4x5 development in Doran tank?

[dcypher]

Hi, I am a LF newbe and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with these kinds of tanks?
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/Vintage-Doran-Adjustable-Cut-Film-Pack-Developing-Tank_W0QQitemZ120424375768QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c09da25d8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1399|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50#ebayphotohosting
I'm looking for a cheap but decent way to develop my own 4x5 black and white film...
G.

[EdWorkman]

This tank was sold under several names- I think mine was a Yankee
Opinion is divided, with many negatives. It's hard to agitate.
as reported elsewhere, at 18 I used this style tank and a closet to develope 2x3 sheet film and I can't blame the tank for the shortcomings.
Search and you should come up with a long thread or two
A similar tank is the Combi-Plan, which I understand is better as it is invertable for agitation a la' rollfilm SS tanks

[Chuck Pere]

Another cheap option: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/unicolor/

[Steve Gledhill]

Hi, I am a LF newbe and I'm wondering if anyone has experience with these kinds of tanks?
http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/Vintage-Doran-Adjustable-Cut-Film-Pack-Developing-Tank_W0QQitemZ120424375768QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c09da25d8&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1399|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50#ebayphotohosting
I'm looking for a cheap but decent way to develop my own 4x5 black and white film...
G.

I used one of these many years ago for a while and was unable to get even development. Film edges were the problem. I gave it up in favour of Jobo which I've used trouble free for about 12 years. I use a manually rolled tank (can't recall the number) with two 2509N reels. Some seem to have problems with this set up but for me the results are perfectly evenly developed 5x4 B&W sheets.

[dcypher]

Thanks for the replies everybody.
So better to look for a drum method then. I used to develop a lot of 120 rollfilm in a paterson drum and didn't always have even results. So I'm hesitating to start processing sheet film.
Having it done in at a pro lab is expensive, so I want to do it myself again.

[E Thomson]

Here's a recent thread on this type of tank. By the way, yours looks a little different from my Yankee tank, I think they are separate designs, but functionally the same.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=48317

Recently I've done a lot of searching here and on the apug and Graflex forums, with respect to daylight developing. The strong consensus is if you don't want to use trays, some form of rotating tank is the best approach.

[dcypher]

Interesting thread... So skip the flower pot tanks and go for a rotating tank :-) I'm searching for a Jobo 2521 with the 2409n reel on ebay as we speak. Not easy to find...

[Bob Salomon]

Interesting thread... So skip the flower pot tanks and go for a rotating tank :-) I'm searching for a Jobo 2521 with the 2409n reel on ebay as we speak. Not easy to find...

You will also find that our HP Combi-Plan tank is also very popular. And it is not only daylight, it is also inversion and it is a force film washer as well. Just add a hose from the hardware store.

[ki6mf]

I have used everything from Jobo, to Yankee daylight (almost the same as your example) and settled on HP Combi. Combi are not as expensive as Jobo and do allow for dayligt developing of up to 6 negatives at a time.

[al olson]

I used a Duran tank for several years (1958 to 1962). Processed hundreds of sheets in it without any complaint of uneven development. Agitation was not difficult. You shake and jiggle it while it is sitting on the counter. A little tilt during the shaking can be done without sloshing solution out of the tank.

Today I process my sheets with a Jobo. Back then I don't recall any tubes used for processing. It was what we had available and it worked. I am going back to my Duran tank for Pyro work.

[Vlad Soare]

Jobo 25xx tanks can be used with inversion agitation, too, if you really want it. They're indeed most economical when used horizontally and rotated back and forth, but nobody is keeping you from filling them up and treating them like some overgrown "regular" tanks.
If you decide to go for a Jobo system, make sure you get a 2509n reel (note the n!) and not a 2509. Those extra wings included with the 2509n really make a difference.

[gevalia]

I will throw in my support of the HP_Combi tank as well. Bob may just falll off his chair on this since I had reported a lot of leaking with mine in the beginning so here goes...There are a few rather simple tricks to using the tank which have been discussed up here. I think I'm going on 3 years with mine now and over 450 sheets - 6 at a time. I do not have any possibility of a darkroom so I am stuck with a daylight tank system. You can agitate as agressively as you wish, fully invert, etc. It does take longer to load in developer so you need to understand your development times but since I always use times over 10 minutes, that is not a problem.
When all is said, you won't pry it from my cold dead hands.

[leslie wagner]

This is the best value.http://www.sinwp.com/articles/Supernova.htm
http://www.novadarkroom.com/product/166/Nova_Dip_&_Dunk_5_x_4_Film_Processors.html

[r_a_feldman]

One drawback to deep developer tanks is that you use up a lot of chemicals. That's OK if you are processing a lot of sheets at one time, but is wasteful if you are doing only a few sheets.