1 gallon tanks...sort of

[Allen in Montreal]

I foolishly sold off my 1 gallon stainless steel tanks a while back thinking in the future I would only process in a Jobo 3005.

Now I miss the tanks.

Has anyone successfully divided a 3.5 gallon hard rubber tank (or stainless tank) into 2 compartments for stop and fix?
Did you epoxy a sheet of plexi etc?
I guess it would be a simple job for a decent TIG welder to add a thin sheet of 316 ss as a divider.

I kept one stainless 1 gallon tank, which I would use for developer, then stop and fix in one tank, using 1.75 gallons per side.

Thoughts?

[Ari]

Allen,
I see only one problem with this.
When you're done developing your negs, how are you going to pour your fixer back into your fixer bottle, and your stop back into your stop bottle?
You'd have to also put in a drain plug in one or both sides.
When the tank is full, it weighs around 24 lbs., so kind of unwieldy to boot.

[Richard Wasserman]

It's fairly simple to build tanks out of PVC sheet stock. It can pretty much be cut and glued like wood, with the proper adhesive of course. http://www.mcmaster.com/#plastics/=dd5eio I assume there must be a supplier in Quebec.

[jayabbas]

You would have to find an exceptional welder. I have a Hope processor and I knew the tech rep who said all welds on the tanks were tested ultrasonically . Photo chemicals love to migrate thru the tiniest of imperfections at welded seams, especially bleach-fix. B&W fixer behaves in a similar manner. Splitting a tank that size will be a challenge imo.

[Allen in Montreal]

.... how are you going to pour your fixer back into your fixer bottle, and your stop back into your stop bottle? ....

Ari,

I was thinking something along these lines.
This is a water inlet to wash, mais comme meme.

I think I may try Richard's suggestion and make one tank to see how it plays out.

[Ari]

Allen, I may have a lead on a plastics maker; if the price is right, I'll call you tomorrow.

[Allen in Montreal]

Sounds good.

[Marek Warunkiewicz]

Allen, it is so easy to make the tanks out of plexi or PVC. There are a number of places that will supply you with pieces cut to size, or, even better, if you have a table saw you can cut them yourself. I've built a lot of stuff this way, from developing trays that are a bit over 30 x 40 to sensitizing tanks.

[Graybeard]

You don't say which film size you are processing.

There are one gallon Rubbermaid food containers available (Walmart in the US) that will accomodate 4x5 or 5x7 single holders. The containers are reasonably inexpensive $4-5.

I foolishly sold off my 1 gallon stainless steel tanks a while back thinking in the future I would only process in a Jobo 3005.

Now I miss the tanks.

Has anyone successfully divided a 3.5 gallon hard rubber tank (or stainless tank) into 2 compartments for stop and fix?
Did you epoxy a sheet of plexi etc?
I guess it would be a simple job for a decent TIG welder to add a thin sheet of 316 ss as a divider.

I kept one stainless 1 gallon tank, which I would use for developer, then stop and fix in one tank, using 1.75 gallons per side.

Thoughts?

[Allen in Montreal]

You don't say which film size you are processing......

Mostly 8x10 and 2 up 5x7 in Pyro.

D-76, X-tol etc sheet film processing will be done in a Jobo 3006 or 3005.