Anyone use the B&W King 5x7 (or 4x5) developing reel & tank (Nikor-like)?

[bw-man]

Maybe a stupid question, but can you adapt this design for 8x10" film? If yes and there's good results with pyro I'd buy in a second!

In addition to above: is the reason there’s no 8x10 tank because of the time it would take to fill? I see the only real option for a daylight tank for me is a Jobo Expert 3005 drum on manual roller base, but man they’re expensive...

Dear Tim V
Thanks for your attention to B&W KING.
B&W KING development tank design started in 2012, from 4X5, 5X7, to 13X18cm.Success, failure, success.It's a long way.
8X10 has also been studied and samples made.But there are difficulties:
1. B&W KING is a one-handed method to install film.8X10 film is very large, one hand operation is prone to vibration, film scratches.
2. B&W KING adopts a liquid-filled development mode.The 8X10 development tank reaches a height of 25cm.The stainless steel tank is filled with liquid and weighs more than 3kg.Manual operation is difficult.(I don't like lightweight materials like plastic.)
Of course, there are also technical difficulties in production and other problems that can not be overcome.So the 8X10 can design was abandoned.
Any equipment, technology, will be subject to the restrictions of conditions, sometimes is insurmountable.
Dare to challenge new things, and at the same time dare to admit failure, but also must have the will.
At present, B&W KING4X5, 5X7 and 13X18cm have achieved success in product design and are recognized, accepted and welcomed by photographers from more and more countries.I'm happy.
It is a great pleasure to talk with you. The encouragement of many photographers is to give me the confidence to do well in B&W KING.I thank you.
I can't speak English, this is a computer translation, probably not accurate, please forgive me.
Sincere greetings
Junjie liu

http://www.bw-king.com/

[Ironage]

I am having the problem with the band as well. Should the film be loaded emulsion facing out, or in? This was using the rotator for agitation, next time I will invert the tank.

[Alan9940]

Emulsion should face center of reel. I’ve only ever done inversion with this tank and it took some trial-n-error or eliminate the band. I found a slow, smooth inversion worked best.

[Francois Croizet]

Dear Junjie liu

I am trying to contact you via mail (www.bw-king.com) to get infos about you developping tank.

But it seems that your adress is not working. Do you have any other option to mail you directly ?

With best greards

Francois

[Alan9940]

Francois,

Maybe try contacting him via eBay? I just checked US-based eBay and he is still selling his tanks.

[David Aimone]

Emulsion side inward, definitely. What developer are you using? And is this 5x7?

I am having the problem with the band as well. Should the film be loaded emulsion facing out, or in? This was using the rotator for agitation, next time I will invert the tank.

[bw-man]

I am having the problem with the band as well. Should the film be loaded emulsion facing out, or in? This was using the rotator for agitation, next time I will invert the tank.

Dear Ironage
The problem with your photo is that it takes too long to turn the tank core during development.The rotation time is controlled at one turn per minute and there should be no problem with uneven development.
The picture below, which I took recently with a 5x7 camera, was developed with d-76 and diluted 1:1 for 16 minutes.B&W development tank, turn once a minute, the results should be satisfactory.
Everyone has different habits.I hope my experience will help you.
I haven't come to this forum for a long time. Sorry for the late reply.



Old man in rural China, le kai 5X7 film, July 2019

[LabRat]

I need to do a test of a Nikor 4X5 tank soon, and would like to know what others have standardized as an agitation method???

I will test developing of 8 sheets of Foma 100, in DK-50, and would like to test the starting point for the extended development... And what inverted agitation method and how often???

I know this has been covered, but this thread has become long and confusing, and discussions about different sizes and makes of tanks have been making my head spin...

Thanks for a clear and concise summary!!!

Happy new year,

Steve K

[Alan9940]

Steve,

I use the B&W King 4x5 tank and have never even seen a Nikkor 4x5 tank, but, based on pics of the Nikkor reel, etc, I'm thinking they're very similar. I do normal inversion agitation or stand development with the B&W King tank. However, due to the central band around the B&W reel (and associated issues as reported in this thread) I tend to agitate slowly and as smoothly as possible. Therefore, following an initial 30 secs of agitation I'll generally do only 2 inversions each minute thereafter. The initial agitation is, maybe, 8 inversions total. I simply adjust time, as needed, to compensate for the "decreased" agitation and have never had uneven development. Agitation methods for the Nikkor tank could be totally different, of course, so...YMMV. But, I hope something I've said here helps.

[David Aimone]

I also think this is somewhat dependent on the film and the developer. I just started using the 8x10 tank by 20th Century camera. These are different, probably plastic parts made by a 3D printer, but I have similar streaks on the back but only when using some films and developers, like the BW King. With those developers and films, inserting solved the problem.

However, since the middle bar on BOTH of these tanks are along the backside of the film, I am wondering if this is not uneven development, but a failure to completely remove the anti-halation layer on the back and/or incomplete fixing of silver on the back of the sheet. Next time I run some unimportant negatives through either, I'm going to invert the pre wash but nothing else. If I have streaks still on the back, I will fix them further in fresh fixer to see if they disappear.

Does that make any sense? If it was uneven development, why would it be right along the middle bar when that middle bar is not on the emulsion side???

Steve,

I use the B&W King 4x5 tank and have never even seen a Nikkor 4x5 tank, but, based on pics of the Nikkor reel, etc, I'm thinking they're very similar. I do normal inversion agitation or stand development with the B&W King tank. However, due to the central band around the B&W reel (and associated issues as reported in this thread) I tend to agitate slowly and as smoothly as possible. Therefore, following an initial 30 secs of agitation I'll generally do only 2 inversions each minute thereafter. The initial agitation is, maybe, 8 inversions total. I simply adjust time, as needed, to compensate for the "decreased" agitation and have never had uneven development. Agitation methods for the Nikkor tank could be totally different, of course, so...YMMV. But, I hope something I've said here helps.