How many trays does one really need?

[John Kasaian]

Really?
Hey, I'm looking at a stash of trays I haven't even touched in years!
There are hard rubber trays, plastic trays, and somewhere hidden are some enameled trays as well as stainless steel, in an assortment of sizes(even, IIRC, some kitty litter trays)
Some I have a special fondness for (I dislike the word sentimental but I do like) especially my yellow Kodak trays, I actually need to keep my big white Omega trays for the 12x20 film and 16x20 prints, and my favorites are my very first set of trays, 8x10s made by some long gone company out of a very thin plastic in the 70's complete with the original price stickers- 39 cents- as well as a set of plastics from Freestyle and another a set of Satters. Since I expect to be shooting more ortho, I'll using trays for processing film as well as prints and if I embark on an alternative process I'd imagine extras will come in handy, but right now i simply have too many!
Does anyone have a formula for weeding out trays? Should I part with the broken sets (I have two hard rubber Aces but not the third) Should I give up the badly stained ones? Or chuck 'em all except the newest plastics? Do I keep the pretty colored ones? Do I go all luddite and use only the enamelled steel and hard rubbers?
Aye carumba! My head is spinning! Every time I move a box I seem to find more trays tucked away!:rolleyes:
I can nest the unused trays and store them in the garage, but they can't stay in the house and besides I'd rather give the ones i don't need to local photography students.
If I weren't allergic to cats i could recycle 'em as litter boxes, eh?

[Zaitz]

ONE! :D For Kallitypes I only use one. I only did tray developing for a very short time but got by with one for that too since it isn't that much different than using a daylight tank with no top! I'm a minimalist when it comes to these kind of things and hate the extra space and expense. And since I develop and do all my work a foot from my computer there isn't a whole lot of room. :D

[Jim Jones]

One can get by nicely with a single Mitchell Color Canoe in the size for the largest paper or film you use. Having a Color Canoe for each size paper or film is even better. As Zaitz says, even a single ordinary tray also works. Of course I have well over a dozen trays myself.

[John Kasaian]

My canoe is an aluminium Grumman. I don't think it would be compatible with the chemistry. Besides its too long to make it around the corner into the bathroom/darkroom.

[Scott Walker]

Lol, I'm a freak when it comes to trays. I need a tan one for developer, a red one for stop, a white one for fix, two more white ones for selenium toner, and one more tan one for other toner like sepia or whatever.....so six in each size.

.....and don't even get me started on tongs

[John Kasaian]

Lol, I'm a freak when it comes to trays. I need a tan one for developer, a red one for stop, a white one for fix, two more white ones for selenium toner, and one more tan one for other toner like sepia or whatever.....so six in each size.

.....and don't even get me started on tongs
Bamboo?

[Bill Burk]

So funny. I have two 5x7 enamel trays (really 7x9) that I developed 4x5 film in tonight.

I "really need" one more to have dev/stop/fix.

Maybe I should have three more so I can have dev/stop/fix/wash1/wash2 because that's how I process...

To get by with just two good ones I use a plastic tray in the middle for stop where the film spends the least time (least risk of scratching). While fixing, I dump the dev and fill the tray with water. Then I pour fix into a bottle and fill that tray with. And I cycle film back and forth between the two water trays for 20-30 minutes.

Yes, my 11x14 trays are the first cheap plastic ones I picked up out of college from Olympic camera... And one did kitty litter duty for a few years (one acid or another doesn't matter)...

[36cm2]

Trays are like women. You can't get enough at first and only the prettiest will do. But after enough dumps (from both sides) you realize the best ones aren't the prettiest or grandest, they're the ones that get you through the dark with a smile.

Respectfully,
Leo

[Scott Walker]

Bamboo?

Yes, and I can tell with my eyes closed which tray the tongs belong in

[Brian Ellis]

Old darkroom trays are useful for things other than darkroom work. I use them as receptacles when I change oil in my lawn mower, edger, and chain saw.

[cdholden]

Lol, I'm a freak when it comes to trays. I need a tan one for developer, a red one for stop, a white one for fix, two more white ones for selenium toner, and one more tan one for other toner like sepia or whatever.....so six in each size.

.....and don't even get me started on tongs

I'm with you on the tongs, but that was just a convenience when I bought them. Trays? I wanted to do colors, but since they were all white, I just figured it's dark in there most of the time, so I could get away with a Sharpie to identify them in those times of illumination and reorganization.
My OCD steps aside to make way for yours!

[David A. Goldfarb]

I did a purge some years ago, and I've got 19 plus a tray washer, so I think one needs 19 trays plus a tray washer.

[Jess C]

I think you need to have twice as many as you think you need. I never like being a tray short.

[tgtaylor]

I use 6 for B&W RC and 4 for Kallitype/Van Dykes.

Thomas

[SpeedGraphicMan]

It depends what you plan to do in the future.

You never know what you will do 10 years from now.

I like to keep it around 50 however.

And I never use tongs.

[jp]

Bamboo tongs from the kitchen store; not those stupid darkroom tongs that come apart when the rubber tips get wet. I mark the top (dry part) with a letter to indicate dektol, fix, etc...

I've got sets (3-5 trays) suited for 5x7, 8x10, 11x14, 16x20, and some odd ones too. New plastic patterson trays are surprisingly affordable for new darkroom gear, but much of what I have is lawnsale material or the old trays I started with 20+ years ago. I keep the ones I'm not using nested and on a wire shelf under my enlarger table.

A clean dry [larger] tray makes an excellent horizontal work surface for loading/unloading film holders and loading daylight tanks. Just put it in the sink and you're ready to work. Nothing needs to be cleaned to have a quickly ready work surface. Nothing is going to roll away or be out of place in the dark if you keep your work area inside the tray.

When developing film in daylight tanks, an extra plastic tray makes a nice place to warm chemistry with warm water.

[sepstein17]

...let's not forget the set of trays you'll need during Passover.