Stacking film developing trays

[Louie Powell]

How did you make the cuts? I am thinking mostly about the slices with the curved radius toward the middle of each compartment, but also about the individual pieces.

I just drilled holes in the base for mine, and scored and broke the acrylic. All of the holes and edges of the breaks required sanding. I also beveled the holes with a file.

For what its worth, it seemed to me as if the cheaper acrylic sheets sold at Home Depot and OSH are a bit more ridgid than the higher-priced Lexan. This helps when you get into 11 x 14 and larger sloshers so they resist flexing when you agitate or remove them from the tray.

I used a hole saw to cut the round holes. Then I used a table saw to cut the tangential lines. Easy to do - but you absolutely MUST wear eye protection when cutting acryllic with power tools - to definitely don't want to get the chips in your eyes.

All of the cuts require sanding, but be careful to not distort the edges that are to be glued.

IMO, Lexan is overkill for this application.

By the way, when you use a slosher, you always put the film into the compartments emulsion side up. Even so, you want to make sure that there are no burrs on any of the interior cuts that could scratch the back (non-emulsion side) of the film. Agitation is either by rocking the tray with the slosher inside, or by lifting alternate corners of the slosher and then dropping them back into the solutions.

[David Karp]

Louie,

Yes, I agree, emulsion side up, and Lexan is a waste of money here. (If it had been more rigid, I might have invested the extra money to use it for my 9 sheet slosher, but it is not, so I happily bought the cheap stuff. I seem to alternate between both types of agitation methods, depending on how what I touch first, the tray or the slosher. It doesn't seem to make a difference.

Thanks for the information on the cutting instruments. I will give it a try (with shop glasses over my eyeglasses). Whenever I think of doing something stupid when working with tools I hear my Jr. High shop teacher yelling at me!

[cyrus]

Next stage in the evolution of the slosher: double-decker slosher!

[Donald Qualls]

The traditional way to cut Plexiglas, Lucite, and Lexan is on a table saw. Don't linger in the cut, or the spinning blade will melt the plastic, use a hollow ground blade if possible (for clearance in the kerf), or use a blade with extra set on the teeth. You can also cut this material with a bandsaw (again, keep the cut moving to avoid melting), jigsaw, coping saw, and in thin sheets with a utility knife in multiple passes or with a hot knife.

Question -- how much liquid do you need in an 8x10 tray for a 4-sheet slosher? I'm processing 4-6 sheets in 250 ml right now, in food containers masquerading as 5x7 trays...

[Louie Powell]

Donald -

I use HC-110, dilution H, and mix working solution in 800ml batches. When I started with HC-110, it was for 35mm, and I have a graduate that ihas marks for measuring stock solution for either my one or two roll tank. It is purely a matter of convenience for me to use two of the two-roll measures to make 800 ml of working solution.

The key point is that all of the sheets must be covered by the solution between agitation cycles. I designed my sink bottom to have a slight slope toward the drain, so that means that the solution depth is slightly less on one side of the tray. My experience is that 800ml is sufficient in my 11x14 tray with a six-sheet slosher. Obviously, it's more than enough in an 8x10 tray with the two-sheet version, but dilution H working solution is cheap, and its easier to use to much than to take the time to figure out how little I can get away.

[David Karp]

Donald,

Thanks for the tips on cutting. I was thinking of using my jigsaw for some cuts (I'll get a plastic cutting blade), and a mitre saw. I'll clamp the plastic down good and tight and make sure not to cut too slow.

For developer quantities, I have always tried to follow the Anchell and Troop recommendations. For each 8x10 inches of film: 250ml of undiluted developer, 500ml for diluted developers (D-76 1:1, Rodinal 1:25 - 1:50, FX1, FX2, HC110 1:31 from concentrate, PMK), and 1L for very dilute developers (D-76 1:3, Rodinol 1:100, Fx2 1:1, HC110 1:90 from concentrate). I followed their recommendations when I was using D-76 and X-TOL at 1:1 or 1:3.

If the tray is not big enough, I would go to a bigger tray.

Lately, I use a two bath developer, which I would treat under the A & T suggestions above as undiluted. I usually put around 1L in the tray anyway, just to be sure the film is covered and make for more gentle agitation.