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Thread: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

  1. #1

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    Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    Hey guys,

    I've cleared a bit of room in my bathroom and found a folding table which I think will make a perfect table for trying out tray developing sheets. I actually got given a bunch of darkroom bits and pieces, including three Paterson trays. It looks like the trays are slightly larger than 8x10 - at least a box of Ilford 8x10 paper fits in the tray, a little snug but it fits. Would this be suitable for 8x10 sheets or would I really need a larger tray to give the sheets a bit of space?

    So obviously the basic process that I've been doing with developing tanks is the same, which I'm fine with. How do you keep the temperature consistent throughout the development process? What about agitation methods? Any advice on this? How many sheet can I/should I develop at a time or should I be developing a single sheet at a time?

    I think that will do for now, will add more questions as I think of them!

    Cheers,

    Welly

  2. #2

    Join Date
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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    You can probably get by with that tray for 8x10 film (I assume that's what you're processing). I used an 11x14 tray but a tray slightly larger than 8x10 will probably work o.k. You just need to be sure you have enough room to grasp the film when you move sheets from bottom to top of the stack.

    Agitation methods are up to you. I moved the bottom sheet in the stack to the top throughout the development process. When I completed one cycle I lifted each corner of the tray up and down once to jiggle the developer, then went back to moving the sheets from bottom to top until the cycle was completed again, etc. etc..

    I started out with one sheet just to get a feel for the process. But that's obviously very time-consuming. I eventually got up to 6 sheets at a time though I never did get rid of the occasional scratch. The number of sheets didn't seem to matter, I could scratch one out of two as easily as one out of six though I was able to keep scratches to a minimum. I kept track of which sheet was which by counting, so that I could give different sheets different times in the same run.

    FWIW, tray processing for me was the worst way to process film. It keeps you standing over trays inhaling chemicals for 10-15 minutes at a time, it keeps you totally in the dark until the film hits the stop bath (some people wait until it's in the fix though that isn't necessary), it led to occasional scratches on the film, keeping track of which sheet is which is kind of a pain (assuming you don't process all for the same time), all in all I just didn't care for it. Obviously others differ but I switched to BTZS tubes for 8x10 which I liked a whole lot better.
    Brian Ellis
    Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you do criticize them you'll be
    a mile away and you'll have their shoes.

  3. #3

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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    Cheers Brian. I thought I'd give it a go just to see what the result are like. Whether it'll be my development method of choice is yet to be seen.

    I've got a Jobo CPA2 processor which I'm hoping/planning to use for the majority of my developing but after firing it up for the first time today, I'm finding the accuracy of the thermostat is pretty off the mark (20c is closer to 22.5c), which is a bit disappointing. I'm going to do some more testing with that before I commit to it. I'm hoping it'll all work out because it seems like a potentially simple way of developing.

  4. #4

    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    I process my 4x5 sheets in 5x7 trays lined up in the bathtub. I find the plastic trays keep the temperature constant throughout the whole process. It is a simple way of developing once you locate a place for everything that makes you comfortable. I also use the same agitation scheme as Brian. Consistency and simplicity will help determine how often to agitate.

    I also had access to a Jobo processor but rejected it on the grounds that I wanted the hands-on approach for the whole process.
    "I meant what I said, not what you heard"--Jflavell

  5. #5

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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    Here's a question. How do you check the temperature when you're in pitch blackness?

  6. #6

    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    You shouldn't need to check once you have it set. The great thing about plastic is it won't transmit temperature very well, so the temperature stays the same for me throughout. I only need to check between stacks when the lights are on. It's more consistent than the Jobo.
    "I meant what I said, not what you heard"--Jflavell

  7. #7

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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    That makes sense actually, I don't need to temperature control my Paterson System 4 tanks when I'm developing 35mm or 120 film and have no problem with those. I'm going to give it a whirl tomorrow and see how I get on.

  8. #8

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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    With B&W film I find that having all my chemicals at the same temperature is more important than nailing the temperature exactly (and keeping it there) so I store my stock solutions in amber glass bottles in the same room (resting on the floor) along with distilled water (for diluting) kept along side. If needed, I'll warm or chill the water before mixing (I use one gallon envelopes) so everything is the same temperature when starting out. Having chemicals "warm up" in the tray hasen't been a problem for me, I suspect because the temperatures remain constant from tray to tray. Of course YMMV.
    "I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority"---EB White

  9. #9

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    Oct 2006
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    Green Bay, WI USA
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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    I set up a small one in my basement recently using a 3' plastic tub with a small aquarium heater in it. Keeps everything about 72 degrees. Then I use plastic trays set up in a holder in the water bath. I am happy with it.

  10. #10

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    Re: Help me get started with tray development! Temperature control?

    welly,

    Good luck. I've heard 11x14 trays are better for 8x10. I use 5x7 for 4x5. I have the water running now and about to do a half-dozen sheets... I use an ATN Viper infrared viewer, this cuts down on mistakes like putting film in the wrong tray. It also reduces fumbling. For temperature control I use CompnTemp, a USB probe connected to computer that alters time in reaction to temerature fluctuations. (I black out the computer screen and operate by audio chimes).

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