Print Washer: inside dividers?

[Dan Jolicoeur]

This is why photographers with a lot of patience have gotten great wash results by soaking prints in trays of water and replacing the water every few minutes.

also, the most stubborn to remove thiosulfate ions aren't bound to the emulsion at all ... they're bound to the paper fibers. if anything, you'd want to make sure the back of the prints are always exposed to fresh water.

Paul I now wash my prints in trays as you describe, but would rather be doing something else then dumping/filling water in a tray of prints. Or you could say I am losing my patience?

As far as getting the water behind the prints; this was my concern with the "sticking". When I soak the prints in a tray I often separated the prints that stuck together, and would shuffle them from time to time with great results.

I know I may be a little anal here, but maybe it is time to try some experiments with dividers. Maybe some holes, or dividers within the dividers? Similar to fiberglass drying screens? hmmm?

Thanks for all your replies! Everyone has had some great input to what seems like a simple task? I am sure I am going overboard on this, but I can not see spending over $200 on something I can make myself; and maybe better?

Dan

[paulr]

Paul I now wash my prints in trays as you describe, but would rather be doing something else then dumping/filling water in a tray of prints. Or you could say I am losing my patience?

I'm not suggesting you abandon the print washer for tray washing ... just saying that for the same reasons that tray washing works, you don't have to worry about prints sticking to the dividers. As long as the prints are soaking, and as long as the water is being changed regularly, they'll get washed.

No matter what method you use, you'll have to determine washing time with a residual hypo test ... no one can predict this for you. It's too dependent on water chemistry and other variables.

[Dan Jolicoeur]

After pricing different plastics I have decided to go with the .100" acrylic from usplastics.com. They seem to be about half the price of mcmaster. The thinner 1/16th and less are way too expensive.

Anyhow for those of you who are interested I will post part numbers, prices, and prints, when I finish this project. It maybe a few weeks before I get around to it.

My goal is the cheapest most effective concept, which seems to be similar to the Versalab with a few minor changes.

There is no need to reinvent the wheel, but it would be nice to make the dividers less hydrophobic? Maybe a few holes in them to break the surface tension.
I'll keep you posted, but it looks like it will be around $100 in materials.

Thanks for all of your input.
Dan