Making a "caddy" for BTZS tubes.

[Kirk Gittings]

So for anyone that is interested that uses BTZS tubes.

I came up with this to help solve the problem of getting quick and even agitation on the second bath of Sandy King's "Two-Bath" Pyrocat method of development, http://www.largeformatphotography.in...o-Bath-Pyrocat. However I find it useful anytime I use the tubes.

For Two-Bath Pyrocat Development:
Getting that second bath quickly and evenly distributed can be a problem if you are trying to do all 6 tubes as they are awkward to hold. And it is CRITICAL to even development. So this is what I put together and it works well. I use it with two sets of BTZS caps filled and ready to go (http://www.viewcamerastore.com/4x5-b...tube-cap-only/). After the first bath run normally spinning the tubes in the water bath tray, I turn off the lights remove the first bath cap and carefully screw the tube into the second bath cap and then place it carefully into the tray. I say carefully as you want to avoid movements that would splash the chemistry around and start chemical action on the bottom edge of the film in the tube. Then I simply pick it up carefully with my hand on the bottom, hit the timer, put my other hand over the top and shake it up and down. This is absolutely the key part of the process. I shake it up and down vigorously for 10-15 seconds and then go into the water bath and regular spinning agitation to finish it. It gives very even development with two bath development which has been an issue for me with BTZS tubes.

For Any Developer:
I also use it with normal PCHD or any developer to hold the tubes and do the initial agitation before dumping them in the water bath. All in all a handy, bulletproof and cheap DIY item. I basically use it in some form every time I develop film in the BTZS Tubes. After loading the film and putting the cap on I place them directly in the tray which avoids accidentally knocking them over as I load more tubes.

Construction:
To fit 4x5 BTZS tubes, it is made from 6-1 1/2" PVC couplings super glued (gel) together with the "Stops" at bottom being a 1/4" cut on a table saw from a scrap piece of 1 1/2" schedule 40 pipe (the thick pipe) itself glued with PVC glue. You need to rasp the ridge out of the middle inside of the coupling to get the tubes to sit all the way down in the coupling. It's best to completely remove this ridge so the tubes go in and out easily-especially when you go to dump them in the water bath. To remove this I used a course half round file and took a few minutes-a round rasp would probably be quickest. The green glue was what I had on hand but it helps show the construction. It cost me maybe $15 and took about 1/2 an hour. When the whole thing set and dried I placed it on a sheet of 80 or 120 sand paper and squirreled it around till the bottom was perfectly flat.

[Andrew O'Neill]

That's pretty clever, Kirk. Thanks for sharing!

[Kirk Gittings]

Going to add this here from another thread-my normal development MO with BTZS tubes:

As per BTZS tubes. No development system is completely in the dark-in all you at least have to load the film into something in the dark and so it is BTZS tubes also. The simplest way with these is fill the caps and put them in the BTZS tray slots to temper them. Then in the dark load each tube and screw them into the cap. Once all 6 are done the lights can go back on for the rest of the processing.

I do it another way slightly. I bought an extra set of caps and as I load the tubes I set them aside with a spare cap into the "caddy". Then I turn the lights on briefly and check to see if everything is kosher and then flick the lights off, transfer the tube to the filed caps and turn the lights back on for the remainder. I have been using these things for a very long time and have made some personal adaptions to the workflow and equipment. NONE of these are necessary but make the process more comfortable for me. These include:

1) extra set of caps
2) DIY "caddy" to place the tubes in once I load them-makes for less fumbling around in the dark (made from 1 1/2" PVC couplings).
3) drilled holes in the tray behind the tube slots to lower the water level and make the tempered water exit by flowing around the caps.
4) glued glow in the dark "dots" on lip of tray behind each of the slots so as I remove each filed cap to screw it into the tube and put it back in the caddy I can see how many I have done-again less fumbling around (also put dots on the front of the caddy too).

[MrFujicaman]

Kirk, I've had to make a 3" "slip coupling" out of a 3" coupling before-a Dremel tool with a sanding drum works really well.

[Kirk Gittings]

Thanks that is a good idea. I used a half round file.

[Alan Curtis]

I started using a baby bottle drying rack for the tubes.
I also made one of Kirks BTZS caddy after he posted pictures awhile back, works great.

[Kirk Gittings]

Sometimes drying the tubes in between runs slows me down. I currently use Fred Newman's drying method (see below and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhGRj_YgwOA-a bit of a PITA) or set them on a wooden bottle drying rack. When I am in a bit of a hurry I lean it up a against a small space heater. It works ok but I'm thinking of making a forced air one with a hair dryer mounted to a rack made of 1/2" pvc tubing to force hot air through the tubes and caps.

[Daniel Unkefer]

A Friend built this "rack" for me that will hold eight tubes.

[chris_4622]

I put the tubes in a tub of water and tip one at a time up at an angle to load. The film slides right in. Afterward I pour the water out and it's ready to have the cap with developer put on. This way I never have to dry the tubes between batches. The film loads and unloads easier when the tubes are filled with water.

[Kirk Gittings]

So let me get this straight. I'm not following this.
You have a big tub of water in the dark with unloaded loose tubes in it. Then you load each tube (how do you do this with wet fingers picking up dry film?) IE this becomes a presoak? Then you add the caps with developer?