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Thread: Stearman Press SP-810

  1. #41

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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Quote Originally Posted by dodphotography View Post
    Quick question and slightly off topic... how does this tank do with Pyro and if you used pyro would you be able to swap between a staining and non-staining developer? I'm just wondering about the plastic absorbing certain types of chemistry, just a simple (and probably stupid) question.
    I haven't used pyro in my SP-8x10, yet, but I have used it--along with other "normal" developers--in many other plastic tanks; never had an issue. My main concern with using it in this tank would be increased aerial oxidation due to the amount of chemistry hitting open air on the fill side. I'm guessing that something like Pyrocat-HD would fair better in this regard then, say, PMK.

  2. #42
    Foamer
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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    For Photoflo I might be doing something different from everyone else. After doing the final washing with tap water I drain off well. I then spread x3 drops of Photoflo on the negative and pour on about an inch or so of distilled water. I rock the tray a bit, let it sit a couple of minutes, then swish it around a bit more before draining. My negs are clean and I have no residue build up. Doesn't seem to take much Photoflo to get the benefit.


    Kent in SD
    In contento ed allegria
    Notte e di vogliam passar!

  3. #43

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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Quote Originally Posted by Two23 View Post
    For Photoflo I might be doing something different from everyone else. After doing the final washing with tap water I drain off well. I then spread x3 drops of Photoflo on the negative and pour on about an inch or so of distilled water. I rock the tray a bit, let it sit a couple of minutes, then swish it around a bit more before draining. My negs are clean and I have no residue build up. Doesn't seem to take much Photoflo to get the benefit.


    Kent in SD
    Yes, very little is needed. Photoflo is recommended as 1 to 200. For 500ml with the SP, that’s about 2.5 ml. I keep it mixed in a bottle that has probably gone through 100 developments and it’s still working fine. It may take a lifetime to go through a full bottle.... :-)

  4. #44

    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    I apply photoflo in a separate tray.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  5. #45
    C. D. Keth's Avatar
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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Quote Originally Posted by dodphotography View Post
    I apply photoflo in a separate tray.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Being a surfactant, applying the photoflo in the same tray as development might help avoid or delay any stain build up like you were worried about. Either way, a sponge out every X development cycles should take care of stain build up if it tends to happen. It shouldn't penetrate the plastic, just be a surface thing.
    -Chris

  6. #46

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    Feb 2011
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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Does anybody know non-UK sellers in Europe? I have found several in the UK but none in Spain, Germany etc... Best, Janne

  7. #47

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    Dec 2015
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    Erie, Colorado
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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Janne,
    Fotoimpex.de should have it in stock.

    Tim

  8. #48

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    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Mine arrived yesterday from Freestyle and today I used it twice for 5x7. I have been using the Paterson Orbital and comparing the two the obvious advantage of the Stearman is you can buy it new. Otherwise I will use one while the other is drying out. I do wish the cover for the Stearman has a mechanism so it can snap in place. I was extremely careful with the cover to the point of high anxiety. Also it is quite large compared to the Orbital but that’s a non-issue.

    I showed my wife the cover and said I need something to hold it shut so she made me two elastic bands that fit perfectly. Problem solved!

  9. #49

    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Quote Originally Posted by Rayt View Post
    Mine arrived yesterday from Freestyle and today I used it twice for 5x7. I have been using the Paterson Orbital and comparing the two the obvious advantage of the Stearman is you can buy it new.
    Excellent, I'd be very interested in your approach to using both with 5x7--I picked up an Orbital a few months before the Stearman became available for 5x7. FWIW, I'm using 400ml of solution with the Orbital in a water bath--definitely had a few problems using two 5x7's in relatively weak Pyrocat HD...hopefully I can see if having just one sheet produces a more robust negative.

  10. #50

    Re: Stearman Press SP-810

    Quote Originally Posted by DaveF View Post
    Quick note to say that I've just bought two of these for 8x10, and did my first two sheets last night (using Pyrocat HD). Really great for small spaces - a big advantage over using BTZS tubes, since no need for other large trays and/or a darkroom for the later stages after stop. Also don't need to keep going in and out of changing tent to change caps. Slightly quicker overall developing times than tubes even with non-constant agitation, since the fix and wash steps don't need to be so long, as the scallops in the base of the tray allow for chemistry to cover both sides of the film. The lid is a loose fit, which was a bit unnerving at first, but no problem in the end.

    Only disadvantage compared with tubes that I can see so far is that they're more fiddly to dry (lots of narrow internal grooves/channels), meaning that it's a bit more difficult to do multiple sheets of 8x10 in a single session. Anyone got any good tips for quick and easy drying beyond use of kitchen towel? Perhaps Q-tips/cotton buds; possibly also a hairdryer on low heat setting to blow the recalicitrant drops of water out. Thoughts?
    Hi Dave,

    New here in the forum and what lead me here was my search for reviews regarding the SP-810 with Pyrocat HD. Just wanted to ask you some questions as I'm planning to purchase the SP-810 to have more control with my agitation–my motorised rotary processor seems to be turning my JOBO tank too fast resulting in negatives that are too dense.

    1. What Pyrocat HD dilution are you using with the SP-810?
    2. What is your effective development time?
    3. What agitation technique have you been using?

    I'm asking the questions above as it will be my first time doing tray development for sheet film and that I've been reading a lot about extreme minimal agitation/stand/semi-stand development from Sandy King and Steve Shermaz-but not sure if their methods work well with trays, more so the SP-810.

    Looking forward to hear form you–great captures on Flickr by the way.

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