Daylight processing tank for x-ray film

[Tin Can]

I also use SS hangers, 4up 4X5, 2up 5X7 and 8X10

Bigger is tray developed

I have processed 14X36" 2 sided X-Ray by dipping and pulling it through a tray without a scratch

That was to make inter-negatives

OP did ask about X-Ray, not what else to use...

I also cut it to 2-1/4 X 3-1/4 and process in daylight with NiKOR cans

and more sizes, I will miss X-Ray when it's gone

[Jim Noel]

I just look at it's loss as another beloved product goneby the wayside. I have been through the loss of Super XX, Tri-x Ortho, Azo, all enlarging papers with cadmium bomide, and most of all being able to walk into the local drugstore, or the local camera shop and buy any chemical I needed w/o a prescription or form form for the drug agencies. Now I even have to drive to Arizona to get grain alcohol.

[dpaqu]

Thanks for the input. Looks like I need a man up and deal with the hassle of turning my bathroom into a darkroom or shoot regular film. I bought most of my 8x10 LF stuff in 2010-11 with the idea of shooting paper negs and x-ray film but life had other ideas and I have barely used it. Would really like to get going and take some pictures.

[aruns]

Hello,
just wanted to echo akoltek's message. hope this is useful for those thinking of using Stearman Press 8x10 daylight devt tank with Fuji film hr-u xray film (8x10).

I started off in 8x10 with fuji hr-u x-ray film and tray development. i use my garage (without running water) as darkroom, and i was looking to reduce the hassle of setting up and taking down the stuff whenever i processed film. (For the record, I use glass sheets with my trays, and it works well, and i am able to manage without too much scratches etc.).

When I visited Freestyle in LA, I picked up a Stearman Press 8x10 daylight development tank. My hope was, it would make the process of development easier than tray development.

I finally tried running 2 sheets through it.

1) dropped the first sheet in the tank, processed it with stand devt (rodinal 1:100, 20C, 6 min). the tank's floor has a few small round slots and rectangular spaces. (I guess these are useful when processing smaller sheets like 4x5). But with a 8x10 sheet, I guess the chemicals do not quite reach there / circulate properly. So these pockets and holes left weird artifacts / under-developed areas on the underside of the xray sheet. (the sheet has emulsion on both sides, as you may know by now - the chemicals need to reach there to remove all emulsion). there are about 9 round marks, about 1/4" in dia each, in a + arrangement, in the center of the sheet. the rectangular areas are about 2 inches by 1 inches long, and there are about 6 of those across the film. They too left really bad marks that looks like a cross section of a 2x4 wooden piece. the negative also had many small dots of underdeveloped areas, am guessing those are bubbles. there's no way the negative can be salvaged.

2) For the 2nd sheet, I tried using a glass plate inside the tank, and added some water on the top of the plate before dropping the film in (I was hoping to create a separation between the glass sheet and x-ray sheet, hoping the presence of water will facilitate better flow of chemicals there). Used the same development technique. Still, the xray sheet ended up sticking to the glass plate, and about 50-60% of the xray film area (on the bottom side) ended up undeveloped (not under developed. the pinkish emulsion was staring at me when i opened the tank). As i had opened the tank already, i couldn't quite use the fixer to wipe clear the unprocessed silver gelatin from the back side. this negative also was trashed.

Then I did my research and came across this thread. (Facepalm!)
As dpaqu mentioned above, I guess I'd also have to go back to tray development or pay up for photographic film.

Hope that helps. Cheers.