Has anyone used a Jobo for Pt/Pd

[Jim Andrada]

Not because it's "daylight" safe but purely for convenience. I don't have space for six large trays and it occurred to me that it would be easier to pour the solutions in and out of the Jobo since I have a few large print drums. Thoughts???

[Erik Larsen]

Jim, just use one tray. It works well and saves space if you're limited.

[Greg]

Also considered processing my Pt/Pd prints in either JOBO or Cibachrome print drums. Went through all the steps using uncoated paper, and just using plain water for each of the steps.

JOBO drum: worked but was impossible to get the paper out of the drum without major handling damage. Problem being one end of the drum is permanently attached.

Cibachrome drum: Better luck. Since both ends of the drum are removable, thought I could partially submerge the drum with paper in it and let the force of flowing water release the paper from inside the drum. Theoretically thought this should be easily doable.... in practice didn't work for me but if someone had a technique for removing the wet paper from inside the drum, it should work.

[Vaughn]

Greg...Did you try it with the Jobo filled with water? Easier to get film out that way, too.

[Jim Andrada]

@ Vaughn

Yes, I thought of that, but I was thinking that pouring the solutions in and out of the large tray will be sloppier than dumping the Jobo (it has a lift) since I don't have a usable sink handy to put the chemical jug in while pouring. There are sinks, but they're the fancy type that sit on top of the counter and they're small. And come to think of it there isn't a convenient space on the counter big enough for a 16 x 20 tray. The reason the Jobo might work is that it's long enough to bridge across the two sinks. There's a lot of space but the counter is broken up by the sinks and by the tall fancy faucets that are set to the sides of the sinks. Anyhow, it's just an idea, although I might just give it a try.

[Jim Andrada]

Aha - always a problem... Wonder if I could put a strip of plastic or something under one edge of the paper to help separate it from the drum....

Or maybe a layer of plastic screen between the drum and the paper....

[karl french]

Just three trays here. Dev, Clearing and Holding. Pour in and out. Just have wide mouth bottles (and a funnel). No trouble at all.

If you have room for the Jobo, you have room for three trays. I use the Jobo for everything else.

[stawastawa]

Interesting, putting the paper on a flexible plastic sheets seems like an interesting idea. probably something thicker than an overhead projector, but even an extra piece of ULF film might work. Reminds me of using the taco method for 4x5 film in a plastic tank.


Aha - always a problem... Wonder if I could put a strip of plastic or something under one edge of the paper to help separate it from the drum....

Or maybe a layer of plastic screen between the drum and the paper....

[Vaughn]

Another idea...until my darkroom is finished, I use a Costco folding plastic table in the kitchen to set the developer and clearing trays on -- no problem once the sun sets.

[tgtaylor]

Jim - I use a flat-bottom 11x14 Cresco tray for processing 11x15 Hahn Platinum Rag. The 11x15 sheets fit perfectly in the tray with just enough space on the sides to lift the sheet without it catching. When developing is complete I simply just drain the chemistry off into a graduate to pour back into the 1 liter brown bottle for next use. Everything else I use one shot but if I did need to make another print I'd pour it back into a graduate. I even use that same tray for hypo clear and final wash. For 8x10 Hahn paper I use a flat bottom Cresco 8x10 tray.

If you are purchasing your trays locally, take a sheet of the paper with you to see how it fits.

Thomas

Thomas

[bob carnie]

And take away the fun of seeing the image explode in the tray ... no way.

[Vaughn]

And take away the fun of seeing the image explode in the tray ... no way.
Excellent point! But I have to resist the temptation to stick my nose over the print in a tray of hot Potassium oxalate as it happens.

[tgtaylor]

Also it would be almost impossible to quickly cover the print with developer using a Jobo.

Thomas

[Jim Andrada]

The kitchen is off limits per order of you-can-guess-who. Besides, it has a skylight.

[karl french]

Piece of plywood over the bath tub. It works.

[tgtaylor]

I coat, dry, and process all alternative prints on the bathroom vanity top which is large enough to accommodate 11x15 paper which is as large as I will print as an alternative. The windowless bathroom shuts off from the rest of the apartment and is equipped with an air uptake and a Thomas safe light.

Thomas