developing 4x5 film - my solution

[cyrus]

So after fooling around with lots of different ways to develop 4x5 film, I finally struck on an idea that's been working wonderfully . It has the benefits of a slosher and a hanger because it is a slosher and a hanger.

Take a cut film hanger (in my case the types that hold four 4x5 negs but I suppose any other would do) then bend the "arms" on the hanger, so that the hanger now lays flat inside an 8x10 tray. Then just load the film in the hanger as usual, and lay it flat inside an 8x10 tray full of developer, stop, fix etc. Then, repeat!

Bending the arms required a tiny bit of work with a rotary tool.

I'm thinking there may be a way to stack a few of these on top of each other in the tray . . .

[Ron Marshall]

Is the development even? If so that is a wonderful solution for people who have had scratching problems.

[cyrus]

Is the development even? If so that is a wonderful solution for people who have had scratching problems.

Yup - perfectly even and agitation is quite easy to control - just tilt it by using the bent handle.

The slosher I have works fine too - easier to load in fact - but it has 6 slots and sometimes I have only 4 negs to develop, and also the slosher required getting your fingers wet (to check to make sure that the films are still in their slots once you've placed it into the chemicals, and that they're not stuck to the bottom of the slosher, and to remove the film) but this bent-hanger technique keeps your fingers totally dry (so there's less chance of getting chemicals onto the negs when you're touching them - Yes, I am a slob)