Issue with Jobo Process operation - Lift arm

[Duolab123]

Omer had a "handle", a Catlabs product, it was offered a few years back. No longer available.

http://processorparts.blogspot.com/2...er-30-for.html

[bob carnie]

Ok just finished a run, I followed Bernice method , works well for me, I am getting a machinist here though, the off and on of the tank for each component will eventually wear out the plastic gears so I think
the best is to have a lift arm designed that comes up from behind the tank to lift and drop easily, the arms themselves look like they can take on attachments easily .
I will post when I have something done I am in the middle of a super large order of large format film processing that will take me a couple of months to work through.

[bob carnie]

Omer had a "handle", a Catlabs product, it was offered a few years back. No longer available.

http://processorparts.blogspot.com/2...er-30-for.html

Yes he showed me this I am going to show my guy this jpeg,

[Alan9940]

I am going to get someone to look at my unit , I just did a run and like Alan said it does help but it still made a cracking sound getting my hands under the lift, I think its doable and will post a design if I can make it work.

By "cracking sound", are you referring to the gear sound if the teeth don't align properly when lifting up/down the drum? I get this occasionally when doing the lift up and have never worried about it. When returning the drum to its operating position (that is, the down "lift") I lower the drum to a position just before it's to engage, wait until the motor is reversing back, then lower completely. Sometimes I miss it a bit, but most times there is no sound.

Some kind of extension to the rail unit would certainly be helpful, but the unit I remember being available years ago looked pretty flimsy to me. Not much use if the extension can't handle the weight of a full drum. Also, with an extension I'm thinking the lift would have to be exactly even and simultaneous with both hands, otherwise you might bend the rails; that wouldn't be good! Honestly, I've never understood why the lift mechanism is so dinky on an otherwise pretty well-built processor.

[Oren Grad]

By "cracking sound", are you referring to the gear sound if the teeth don't align properly when lifting up/down the drum? I get this occasionally when doing the lift up and have never worried about it. When returning the drum to its operating position (that is, the down "lift") I lower the drum to a position just before it's to engage, wait until the motor is reversing back, then lower completely. Sometimes I miss it a bit, but most times there is no sound.

Same here.

Some kind of extension to the rail unit would certainly be helpful, but the unit I remember being available years ago looked pretty flimsy to me. Not much use if the extension can't handle the weight of a full drum. Also, with an extension I'm thinking the lift would have to be exactly even and simultaneous with both hands, otherwise you might bend the rails; that wouldn't be good! Honestly, I've never understood why the lift mechanism is so dinky on an otherwise pretty well-built processor.

Not sure it would need to be exactly even, just close enough not to put a major strain on any of the components. I'm pretty sure I'm not perfectly aligned when I'm lifting the rails-plus-drum with my hand.

[Michael R]

By "cracking sound", are you referring to the gear sound if the teeth don't align properly when lifting up/down the drum? I get this occasionally when doing the lift up and have never worried about it. When returning the drum to its operating position (that is, the down "lift") I lower the drum to a position just before it's to engage, wait until the motor is reversing back, then lower completely. Sometimes I miss it a bit, but most times there is no sound.

That seems like a good approach to me. I don’t own a machine but I imagine there’s a slight dwell time that makes this fairly easy.

[Duolab123]

Yes he showed me this I am going to show my guy this jpeg,

I will be a customer if your machinist comes up with a good solution. I can manage but it's a pain. Thanks for posting this.

[Duolab123]

I'm trying string next time. All I really need is to get it so I can get fingers under the rails. I almost knocked a drum off, need to lift with the rails not the tank.

[Oren Grad]

That seems like a good approach to me. I don’t own a machine but I imagine there’s a slight dwell time that makes this fairly easy.

There is but it's very brief, so one needs pay close attention to time it right. Just as Alan mentioned, sometimes I don't quite nail it.

[Bernice Loui]

Not had any gear wear issues using the drum on-off method since the 90's when this Jobo was put in service, but it does depend on the number of on-off cycles. Not ideal, sorta ok band-aid.

Drum drive gears are replaceable. Think the drive gears and retainer is replaceable.

IMO the real solution is to add a helper handle for the frail twin lift mechanism. As delivered, as previously mentioned, that lift will bust using expert drums.. matter of when not if.


Bernice

the off and on of the tank for each component will eventually wear out the plastic gears so I think
the best is to have a lift arm designed that comes up from behind the tank to lift and drop easily, the arms themselves look like they can take on attachments easily .

I will post when I have something done I am in the middle of a super large order of large format film processing that will take me a couple of months to work through.