with lack of room for developing trays. Dave has solved his problem with a Nova deep tank which is what I use but another option is the Jobo developing tanks for prints. Basicly a large patterson film developing tank. The print goes in straight off the easel and the lights go on. The only space you need is a flat surface to roll the tank or you could find the motorised roller. This can be done in a room away from the enlarger, just need three bottles of chemicals and three measuring jugs. Each print only takes a small volume of liquid which can be for just one shot use. Maybe worth considering?

Tony
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Old 7th June 2020, 11:08 AM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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Now there's food for thought. Good for prints up to 12 x 16 ins???

What volume of chemical per print?
Single shot?

Mike
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Old 7th June 2020, 11:44 AM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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I've got a couple of drums and an automated roller, which I got to try out developing 10" x 8" paper negatives in the field, with my pinhole camera. More of an experiment initially, but it could lead on to other similar experiments.

The thing that I've always wondered about is the volume of chemicals required for each print, or can each chemical be put back into their original container, then mixed and reused for so many times? I've never found a definitive answer for this.

Terry S
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  #4  
Old 7th June 2020, 11:52 AM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is online now
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Paterson made a colour print tank, the base was standard except for a plastic piece added to engage with the roller base, the lid allowed filling and a handle for rotation. they called it a Colour Print Processor.

Mine will do up to 12"x10" but there was one sold in the US for 14"x11" which was a slightly longer tank.

The topaallows filling before staring processing and the developer only goes into the atnk itself when its turned on it's side. Because the top fits and sized Paterson System 4 tank (not the Super) you could use any sized System 4 Multi tank, it's easy enough to make a roller base.

Ian
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Old 7th June 2020, 12:03 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
I've got a couple of drums and an automated roller, which I got to try out developing 10" x 8" paper negatives in the field, with my pinhole camera. More of an experiment initially, but it could lead on to other similar experiments.

The thing that I've always wondered about is the volume of chemicals required for each print, or can each chemical be put back into their original container, then mixed and reused for so many times? I've never found a definitive answer for this.

Terry S
It's been a while and it was RA4 prints but as I recall it, Terry, the system for the Jobo processor was that the chemicals were in small containers that sat in the heated water bath and each time you poured the chemicals that you had placed in the drum back into the small containers so over the course of a printing session you based the capacity of the say 500ml of chemical over how many prints 500ml was capable of developing then dumped the whole container

So ignoring the need for a tempered water bath for B&W, I'd imagine that you could decant a 250/500ml amount diluted to 1+9 into a container and use that until the capacity had been reach based on what Ilford says is the capacity in terms of square inches( usually given as a number of 8x10 prints)

The extra "faffs" in the drum system is pouring it in and out each time and at the end of the fix or quick wash stage making sure that the drum only contains dregs of water and no fix so contamination of the next shot of developer doesn't occur

The benefit is that you use a lot less chemicals(50ml of dev per 500ml of working solution) but need to be prepared to hand roll the drum continuously during the 1-2 mins in developer and say 1 minute in the fix( not in your case with an automated roller).

Mike
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  #6  
Old 7th June 2020, 12:29 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Mike, thanks for clarifying all that.

Terry S
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  #7  
Old 7th June 2020, 02:36 PM
JOReynolds JOReynolds is offline
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Long, long ago Brian Diamond and I built a printing sink with stacked trays, dev on top, fix in the middle and a running wash at the bottom.
It was fabricated of 1/4" Darvic, a hard grey industrial PVC, welded with 1/8" Darvic rod and his Leister hot-air gun. Having built (and sold) the first attempt we thought up several tricks whereby prints could be fed from one tray to another to the rear. It didn't really work and the project was shelved.

In those days all? shower trays were made of heavy ceramic but nowadays we have polyester/fibreglass trays, which would be ideal if stacked. They are corrosion-resistant, as is the plastic drain fitting. I haven't tried it - it's only a suggestion but I notice that the trays are are cheap and available in many shapes and sizes.
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Old 7th June 2020, 02:45 PM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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I think I will stlck with my Nova Toaster.

Mike
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  #9  
Old 7th June 2020, 04:38 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeHeller View Post
I think I will stlck with my Nova Toaster.

Mike
Well there is no doubt that the Nova solves all problems of space, increasing chemical longevity and general convenience. The heated ones even give you some leeway if your darkroom get a bit cold in winter

Just a pity that they weren't cheaper: D but clearly if you are into printing for the long term it is the way to go in my opinion. You can even get into RA4 in the winter

Mike
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  #10  
Old 7th June 2020, 05:44 PM
John King John King is offline
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Default Nova Processors

There is no doubt about it, a Nova is the Rolls Royce for home processing. I doubt if I would have taken up colour printing if the had not been available.

I watched a friend processing RA4 in a JOBO roller drum and to be honest it was hard work. Apart from anything else he found it essential to use running water to wash out the drum to get rid of the blix between prints. If he had to make numerous test strips to get the exposure/balance correct it was a nightmare and he might manage 1 or if lucky 2 decent prints per evening.

Yes they are expensive but they a superbly made and work perfectly.
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