Combi fill in 17 Seconds!

[Calamity Jane]

I really like my Combi-Pan tank for processing 4x5 films but I have never been thrilled by the length of time it takes to fill and drain the tank, especially when doing E-6. It takes 20 Seconds for the Combi to drain and about 30 Seconds to fill with the little funnel provided. (Although, in all honesty, I haven't seen any degradation of the processed film, it still bugs me that it takes a minute to switch chemicals!)

Well, I must have too much time on my hands because I found myself experimenting in the shop to find a quicker method to fill the Combi. I resisted the urge to use pressure (for fear of blowing the top off the tank ;-) ) but I did find a rig that lowers the fill time to 17 Seconds. The best part is that it is cheap, easy, and doesn't require any special tools to make.

Cheap plastic garden hose (if warmed) will fit the Combi filler neck very well. Of course garden hose fittings are also cheap and a female garden hose end ALMOST fits the neck of a 2L plastic pop bottle (except the threads don't match), so I took the barbed fitting from the female garden hose fitting and cut a hole in the plastic bottle cap to fit (replacing the metal ring that comes with the garden hose fitting with the bottle cap). With a couple of inches of old hose, a garden hose "washer" and the fitting it makes a 2L funnel for the Combi that doesn't leak. Being able to dump the full 1L of chemical into the "big funnel" cuts the fill time to 17 Seconds! It is really more simple than it sounds!

Here are the parts: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/calamityjanecanary/Combi1.jpg

And here is the whole thing on the Combi: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v181/calamityjanecanary/Combi2.jpg

[Ralph Barker]

Does it still "glug, glug"? You might cut the fill time even further by incorporating an air-relief tube on the inside of this rig, extending to the top of your "botfunnel".

[Calamity Jane]

If you back the filler-thingy on the Combi off about a 1/2 turn (as I think the instructions say), it doesn't glug at all - even develops a little whirlpool as it empties the funnel!

[Alan Davenport]

C.J., great doodad! I'm in the planning stages to build a darkroom. Heh. I decided I was done playing in the dark when we sold our last house (which had a very complete darkroom but I had tired of 35mm black and white.) Swore I'd never need a darkroom again. Until I got a 4x5. At first I thought I'd only shoot chromes and so I still didn't need a dark room for anything but sleeping. Wrong.

Well, you know where this is going so I'll dispense with the rest of the story. Thanks for the info, I'm still deciding on which system I'm going to use for processing B&W. Right now, I'm leaning toward dip and dunk tanks but nothing's been purchased so now it's back to the drawing board.

[Louis Jensen]

It is even faster to: fill the tank and then in the dark, insert the film holder, put the lid on, and then turn on the lights. This method avoids the possibility of developer surge marks on the film.

[Calamity Jane]

That's true Louis but with 7 steps in the E-6 process, I really like working in the light - it helps to keep everything organized & clean and to maintin temperature control. There are other ways to process, but this is my preferred method.

[Bob Salomon]

You are opening the air valve in the hose connector by giving it a third to half turn before filling and emptying?

Also we state in the instructions that you can force wash by attaching a hose to the bottom fitting. That is why we call them Light Tight Hose Connectors.

Lastly start your timing when you start to fill the tank and end it when you finish draining it out.

[Bruno Di Nunzio]

I live in Italy and I have asked a friend to buy a Combi for me in USA. When I have received it I have noticed that the drain at bottom leaks. I have asked Adorama why but they have never replied. So here I ask a local dealer to verify if the problem was with my Combi and he was very surprised when he found out that ALL his Combi were leaking !

Do you have an idea about? It is the way we mount it or a manufacturing problem?

[Ted Fullerton]

Calamity,

I second Bob Salomon on this one. You mentioned that you back the valve off to prevent the glug-glug effect, but maybe there's a problem with the valve itself. Have you tried unscrewing the valve and checking that the washer inside is evenly seated?

I find that I can drain and fill my tank in 17-18 seconds, just using the funnel and opening the top valve about 3/4 of a turn. The restriction on liquid entering the tank is the diameter of the opening and the ability of the air to exit.

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Process notes:

My process is to fill from the top and, when complete with a cycle, also empty through the top. In that way the surface of the film has the same exposure to the chemicals. The first film to receive exposure to the checmicals is the first film to have the chemicals drained away from it.

I also find that the "wash from the bottom" method gives a cleaner wash.

-Ted

[Bob Salomon]

Bruno,

We have had no reports of leaking tanks.

Please make sure that the washer on the bottom Light Tight Hose Connector is properly placed and is not missing. Also that the cap is not cracked or split on the hose connector.

You took the long way around to get your tanks. They are made in Sweden and shipped to us in the USA and then to the dealers in the USA.

With Europe we have the factory in Sweden ship directly to the distributors in Europe to save the time, trouble and expense of the shipping from Europe to US to dealer to Europe.