FR 4x5 development tank

[Gerald R. Homeyer]

Hi folks, just getting into LF and in searching for a development tank to process my own 4x5 sheet film. My favorite local camera store has a fifty year old collection of photo equipment. Picked up a cut film pack daylight developing tank made of bakelite that was complete . It will handle up to 12 sheets of film and is adjustable for 4x5 down. It was made by the old FR corp. which is no longer in business. If anyone out there has such a tank and still has the user info (you probably have to be older than dirt like me) I would appreciate a copy. Many thanks!

[Ralph Barker]

I have one of those, although I wouldn't recommend it. If complete, your FR tank should have included a little almost flat plastic bar with a slot in the middle. The bar is used as a guide for inserting the film into the holder slots, and has small nibs on the bottom edge, so you can feel the movements from one slot to the next when loading. In use, it's a little niggly, so some caution (and sheet/slot counting) is necessary.

Although some have reported good success with the FR tank, I always seemed to get density variations at the edge of the film due to swirling of the developer during (even very gentle) side-to-side aggitation. As a result, I switched to developing in trays, and now use the FR tank only for washing. The HP Combi-plan tank seems to get better reviews among the daylight 4x5 tanks. YMMV, of course.

[Frank Bagbey]

Gerald, I have a few of those tanks that I used for years before going completely to film hangers and larger tanks for 4X5. You need that little plastic guide to help you get the film into the right slots each time, then move it down to the next spot to load the next sheet, then down again to load the next film, etc. I have hung on to my tanks just for Sodium Sulfite tanks. They are excellent for that purpose until you get home to finish the processing.

In my processing experience, I never saw any problems with variation in density from any processing techniques. In fact, I have always thought the results were great in those tanks. The disadvantage was getting the chemicals changed promptly enough. But, then again, as mentioned, I cannot recall any problems in results.

[Gem Singer]

Hi Gerald,

Someone on this forum once told me that I was "older than dirt" ,when I happened to mention that I would be seventy-five years of age on my next birthday. I remember the FR tank very well.
However, I don't remember if it originally came with an instruction book. From what I do remember about my FR tank, I can advise you on the best way to utilize it:

First, drill a few holes on the bottom. Second, fill the tank with potting soil. Third, obtain a nice house plant, and place it in the soil. Finally, place your new decorative flower pot near a north facing window. You will avoid many disappointments developing your 4X5 sheet film.

[Ellen Stoune Duralia]

Eugene, I think that technically, you have to be at least 95 before you can truly be considered older than dirt. So, technically you're still a young whipper-snapper!

I can prove it! Just look at your witty reply above! ROTFLMAO!!!

[Gem Singer]

Ellen,

I don't know what "ROTFLAMAO" stands for. However, my mother-in-law refers to me as a "young whipper snapper". I sometimes think that she uses that expression in a sarcastic way, because she's from a Southern state , and I'm slightly older than she is.

[ronald moravec]

The flower planter idea is the best.

Use a 8/10 tray with a quart of solution for one sheet of film. Raise two adjacent edges for each agitation cycle and really move the liquid around.

Or a Jobo tank and reel. This does 6 sheets at a time.

If your lucky enough, you can find a Nikor 4x5 tank. Holds 12 sheets and uses 1 quart of solution. Make sure the band that goes around the reel is included. It holds the film inside the reel as each sheet is inserted from the outside. It is a overgrown 35mm tank.

Arkay will still make tanks , water jackets, and film hangar rack if you have a lot of money. A 4x5 tank and hanger rack just cost me $200. You need 2 or 3 tanks, film hangars. hanger rack. and water jacket. and the water chiller a nice extra. Everything except the rack and third tank came free from an ex pro. But there is the used market.

Jobo expert drum and processor will allow you to do color and black and white. 4x5 color neg is awsome.

[Ralph Barker]

Gosh, Eugene, you're even older than I am. Considering my ex has stated (emphatically and convincingly) that I'm "dirt" on several occasions, that must indeed mean that you're older than dirt. ;-)

Remember when computers only had zeros, and what a kick it was when they added ones? Remember how tough it was to get the wooly rhinos to hold still for their cave-painting portraits? ;-)

[Randy_5143]

Remember when dirt was still white?

[Scott Rosenberg]

if i had to guess, i'd say that "ROTFLMAO" was short hand for:

Rolling On The Floor Laughing My Arse Off

if i'm mistaken, someone kindly fill the rest of us in.

[Gerald R. Homeyer]

I do believe Scott has discovered the British version!

[rippo]

reviving an ancient thread here....

i've got two of these FR daylight tanks. haven't had much use for them, as i rarely develop enough sheets to justify the almost 2 liters worth of developer it requires. i did a project a couple of days ago where i taught a kindergarten class how to make pinhole cameras (with me doing most of the work, them being five year olds and all). it was easiest and cheapest to use TXP 4x5 and also cut down to 2x3 for the holders i have, and the oatmeal container sizes they provided.

anyway, after two sessions with this tank, and i concur: i'm getting uneven development around the edges. seems like flow marks or something, as there's a darker line about where the retaining edge would be.

but surely people must have successfully used these in the past? what are we doing wrong?

i'm wondering if this would be a good tank for using a two-bath developer. i often use two-bath developers, especially on roll film. however i only make up a liter of the two solutions at a time, so i haven't been able to try it.

anyone successfully use one of these?

meanwhile i'll stick to the taco style of development for other things. it's too much trouble to get a room completely dark for tray dev, so i have yet to try it.

