Developing just one sheet of 4x5 film

[BKP]

There seems to be a lot of interest in developing sheet film in rotating drums. I used an "Imagemaker 1" for many years. There are many times when one needs to develop just one sheet. Being a "dip and dunker" for many years, I came up with this solution. I picked up 4 inch Stainless Steel (316) pipe cut it and had the bottoms welded. I have five tanks, much thicker than needed but the pipe was scrap. I have used them for C-41 and BW. They sit in a water jacket. My film holder works amazingly well. The top bolt imprisons the sheet. I have used this thirty years ago, and thought that someone might want to copy the idea or "develop" it further.. maybe 5x7. I use SS 1 1/3 gal. tanks with 4 up 4x5 hangers for larger runs. Why is that system not popular anymore?

[Tin Can]

I use one size up trays for single sheets. 4X5 goes in 5X7 trays.

But I really like four 4 up hangers in 1 gallon tanks with covers using Gas Burst. Turn the light on.

16 at once. Or 8 5x7. Or 4 8x10.

[chassis]

There seems to be a lot of interest in developing sheet film in rotating drums. I used an "Imagemaker 1" for many years. There are many times when one needs to develop just one sheet. Being a "dip and dunker" for many years, I came up with this solution. I picked up 4 inch Stainless Steel (316) pipe cut it and had the bottoms welded. I have five tanks, much thicker than needed but the pipe was scrap. I have used them for C-41 and BW. They sit in a water jacket. My film holder works amazingly well. The top bolt imprisons the sheet. I have used this thirty years ago, and thought that someone might want to copy the idea or "develop" it further.. maybe 5x7. I use SS 1 1/3 gal. tanks with 4 up 4x5 hangers for larger runs. Why is that system not popular anymore?

This is brilliant. My normal 4x5 workflow is one sheet of film. This idea seems like it would be effective. I am thinking of a multi compartment acrylic tank, in combination with a stainless film holder. Only downside I can see is working in the dark.

[BKP]

Randy: I'm curios, regarding the gas burst system. Do you have plenum in the bottom of each tank or is the nitrogen attached via hose to the film basket. Which process are you using? My water jacket has a lid but I'm in the dark through most of the run. I don't soup enough film these days, to justify gas burst...but it brings back fond memories, thanks...bk

[Leigh]

I use one size up trays for single sheets. 4X5 goes in 5X7 trays.

I also use one-up trays for up to about six sheets at a time.
That's as many as I can handle, and I prefer fewer.
Single sheets are a cake walk.

- Leigh

[Tin Can]

I can’t shuffle. Well I can but I scratch film.

Gave up.

I also use one-up trays for up to about six sheets at a time.
That's as many as I can handle, and I prefer fewer.
Single sheets are a cake walk.

- Leigh

[Leigh]

I can’t shuffle. Well I can but I scratch film.

Hi Randy,

Put the sheets in face down. Lift one edge of the stack up to make the bottom sheet accessible.
Pull that sheet up and out at an angle, so only the edges touch the tray bottom or the sheets above.
Put that sheet back onto the stack straight down. There should be no bubbles since it's already wet.
Repeat for all sheets in the stack to get one agitation cycle.

I've done this with hundreds of sheets. Never scratched one.

- Leigh

[Tin Can]

Hi Randy,

Put the sheets in face down. Lift one edge of the stack up to make the bottom sheet accessible.
Pull that sheet up and out at an angle, so only the edges touch the tray bottom or the sheets above.
Put that sheet back onto the stack straight down. There should be no bubbles since it's already wet.
Repeat for all sheets in the stack to get one agitation cycle.

I've done this with hundreds of sheets. Never scratched one.

- Leigh

Hi Leigh,

I will try that one day. Makes sense. My fingers are kinda numb and dumb. I drop a lot of small things. Years of wrenching, twisting nuts and power tools that I used to save my hands, took a toll.

RA has set in.

Thanks for the tip, nobody I read described that technique!

R

[Jerry Bodine]

It's also a good idea to use a 5x7 tray that has several depressions on the bottom (such as Paterson); makes it easier to grasp the bottom sheet in the stack. There are also trays with dimpled-bottoms (an array of raised bumps) but I've not found a 5x7 source. There is also a technique call "brush development" described by Willie in Post #2 in this thread; it's described for single 8x10 sheets, but it's worth a try for 4x5 as well.

[Pere Casals]

It's also a good idea to use a 5x7 tray that has several depressions on the bottom (such as Paterson); makes it easier to grasp the bottom sheet in the stack. There are also trays with dimpled-bottoms (an array of raised bumps) but I've not found a 5x7 source. There is also a technique call "brush development" described by Willie in Post #2 in this thread; it's described for single 8x10 sheets, but it's worth a try for 4x5 as well.

If using trays, there are 2 tricks I use for BW:

One can use a paper safe as if it was a daylight tank. I just close lights to dip the sheets. The I developt with lights on. Than ) close the lights again to move the sheets to the stop bath tray and I open the lights in 15s, I do the reset lights open.



The other trick is using separators inside the tray.




To me, trays are the most flexible way, agitation can be controlled, and we can develop in the same batch with different times, just diping the different sheets at earlier or later, or moving the sheets to the stop bath earlier or later.