I made 2 slosher type trays, one for 4x5 and one for 4x10. I used them with Pyrocat HD and minimal agitation. I have since switched to a JOBO for the convenience and so I can also run C-41.
Two of mine are very similar to Richards except I use a few 1/16" plexi dowels to separate the compartments. The others, which I use more often, are made of 24 gauge stainless steel wire which are welded at point of crossover. The wire are the best because there is no danger of currents forming streaks on film.
Always emulsion up. agitation by lifting corners of tray.
Thank you! The 4x5 is made of 1/8 inch acrylic (Plexiglass) that I had on hand. I don't remember what adhesive I used—it was a long time ago— but I think probably Epoxy. The 4x10 tray is 1/8 PVC and I used plumbing pipe adhesive. I found that the Slosher type trays on the market didn't work well for me as they don't have enough open space which caused uneven development, so I made mine more open and they work very well.
The best adhesive for acrylic is acrylic cement. Weld-On 4 is “water thin”. Apply a small amount along a tightly fitting joint and capillary action pulls the cement throughout the joint. For imperfect joints, such as a piece that was cut by hand with a hacksaw, Weld-On 16 which has a consistency more like model airplane glue is better.
I was first exposed to sloshers in a workshop with Chip Forelli, and when I got home I made my own from plexiglass. I used plexiglass cement - a specialty item that I found at a glass shop.
I always loaded them emulsion side up to avoid the risk that the emulsion might rub on the bottom of the slosher. In addition to scratching, the problem with processing emulsion down is that there is a tendency for air to get trapped under the film, and if the emulsion is down, that can lead to ineven processing. If the sheets are emulsion up, chemicals will flow over the surface resulting in very even development.
You want the edges of that hole in the bottom to be very smooth (use sandpaper), but emulsion up is just safer. That said, the issue then becomes fingernails (DAMHIKT). I found that wearing latex or nitrile gloves solved that problem while also avoiding the need to have your hands in the solutions.
Yes, the entire process is done in the dark, at least up to about half-way through fixing. After that, you can turn on the lights. It is a good idea to lift the corners of the individual sheets to make sure that fixer and all subsequent chemicals get to both sides of the sheet, but that's mainly to assure that the antihalation dye is thoroughly washed out.
Bookmarks