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Thread: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

  1. #11

    Join Date
    Aug 2000
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    California
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    3,908

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    We used D-23 at the college. Each user was responsible to add more developer to the tank to bring it up to the full line. Not replenisher, D-23. Each tank was changed at the beginning of a new semester. The highly used developer I bottled for use at home on negatives made of flat images in flat light.

  2. #12

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Forgot about D-23. Good idea. I’ve been trying to use the less-thirsty MOD54 plastic reels/Patterson tank, with pretty poor results. HC-110 seems to be popular with large formats, so I may play around with the dilutions mentioned above. Maybe wait until I have more exposed film before processing, as I’ve got plenty of hangars and tanks. Many thanks for all your ideas and comments — this is a great group.

  3. #13

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Good idea. I can make my own floating lid.

  4. #14

    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    SooooCal/LA USA
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    2,802

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Another tip for the hard rubber tanks is to not leave developer and other chems in them for prolonged periods as the solutions dry slightly and leave a ring/stain with crust that solids can get into solutions leaving debris that can attach to film... The tanks can permanently stain, and a photographer I know had to throw out tanks that the walls seriously distorted... And they were disgustingly crusty...

    For 3 1/2 gallon tanks, they are hard to drain, but for tanks under a gallon, not hard to empty into a large graduate or pail and then funnel into a sealed bottle... And it gives you a chance to filter the solution to remove submerged dust/debris that's there...

    Even stainless tanks can rust over long intervals from prolonged chem exposure...

    I use a dilute version of DK-50 as a one-shot in my tanks and fresh/consistent in use, and as dilute, economical to use...

    Steve K

  5. #15

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Quote Originally Posted by LabRat View Post
    Another tip for the hard rubber tanks is to not leave developer and other chems in them for prolonged periods as the solutions dry slightly and leave a ring/stain with crust that solids can get into solutions leaving debris that can attach to film... The tanks can permanently stain, and a photographer I know had to throw out tanks that the walls seriously distorted... And they were disgustingly crusty...

    For 3 1/2 gallon tanks, they are hard to drain, but for tanks under a gallon, not hard to empty into a large graduate or pail and then funnel into a sealed bottle... And it gives you a chance to filter the solution to remove submerged dust/debris that's there...

    Even stainless tanks can rust over long intervals from prolonged chem exposure...

    I use a dilute version of DK-50 as a one-shot in my tanks and fresh/consistent in use, and as dilute, economical to use...

    Steve K

  6. #16

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Thanks for that. These are half gallon rubber tanks and pouring chems back in bottles is easy.

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Posts
    1,700

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    I would choose a published formula for developer and developer replenisher, get some floating lids and some bottles and get to it . I had a 1 gallon glass bottle that I scratched a line at 1 gallon. I used that gallon for half gallon 4x5 and 1 gallon 5x7. Lasted over a year never died.

    Obvious choices are old published formulas from Kodak. D-76, D-23, DK-50. All, have proper replenisher formulas as well. You can use XTOL as well, replenish following the instructions. I love deep tanks so quick to get going.

  8. #18

    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Iowa City, Iowa
    Posts
    1,700

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Quote Originally Posted by Wordsandpixels View Post
    Good idea. I can make my own floating lid.
    I've only used floating lids for a few hours at a time with the smaller tanks, best to keep developer and fixer in a nice bottle overnight etc. Get a quart, pint, and 2 half pint bottles for the replenisher. Use the small bottles first then decant the Quart into the pint and 2 half pints. That way your replenisher will last for 6 months or better. Get on Ebay and find a nice old school Ohaus mechanical balance, Harvard Trip balance or a triple beam. So darn much fun.

  9. #19

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    I have used x-tol and pmk. Both work fine.

    David

  10. #20

    Re: Best Developer For 4x5 Hard Rubber 1/2 Gallon Tanks

    Thanks all. I'm leaning towards D-23 with replenisher, draining the tanks after use, keep it simple. I saw videos on how to make up D-23 with just kitchen spoon measures. Do I need balance scales? I never even took chemistry, and if I did would have undoubtedly failed it :-)

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