Suggestions - Cheap 8x10 dip/dunk tanks?

[R Mann]

I am looking for something "cheap" to use for 8x10 film hangers - about 6 at a time. I have been looking at plastic kitchen food storage containers, buckets, wastebaskets, etc and have yet to find anything that will work. Has anyone found a substitute for the hard rubber/stainless steel tanks?

[John Kasaian]

Perhaps marine battery boxes? Stainless steel steam table inserts from a restraunt supply outfit?

[John Berry]

Cost me about $40.00 to make some out of 1/4in acrylic.

[Alan Rabe]

Check out usplastic.com they have a plethora of tanks, all shapes, sizes, and materials. They also have very inexpesive developing trays.

[Chuck Pere]

I used some plastic file boxes from the office supply store to supplement my 8x10 stainless 1 gal tanks. Needed to use a standoff from an electronics store to holdup one side of the hangers. Held in place by a bolt across the box. They hold about 2 1/2 gal so I use them for the water presoak and stopbath. Also if you do 6 hangers do you need a basket to hold them for agitation? Or would you do 2 or 3 at a time? You don't want to risk things slipping and damaging the film.

[R Mann]

Thanks for all the suggestions - the marine battery box looks very interesting at less than $10.

[cowanw]

My old photographer friend used to use used batteries (minus the top and innards) but that was 4X5 and I dont know if batteries come as big as 8X10 inside. Might try truck garages/repair shops.
Regards
Bill

[Gene McCluney]

If you keep your eyes open, and look at the "for sale" ads here and at APUG and other places, you can get REAL film deep tanks for practically nothing. These are really the best for several reasons. 1. They are made so the hangers rest on a ledge. 2. They have floating lids to keep the solutions fresh. 3. They hold standard quantites of chemistry (1/2 gal, 1 gal, 3.5 gal).

[John Kasaian]

The biggest problem I see with the original tanks are that they are heavy! Hard rubber is what bowling balls used to be made of! Shipping even a modest distance can easily exceed what they are worth.

[Gene McCluney]

The biggest problem I see with the original tanks are that they are heavy! Hard rubber is what bowling balls used to be made of! Shipping even a modest distance can easily exceed what they are worth.

Only one "style" of film tank is Hard Rubber. I personally use very light tanks made by Cesco-lite, same people that make darkroom developing trays. These trays are opaque black thin "cesco-lite" material. They are slightly tapered so can be nested for shipment, and they have nice tight-fitting lids. Kodak at last made plastic tanks, and there were other brands also. I agree, you might not want to ship hard rubber tanks, but there are plenty of lighter-weight choices out there.

Just for example, here is a brand new Cesco 8x10 tank at Calumet:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/CS7320/