Using Cibachrome Colour Development Drums for B&W Printing

[Colin D]

Is there any reason why I couldn't use a Cibachrome colour development drum to make a b&w print?

Previously I have used trays but as I don't have a true darkroom this means night time only work. Thus my interest in using the Cibachrome drum for the convenience of daytime work.

I'm using Ilford Multigrade IV RC paper and developing solution.

Cheers

Colin

[Leigh]

A drum is a drum. The name on it doesn't matter.

- Leigh

[Carl J]

Curious about this also. Maybe a dumb question, but won't you need a darkroom (or dark enough) to expose the paper? Expose some sheets beforehand perhaps?

[Drew Wiley]

An enlarger or contact printer could be set up in a closet, and then the actual development be done in a drum elsewhere. This is how I started out before I had a
true darkroom. And even tonite, because I am sensitive to color chemicals, I will expose the sheets in the dkrm, but run the drum itself outdoors. The problem with
fiber-based black and white paper is that once it gets too big, it might collapse in the drum. With RC paper it's not going to be an issue.

[Colin D]

Curious about this also. Maybe a dumb question, but won't you need a darkroom (or dark enough) to expose the paper? Expose some sheets beforehand perhaps?

Good point Carl which I forgot to elaborate properly. I have exposed the paper the night before then placed it into the drum ready to develop another day, most likely on the weekend, rather than stay up all hours of the night.

Consensus though seems to be that it can be done, I'll give it a try. One concern I had was making sure there was enough solution to cover the paper, or do I increase the time the developer is in the drum to compensate for the fact that not all the paper will be submerged all the time when I roll the drum, or doesn't that matter.

[Colin D]

A drum is a drum. The name on it doesn't matter.

- Leigh

Fair point Leigh, it's just I've never used a drum for developing prints before. I think you are saying that just because the drum says it is for colour doesn't make any difference, makes sense, I wasn't sure though.

[WootSK]

Lolz, I use paper drums to develop films. The name is just a name, the idea is how you uses the tools.

[rcmartins]

I routinely use drums to develop prints. It works wonderfully well for RC paper. For fiber you need the silicone/plastic wall cover that jobo made specifically for each drum which has fends, avoiding the fiber paper to stick to the wall. It also allows it to be removed together with the paper and then unfolding the two together avoiding tearing the print. It's a much more delicate process than RC.
My modus operandis is to have very small trays with the chemicals in the darkroom (wet zone). All tests are carried out in those trays. When I need to print full size I then use the drums which are in the bathroom (actually jobo room :) ). You just need to be careful to guarantee the developer exhaustion is the same in the trays and in the drum. For the drum you need much less amount of chemicals than for trays. For 30cmx40cm prints my drum only uses 150ml of chemicals. For 50cmx60cm it goes to 250ml (another drum), but I am being conservative.
While you can use the drums in daylight I try to minimise contamination between chemicals by fully opening the drum and not only the cap. The pouring process is a two step: first with lid but without cap and then without the lid. This, however, requires the use of a safelight when opening the drum, except after the fixer. For RA4 (colour prints) I dump the remainder in the toilet (this is why I have the jobo in the bathroom :) ). Hope this helps.

[Colin D]

I routinely use drums to develop prints. It works wonderfully well for RC paper. For fiber you need the silicone/plastic wall cover that jobo made specifically for each drum which has fends, avoiding the fiber paper to stick to the wall. It also allows it to be removed together with the paper and then unfolding the two together avoiding tearing the print. It's a much more delicate process than RC.
My modus operandis is to have very small trays with the chemicals in the darkroom (wet zone). All tests are carried out in those trays. When I need to print full size I then use the drums which are in the bathroom (actually jobo room :) ). You just need to be careful to guarantee the developer exhaustion is the same in the trays and in the drum. For the drum you need much less amount of chemicals than for trays. For 30cmx40cm prints my drum only uses 150ml of chemicals. For 50cmx60cm it goes to 250ml (another drum), but I am being conservative.
While you can use the drums in daylight I try to minimise contamination between chemicals by fully opening the drum and not only the cap. The pouring process is a two step: first with lid but without cap and then without the lid. This, however, requires the use of a safelight when opening the drum, except after the fixer. For RA4 (colour prints) I dump the remainder in the toilet (this is why I have the jobo in the bathroom :) ). Hope this helps.

Thanks, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear. I've got three drums with exposed 8x10 paper in them waiting to go. My only concern is the contamination you mention if I don't remove the lid/cap, anyway I'll give it a try this weekend.

[Drew Wiley]

You always need enough volume of chem in the drum to keep the entire LENGTH of the drum immersed all the time. It doesn't take much, but it is important to keep
the drum running level. And you need enough volume so that there will not be a significant temperature change during the development time. A pre-rinse at the
correct temp helps, and running the drum in a tempered water bath helps (which Jobo includes); but this is also related to the ambient air temp. Getting the drums
to load and drain quickly is a problem with Jobo drums, which seem overly complicated and have a relatively small opening. I prefer simpler drums, but any of them
should work once you're used to them and aren't working with unusually short dev times. I routinely do 30X40 INCH (not cm) prints in drums, and this needs only
a little over a pint of dev per print ... so if they're well-designed, drums can be very efficient.

[rcmartins]

Colin, as Drew stated the amount of chemicals, or water, is whatever is required for the print, or film, to be immersed lenghtwise inside the drum. It also depends on the diameter and speed of rotation so that there is a uniform and homogeneous contact between the fluids and the print. Most, if not all, jobo drums give the amount required based on the print or film size on the outer side of the drum. If, by any chance you don't have the label or it has been damaged you can get this information easily here in the forum.
As for the contamination, the problem isn't really serious. If we can avoid all the better, but the same chemicals can handle 3 prints and more without a problem. Its not worth the stress. Later you can perfect the process. Have fun.
raul