Seeking manual for FR Adjustable Cut Film Tank DT-500

[PunkFunkDunk]

If anyone has a PDF to share that would be much appreciated.


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[Alan Townsend]

If anyone has a PDF to share that would be much appreciated.


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I have the Doran tank that is identical to this one, with a paper manual. It has very fine print, will be hard to read with phone scan, but will try doing that in the next few days as time allows. I need to find it first.

Most people hate these tanks. I love mine, and have used it for about 30 years off and on. The secret is to use very dilute developer with 52 oz. of measured fluid in the tank and to agitate very very gently by moving it about a centimeter gently forward and back a few times per minute. If fluid sloshes out, you are agitating too strongly. For example, I used D23 with 1:3 dilution for 20 minutes with most camera films I used in it in the past. Currently, I use it for Fuji HRU xray film cut to 4x5 and develop D23 1:7 for 20 minutes. Works great for that. Since it takes nearly a minute to fill or drain the tank, shoot for a dilution that gives about a 20 minute developing time.

You need the loading slit to load in the dark, which may not be with yours. Its a U shaped plastic piece that fits over the top of the tank to help guide the film in place. It doesn't help much without mods. I made a little jig that holds the tank and loader using rubber bands to tension the loader in place so it doesn't move position accidentally. Also, a clip over the top of the film to hold it in place, which is not really needed. I also place white electrical tape across both edges of the loader to make the slit easier to see under red safelite for loading xray film.

Easier for me to answer questions than find and scan my manual.

Alan Townsend

[PunkFunkDunk]

Thank you for your advice, Alan. Yes, mine came with the loading guide piece which is helpful.


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[esearing]

Tip; Put the tank in a 5x7 tray and agitate sliding the tray side to side in a small arc so that you create a wave, if any spills out you can dump it back in. I like the FR better than the Yankee tank for loading. Now I mainly use these for washing film after processing in Stearman SP445.

[Alan Townsend]

I have the Doran tank that is identical to this one, with a paper manual. It has very fine print, will be hard to read with phone scan, but will try doing that in the next few days as time allows. I need to find it first.

Most people hate these tanks. I love mine, and have used it for about 30 years off and on. The secret is to use very dilute developer with 52 oz. of measured fluid in the tank and to agitate very very gently by moving it about a centimeter gently forward and back a few times per minute. If fluid sloshes out, you are agitating too strongly. For example, I used D23 with 1:3 dilution for 20 minutes with most camera films I used in it in the past. Currently, I use it for Fuji HRU xray film cut to 4x5 and develop D23 1:7 for 20 minutes. Works great for that. Since it takes nearly a minute to fill or drain the tank, shoot for a dilution that gives about a 20 minute developing time.

You need the loading slit to load in the dark, which may not be with yours. Its a U shaped plastic piece that fits over the top of the tank to help guide the film in place. It doesn't help much without mods. I made a little jig that holds the tank and loader using rubber bands to tension the loader in place so it doesn't move position accidentally. Also, a clip over the top of the film to hold it in place, which is not really needed. I also place white electrical tape across both edges of the loader to make the slit easier to see under red safelite for loading xray film.

Easier for me to answer questions than find and scan my manual.

Alan Townsend

The manual is not very good, especially in the how to agitate department. Yes, you agitate in direction the film is, but I repeat that if any solution comes out, you are agitating way too strongly. Forget the wave, you are not moving developer between septums of film, you are stirring it within each septum. The septums are the spaces between each pair of films. I have medium sized hands for a man and am old, but I can easily hold the top down with my thumbs with my fingers under the tank for dumping solutions out. Many use tape or rope to hold the top in place.

People who have developed roll film in spiral tanks have learned to agitate a lot due to the small spaces between the layers of film. These tanks are the opposite. Pretend you have never developed film before when you use them. They were developed in the 1920's for sheet films at a time when aprons or move the film through the developer when holding the ends using a tank methods were used.

Here's my copy of my manual:

[jnantz]

I have 4 FR tanks, I was never able to find manuals for it, but I read advice on photo.net that had to with rocking slowly on a pencil. I used ansco 130 (formulary130) 1:6 that way for about 8 minutes, it worked OK, I also stand developed the same film eyeball measured / tablespoon caffenol with a splash ( maybe 20cc ) of ansco 130 for somewhere between 30-40 minutes depending on when I remembered to look, negatives were fantastic .. can't lose with those tanks, unless you don't have the flat piece that sits on top to keep the film in place, then the film likes to rise up and revolt.

have fun!

[PunkFunkDunk]

Thank you for sharing the similar manual. Just one question: when it says agitate in direction of film sheets does that mean if I’m looking down at the tank and the sheets run horizontal relative to that view then I agitate from left to right, parallel to the horizontal?


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[Alan Townsend]

Thank you for sharing the similar manual. Just one question: when it says agitate in direction of film sheets does that mean if I’m looking down at the tank and the sheets run horizontal relative to that view then I agitate from left to right, parallel to the horizontal?


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Yes, that's the only direction you can agitate, the same direction that the film is in. Agitating perpendicularly, the films make get knocked out of their slits. I don't think the person that wrote this manual ever developed film with it. I find the easiest way to agitate is to rotate the tank so the film is going front to back. To agitate, pick up the tank with both handes, fingers under the bottom and thumbs holding the top down, and gently move the tank away from you, then towards you four or five times in about four or five seconds kind of sinusoidaly, not sharply like the manual suggests, and then put it down. Using a print tray for working surface is good to catch spills of course.

Over agitation of these always gives uneven development; more at the top and less at the bottom. This would show as one side being denser than the other in portrait mode. To empty, hold the same way and rotate towards you holding the top down firmly with your thumbs.

Alan Townsend

[PunkFunkDunk]

Thank you. Wonderful advice.


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[dsphotog]

To control leakage, I put masking tape around the lid, leaving a tab at the corner for pouring out.