Home made 4x5 tanks

[jackies]

I have used some plastic containers I bought cheaply at the local grocery store - Glad rectangle plastic containers. The 4x5 films fit perfectly in them. I have set up 2-4 next to each other and have processed one sheet in each container. The setup consists of developer, wash and fixer containers in that order. That has worked in a pinch for me and has relieved me of the hassle of those combi tanks that have never worked for me. You probably could do the same with 5x7 or 8x10 films. Just take an old damaged sheet to the store and see which one works with your film size. I have done 2-4 at a time in this way.

If you have a bunch to do - well, then one would need to invest in a better system if you want to save time.

Jackie

[John Berry]

I made my own tanks out of clear acrylic so I could watch them with DBI. Inside dimentions: 5 1/2 across, 2 1/2 back, and 5 5/8 deep. perfect for covering 4 Kodak hangers with 1 ltr. Make them out of 1/4 in, 1/8 is too flimsy. 10 1/2 x10 1/2 x 2 1/2 for 4 8x10 Kodak hangers using 4 ltrs.

[Donald Qualls]

I have used some plastic containers I bought cheaply at the local grocery store - Glad rectangle plastic containers. The 4x5 films fit perfectly in them. I have set up 2-4 next to each other and have processed one sheet in each container. The setup consists of developer, wash and fixer containers in that order. That has worked in a pinch for me and has relieved me of the hassle of those combi tanks that have never worked for me. You probably could do the same with 5x7 or 8x10 films. Just take an old damaged sheet to the store and see which one works with your film size. I have done 2-4 at a time in this way.

If you have a bunch to do - well, then one would need to invest in a better system if you want to save time.

I've done six sheets at a time in store brand containers equivalent to Gladware or Ziploc type. The ones I have are about 4 1/2" x 7" inside the bottom, deeper than I need, and translucent; they work pretty well once I got the hang of shuffling sheets without scratching the hell out of them, and moved my Gralab timer to a location where it wouldn't fog the film in the "tray". They're not as convenient to use or clean as real 5x7 trays would be, but I haven't seen 5x7 trays anywhere lately...

[Alan Rabe]

5x7 trays and any other tray sizes can be bought at usplastic.com:
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/pro...uct%5Fid=15224

5x7's are less than 4.50 apiece while trays for 20X24 are 40.00

You can also get just about anything else plastic there. They also sell the same tanks that VersaLab uses for their print washers as well as covers for them that VersaLab doesn't sell.

[Donald Qualls]

I see US Plastic also has polyethylene tanks that look like they could become a very fine substitute for Nova slot processors, at about 1/10 the cost or less.

[erie patsellis]

Donald,
I recently purchased a "Color Print Processor system" off of ebay, it consists of 4 1 gal Leedal 8x10 stainless tanks, one with a floating lid, with a water bath and heater, and 2 10 print fiberglass mesh baskets(quite nicely made, too). all this for the princely sum of about $26. With a little patience, I'm sure that there's more of this kind of stuff out there

erie

[Donald Qualls]

Well yes, Erie, there's a lot of used deep tank equipment around, but a slot processor is special because it doesn't require a gallon per slot; the Nova sized for 8x10 prints uses about the same amount of liquid as an 8x10 tray, but the small surface area makes the developer last longer -- to exhaustion, instead of until oxidation kills it. So, you *both* don't have to mix, handle, discard a gallon of solution at one go, *and* get to really *use up* what you do use. The real tricks with Nova are the water bath for temperature control, the clips for manipulating the prints in the slots, and the drop-in covers for the slots to protect the solution when not in use -- plus the ability to drain each slot without lifting or tipping the entire unit. Still not sure it's worth several hundred dollars, however...

[nelsonfotodotcom]

I picked up a roller base for shipping cost, then grabbed a Unicolor drum off eBay. Drum just arrived today.

Qualls saw my recent attempt at making a daylight dev tube... it was Frankenstein for sure, and light-leaked. Man, that was fun. Worthless, but fun.

[chris_4622]

I used some acrylic to make my tanks, painted them black and then drape a piece of curtain blackout material over the top so I can leave the room. I used epoxy to glue it together. Is there a better method for glueing? I'm thinking of making a print washer.

[Louie Powell]

Chris -

There are specialized adhesives for acryllic and plexiglass. Basically, they are agressive solvents that soften the material to essentially weld it together. You won't find this stuff in Home Despot or Lowes, but some speciality glass shops will carry it.

When you buy the adhesive, you also need to get an applicator - a small plastic bottle with a cap equipped with a long, needle-like metal top. You cut the plastic carefully and smooth the rough edges with sandpaper. Then, holding the pieces of plastic in their final position, use the applicator to apply a few drops of the solvent at the edge of the seam. Capillary action will draw the adhesive into the joint. I will dry in a minute or so, leaving a very tight seam. Examine the seam carefully - you can see where it has been welded together, and if there are gaps, just add more solvent.

The solvent adhesive is used sparingly and goes a long way. It is highly flamable, and the process is best done outdoors. And be careful to tightly close the container - the solvent is very volatile, and if you don't close the bottle, after a week or so there will be nothing left.