Circular print washer

[atlcruiser]

Hi All,

I currently have a 11 x 14 vertical print washer..the type that has slots that you sink the prints down into. it works fine but is a bit of a PITA.



Yesterday i picked up a 32" circular print washer. This is the stainless steel type that rotates from water pressure. It sits flat like a big pancake. It works but it is big, takes up a LOT of room and uses a LOT of water.



So the questions:

Is this type of washer superior to the normal vertical washer? When I spent time with Michael A Smith he showed me that he uses this type of washer for a 1/2 hour for the first wash then the prints make it to a vertical washer for the second wash of an hour. Can I use the circular washer alone and use it for the 2nd wash as well? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to this type of washer?



thanks

david

[bob carnie]

David
If you plan to get rid of it please give me a call, I would use it as a holding prewash tank within a larger sink. Sometimes these types of washers with too much flow can hurt the prints , but I think they are pretty effective and were made for larger darkrooms with multiple printing stations, we had one at our school darkroom.
I get into very large printing days and this device would be useful for my darkroom , not sure if I would use one for a smaller darkroom as the sole washer as you say it does use a lot of water.

Bob

Hi All,

I currently have a 11 x 14 vertical print washer..the type that has slots that you sink the prints down into. it works fine but is a bit of a PITA.



Yesterday i picked up a 32" circular print washer. This is the stainless steel type that rotates from water pressure. It sits flat like a big pancake. It works but it is big, takes up a LOT of room and uses a LOT of water.



So the questions:

Is this type of washer superior to the normal vertical washer? When I spent time with Michael A Smith he showed me that he uses this type of washer for a 1/2 hour for the first wash then the prints make it to a vertical washer for the second wash of an hour. Can I use the circular washer alone and use it for the 2nd wash as well? Are there any advantages or disadvantages to this type of washer?



thanks

david

[Fred L]

just be mindful of the prints clumping and sticking together. they can be mesmerizing to watch as the prints go about their business round and round and round ;)

[Mark Sampson]

Those were famous for beating up the edges of the wet prints. I worked at one lab where they printed 8x11 images on 11x14 paper and trimmed them later because of the damage. The other issue is that they are very inefficient at actually washing prints and removing fixer. The vertical-slot 'archival' washer was invented in the '70s(?) by East Street, and copied by everyone else, as a response to the rotating-tub devices.

[John Koehrer]

David Vestal has written that allowing prints to rest overnight in still water is as efficient as any washer if not more so.
Not real good if your're in a hurry though.