[Ralph Barker]

reviving an ancient thread here....

. . . but surely people must have successfully used these in the past? what are we doing wrong?

. . .

It's perhaps helpful to remember that when the FR daylight tanks came out, the only alternatives were deep tanks with stainless hangers and tray processing. At that time, there were also numerous photo products being marketed to the amateur crowd, many of which were just gizmos of questionable value.

I tried a number of different agitation techniques with my FR tank, but could never get rid of the "surge marks" at the edges. They might be OK for stand development, but I wouldn't recommend them for any technique requiring agitation. The HP CombiPlan tank, which wasn't available back then, seems to do a much better job.

[curtis roberts]

Try Equiox Photographic under darkroom

[Robert Hughes]

I've got an FR tank and just accept that the edges are going to be more developed than the center, and compensate by dodging the print later. That seems to work fine, and I'm less likely to get negative scratches than I do when I do tray processing. Perhaps you should tray develop and use the FR for fixing and washing.

[jnantz]

Try Equiox Photographic under darkroom

yes, they have the instruction manual for the tanks.

[rippo]

the original poster (back in 2005) was the one looking for the manual. i've just hijacked a dead thread to share my recent Fr experiences, and to see if anyone has tried stand or two-bath development with it.

the appeal to me is that it's adjustable, so it can do 2x3 sheet film as well, which i shoot a reasonable amount of.

anyone know about the yankee cut film tank, as listed here (http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-YANKEE-CUT-PACK-FILM-DEVELOPING-TANK-4-X-5_? W0QQitemZ320171255648QQihZ011QQcategoryZ29993QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem). is it any better?

[wclavey]

reviving an ancient thread here....

i'm wondering if this would be a good tank for using a two-bath developer. i often use two-bath developers, especially on roll film. however i only make up a liter of the two solutions at a time, so i haven't been able to try it.

anyone successfully use one of these?


I read this thread because I have the Yankee version of these tanks and I switched about 1.5 years ago to using a Jobo tank and 4x5 reel as an inversion tank. But recently, I had a batch of film that I wanted to process in Diafine and it was more than the Jobo tank can hold so I drug out the Yankee and did 12 sheets in that in Diafine. It worked great since the development is not time dependent and there were no problems with streaks on the film.

So I thought, well that worked so well that I'm going to try it again for a batch of film I had waiting to develop in Microdol-X. I loaded all 10 sheets in the Yankee tank and, after doing timing to determine exaclty how long it took to fill and empty the tank, developed them... big mistake... swirl marks about 1/2 inch in from the guides that hold the sheets apart.

So I'm going to stick with it for batch development in Diafine (I use Diafine for my work on x-ray film, so it gets a fair workout...) but I'm going to avoid using it for regular developers. Although I have thought of getting 2 more from the auction site and using them in the darkroom, 1 each for develop, wash & fix in total darkness and transferring the film holder from tank to tank. I would do agitation by lifting the film holder slightly & dropping it back again. Has anyone tried that?

[rippo]

interesting and good to know. i have less than the liter required to develop even 2x3 sheets in the Fr tank, so i will have to wait until i've depleted the current batch of TD-200 before i can test. i'll make up 2 liters next time. i might be tempted to cut sheets in half just to see if i get flow marks.

another xray film user, eh? i've done some test shots only with it, but i've still got a few sheets of my 'free sample' 8x10 pack left. i was getting a speed of about ASA 50 from mine, which was pretty cool. developed in dektol, but i don't mind tray dev under safelight. it's the darkness that scares me. ;)

[wclavey]

ASA 50 in dektol sounds about right for x-ray film... I'm shooting ASA 100 and developing in Diafine...

[Gene McCluney]

It seems like streaks with any b/w film/developer combo are dependent on, the film....and the developer. I have experienced streaks with hangar development with D-76 that I don't get (using the same agitation techniques) with HC-110.

Those of you who are using the FR and Yankee cut-film tanks, are you doing a pre-wet step before going to developer? This may solve the streaking issue.

[rippo]

wclavey: thanks. i've never used diafine, but will keep that in mind if i need a speed increase. doubtful for my purposes! if i'm using x-ray film in my 4x5, then i'm probably trying to simulate ortho or blue-sensitive type shots and need less speed rather than more.

one day i'm going to slip a piece of white paper or aluminum foil behind the xray film and see what that does. no antihalation layer, emulsion on two sides...could be an artistic glow around the highlights, or it could just be a mess.

gene: i was using HC-110, dilution B, jiggle for 5 seconds every 30 seconds, with a presoak. go figure. :( i could possibly try less agitation next time.

[wclavey]

Gene:

I am using Microdol-X with 5 seconds of agitation every 30 seconds and no pre-soak. I hadn't thought about a pre-soak but I will give it a shot. I have a bad filmholder with some FP4 loaded that I do not trust for "real" shooting... maybe I'll do a test with that and see if the pre-soak helps. Thanks for the suggestion.

Wes Clavey