First time with a 3005

[Michael Graves]

My Jobo 3005 drum came in last night, but I was otherwise occupied so tonight I gave it a try. Overall, I have to say it was a positive experience. I've used Jobos before, but only for roll film and prints. I ran through some test exposures that I shot just for the sake of playing with the new drum.

Two observations.....

1. The drum is one big mother trucker. I discovered it is difficult to align it to the gear that drives the cog. Even though it "snapped" into place every time, on one rinse cycle, it toppled right off the lift as I was lifting to drain. What can I do to make sure I've got it right every time?

2. I used a Craftsman level to make sure the drum was level in the tempering bath. So everything developed nice and evenly. But frequently right after a drain and refill cycle, the gears would clatter something fierce. Just a little pressure on the base of the drum, pushing it toward the lift would stop that. Am I not getting the drum properly seated in the lift? It certainly seems to be when I look at it.

Still, the negs look great, considering the mundane subject matter of the old collapsing barn in my back yard. I'm happy...but I'll be happier when I actually get the hang of this.

[Oren Grad]

I've never had a big Expert drum topple off the lift; I'm having a hard time visualizing how that could happen. But as a general observation, it helps to make all actions steady and deliberate, rather than jerky and quick. Support the bracket on which the drum sits from underneath as you lift it - do it smoothly, and take the stress off the Lift arm, which will eventually break if you repeatedly use it to jerk a loaded 3004/3005 all the way up.

Re gear clattering, if I'm understanding correctly the problem you're describing, the trick is to time the lowering of the drum so that the lift mates with the motor coupler during the pause while the motor reverses. Takes a bit of practice, but it's not difficult. Again, lowering the drum smoothly and deliberately, with a brief pause if necessary to wait for the motor to stop spinning, helps a lot.

The Expert drums are fabulous - a bit of practice and you'll get the hang of it. Enjoy!