Tank Developing

[seabee1999]

Ok, please don't shoot me or put me under the bus. A couple of weekends ago, I went out and got me a Yankee daylight tank to develop my 4x5 sheets. It is what I could afford at the time. The tank comes with a lid, rack and a sheet film placing assist guide. I used this tank last night only to have about 3 or 4 of my sheets sandwiched together when I was developing. So those sheets were ruined. I cannot afford to get another tank so I have to use this one. For those who have used this before or currently use it, what is a good way to prevent films from being stuck together in the same developing slide of the internal rack?

God Bless,
David

[Benno Jones]

I haven't used a Yankee tank in a few years, but I have had occasional similar problems with FR tanks and the best advice I can give is be very careful when loading. With the FT, I start at the front and let the edge of the film pop over the dividers and count. Then after I've put the film into what should be the appropriate slot, I run my finger along the top of the film and count the sheets to make sure they match the number that I've put in. If the numbers don't match I go back to the last slot and check to make sure there's only one sheet in it, if not I move one sheet to the correct slot. You should be able to come up with a similar method that works for you and the Yankee tank.

[seabee1999]

Thank you for the help Benno. I'll just have to be more careful while loading everything up next time. Patience is the key in the end.

God Bless,
David

[Chuck Pere]

Do fewer sheets and leave a slot space between sheets. That might help.

[seabee1999]

That is an awesome idea Chuck. Thank you for sharing that. I might have been a bit over zealous last night.

God Bless,
David

[PaulRicciardi]

Do fewer sheets and leave a slot space between sheets. That might help.

That's exactly what I do.

I don't have access to anything but a Yankee tank either and I find that the best way to develop without problems is not to try and fill the whole tank but to just leave a slot between each sheet. Sometimes I will fill the whole tank but that's pretty rare as my volume of 4x5 shots is pretty low.

Good luck!

[Ted Felton]

Another thing to consider is when you agitate the tank do so in the direction that keeps the flat of the film facing you rather than agitating in the direction of the full film which would allow the developer, etc. to push on the film and buckle it. In other words, agitate on the long dimension rather than short side.

Ted

[Bryan Lemasters]

Agree with Ted. I had the same problem when I first used the Yankee tank. The direction of agitation should always be parallel with the film. Unfortunately that is only one of the issues w/ the Yankee tank. I eventually tossed mine due to continual problems with uneven development.

Bryan

[Doremus Scudder]

At the risk of sounding flippant (one of my more endearing characteristics...), why not ditch the tank and get three or four 5x7 trays? Then all you need is dark and a little skill. As you can guess, I am a tray developer. Sure it's low-tech and requires skill to keep from scratching negs, but the materials are cheap, simple and offer the most in flexibility, portability and simplicity.

"The simplest tools require the greatest skill."

Best,

Doremus Scudder

[seabee1999]

At the risk of sounding flippant (one of my more endearing characteristics...), why not ditch the tank and get three or four 5x7 trays? Then all you need is dark and a little skill. As you can guess, I am a tray developer. Sure it's low-tech and requires skill to keep from scratching negs, but the materials are cheap, simple and offer the most in flexibility, portability and simplicity.

"The simplest tools require the greatest skill."

Best,

Doremus Scudder

If I had space, I would. As is, the tank does the trick until I can get a bigger space. I have thought of it though.

God Bless,
David