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Thread: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Oct 2015
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    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Quote Originally Posted by neildw View Post
    I have been considering moving over to a patterson tank with the mod54.
    Don't know, but I have no trust in the Stearman at this point no more and my images are to valuable to loose to such a problem.
    If you're thinking about going the Paterson route, you may want to consider this:

    https://www.bounetphoto.com/bounet-s...eveloping-reel

    I've never used a Mod54, but I do use this reel and it does what it's supposed to.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Apr 2020
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    300

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    I find the lid on the Stearman closes better if you press down in the middle of the top, instead of the ends. Still drips a bit from the caps, though. And yes, 450ml seems to work better than 475ml.

    I picked up one of the 6 slot 20th century reels to use in a 3 reel paterson, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet, so I can't say how well it works. Seems OK to load, though.

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Purcellville, VA
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    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    neildw, I sympathize with your frustration, and certainly you need to find something you're happy with. I have found the folks at Stearman to be very helpful and concerned about their customers' experience. I use a 12-sheet Jobo tank for large runs, but for my money, the 445 is outstanding for one to four sheets, allowing me to experiment with procedures, chemistry, etc. efficiently and economically. The one issue I had with it, though somewhat mystifying for a few days, was resolved, and I have found it reliable otherwise.

    Best wishes on resolving your problem, however you decide to do so.
    Philip Ulanowsky

    Sine scientia ars nihil est. (Without science/knowledge, art is nothing.)
    www.imagesinsilver.art
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/156933346@N07/

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    London
    Posts
    73

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Mine started leaking a bit after two years but check out the site, they have great tips on using the system. I was going to order a new O ring but one of the tips is to take it off and rotate it a bit and that did the trick. Also they recommend a smear of vaseline or similar on the ring which in fact is something I already did learned from sub aqua. I think they produce great products and like everything some care and maintenance is required.

  5. #15

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Quote Originally Posted by neildw View Post
    I have been considering moving over to a patterson tank with the mod54.
    Don't know, but I have no trust in the Stearman at this point no more and my images are to valuable to loose to such a problem.
    I have had uneven development on the inner most sheets with the mod54, which is easily solvable by only using the two outer most slots on each side. Suck to only be able to do 4 sheets at a time rather than 6, but it is what it is.

  6. #16
    jvo's Avatar
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    May 2010
    Posts
    66

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Quote Originally Posted by BrianShaw View Post
    Don’t forget to squeeze when tightening the last cap.

    +++++++++++++++++++++++++1

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    334

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Quote Originally Posted by grat View Post
    I picked up one of the 6 slot 20th century reels to use in a 3 reel paterson, but I haven't had a chance to test it yet, so I can't say how well it works. Seems OK to load, though.
    I haven’t used mine yet either, but I’ve used their 2x3 and 6x9 models quite a bit, and have found it easy to load, and simple to process. The drawback of the 4x5 model is you’ll use 1l of chemicals for 6 sheets, so it’s not quite as efficient as the SP-445, but it’s not too bad.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    234

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Quote Originally Posted by neildw View Post
    I have been considering moving over to a patterson tank with the mod54.
    Don't know, but I have no trust in the Stearman at this point no more and my images are to valuable to loose to such a problem.
    This is what I use. Great results every time. I haven't done 6 at once yet, but I'm sure the loading is just as easy as 4.

  9. #19

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    Nov 2019
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    New Jersey
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    234

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Quote Originally Posted by abruzzi View Post
    I haven’t used mine yet either, but I’ve used their 2x3 and 6x9 models quite a bit, and have found it easy to load, and simple to process. The drawback of the 4x5 model is you’ll use 1l of chemicals for 6 sheets, so it’s not quite as efficient as the SP-445, but it’s not too bad.
    This doesn't bother me too much since I save the stop and fixer for making prints after the negatives dry.

  10. #20

    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    103

    Re: Stearman Press leaking like crazy

    Pushing down the SP-445 lid in the middle after loading the sheets, and then doing the squeeze the sides thing after adding in the chemicals has worked pretty consistently. Leaks are minimal or not at all with these two steps.

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