WET PLATE SILVER BOX IDEAL ID dim

[Tin Can]

Looking for advice on sizing the inside of wet plate silver dip tanks

Planning to assemble my own with cut to size acrylic from perhaps this supplier


https://www.tapplastics.com/product/...o_size_plastic

5X7, 8X10 and 11X14 but not all at once

No plans to sell anything

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I have done pretty well with 1" openings. Any larger and you spend too much money on silver nitrate, and smaller may cause scrapes on the top of the plate as you move it in and out. You also need to consider the thickness of the dipper.

[paulbarden]

Looking for advice on sizing the inside of wet plate silver dip tanks

Planning to assemble my own with cut to size acrylic from perhaps this supplier


https://www.tapplastics.com/product/...o_size_plastic

5X7, 8X10 and 11X14 but not all at once

No plans to sell anything

Are you going to make a single box (not an inner and outer) using black acrylic? I can measure my Lund boxes and give you the dimensions, if that'd help

[paulbarden]

Lund silver box for 8x10 plates measures 12” tall x 11.5” wide and 1” deep. The interior of the box is 3/4” deep and about 10.5” wide (it has 1/2” thick side walls so you can put hardware in the side pieces for legs/support).

Filled to the top, the box should hold a volume of about 1500ml, but you won’t ever fill it more than about 1100- 1200ml to allow for displacement by the dip paddle and a 1/4” thick piece of glass. (The thickest piece of plate you’re likely to use)

[Two23]

Lund silver box for 8x10 plates measures 12” tall x 11.5” wide and 1” deep. The interior of the box is 3/4” deep and about 10.5” wide (it has 1/2” thick side walls so you can put hardware in the side pieces for legs/support).

Filled to the top, the box should hold a volume of about 1500ml, but you won’t ever fill it more than about 1100- 1200ml to allow for displacement by the dip paddle and a 1/4” thick piece of glass. (The thickest piece of plate you’re likely to use)

That's same as my Lund tank. It works well.


Kent in SD

[C. D. Keth]

When I made one it had an inside thickness of 5/8" and that was plenty for me. I made a Z-profile dipper out of 1.5" wide acrylic that went the whole way to the bottom and stuck out the top enough that manipulation was very easy. Just ride it down and back up the wall of the tank to be sure the plate doesn't come up off the dipper and you don't need much room. It's been a while but I want to say total volume for 8x10 plates was only a liter or so.

[Two23]

There have been some complaints that dippers that are solid all the way across the bottom can create swirl marks on the plate. They posted examples. The Lund uses three or four stainless steel hangers. My Lund 8x10 holds about 1.5L. If there's too little you will be constantly refilling it and I suppose the alcohol and ether build up could become a problem faster. Too much capacity would cost more $$. If you plan on using this in the field you need to do one of two things. Either make the lid very tight seal and locked down when traveling or pour the solution out into a well sealed bottle before leaving. The very last thing you want is a liter or so of silver nitrate solution getting loose. Even a teaspoon getting out could be a major pain in the ass.


Kent in SD

[goamules]

Never heard/saw that one. I use a plastic dipper of various sorts of bottoms. Technique is very important with wetplate. You can have two people using the exact same setup, on the same day and location, and one will have clean plates, and one with a bunch of problems and flaws. I see it in every workshop I'd held.

[Tin Can]

All good advice

Been researching welding acrylic this guy has some ideas https://youtu.be/Mx10ZN9Jigo

SS lifter a good idea

I have SS wire left over from darkcloth hoops for Linhof, C1 and Deardorff

Thank you

[Ari]

Just ordered an acrylic tank for 4x5 from Lerouge camera in France.
Looks very well made, price was very reasonable. He claims a capacity of 350 mL (and 1L for the 8x10 tank).

A review of the tanks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDv-E8n3xVg