I just purchased a Doran daylight cut film tank and tried it out yesterday. It works fine, but I am frustrated b/c it takes a lot more chemistry than I am used to with my Patterson tank (I use about 500 ml for 120 and 35mm film). I can't turn it on its side and use it half-full b/c then the liguid just leaks out. I live in an apartment and use my bathroom, so keeping gallon jugs of chemistry is not practical. Tray processing is too awkward for me (scratches, the fumes get to me, etc). Would it hurt the sheet film to maybe put it in the Paterson tank and process like 120, or is this too much bending of the film. Thanks for advice or ideas.

-- Andy (drewu3000@aol.com), August 30, 2001

Answers

I also develop my B&W film in my apartment.

If the doran tank is anything like the yankee cut film tank, the whole reason it takes so much chemistry is that it's meant to process 12 sheets instead of one or two. 55 oz of chemistry are required for the yankee tank, and that corresponds to 4.6 oz per sheet, or 138 mL of fluid per sheet, which is pretty much the same (actually only slightly more) than the amount needed to process in BTZS tubes.

One way that I've gotten around the massive chemical usage in the yankee is by machining a block of UHMW that takes up volume in the tank not occupied by film. That way, when I only do 6 sheets, all the other volume in the tank is cut down by a little less than half.

It might not hurt to put 4x5 into a paterson tank (give it a try), but you're still going to be using a boatload of chemistry for a single sheet of film.

The cheapest alternative are BTZS tubes.

-- edward kang (ekang@cse.nd.edu), August 30, 2001.

Combi-Plan-T

-- Bob salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), August 30, 2001.

Andy, I'll go along with Bob and recommend the CombiPlan.

-- paul owen (paulowen_2000@yahoo.com), August 30, 2001.

And the Combi is a daylight processing tank.

-- Bob Salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), August 30, 2001.

I use two Combi-plan tanks due to the long fill times. I start by loading the film holder in the dark and putting it into a dry tank. I then turn the lights on and fill the second tank with developer. When I am ready to begin the development, I turn off the lights and move the film from the dry tank to the filled tank while starting the timer. While the film is developing I fill the "dry" tank with stop bath. When the development time is up, I turn off the lights and move the film to the stop bath tank as the timer sounds. When it is time for fixer, I use the Combi-plan funnel and drain as the timing is less critical. I get great negatives with this method.

-- David Rose (DERose1@msn.com), August 30, 2001.

I, too have used the Combi-Plan. You do have to load exactly as directed to avoid problems as I recall. I don't believe you can process just one sheet, for instance...something about the sheet becoming dislodged? Bob S., maybe you could clarify this? or perhaps that limitation has been solved in later examples. Another possibility is tray processing. I built some slosh racks as have been talked about elsewhere in this forum and have had excellent and consistent results. I'll even do one sheet in a 5x7 tray on occasion. This is pretty economical as far as volume of chemistry. Another possibilty is the old Nikor SS tank that was made for cut film. Only problem with it is the support rungs sometimes prevent total clearing of the anti-halation dye on the base. This is easily gotten rid of with Sodium Bisulfite solution.

-- Robert A. Zeichner (info@razeichner.com), August 30, 2001.

You can process one sheet to 6 sheets using 1 sheet per slot or 12 sheets of B&W using 2 sheets per slot back to back.

In all cases the film holding clip has to be used and not broken.

-- Bob Salomon (bob@hpmarketingcorp.com), August 31, 2001.

Thanks for all the constructive help everyone. I am going to look at all the alternatives suggested. In the meantime, I have decided to try to tray process again, if nothing else, I will stick with 1 negative at a time to avoid scratching and a lot of fumbling in the dark while buzzing from the fumes. I never have more than 2-4 negs to process at this stage anyway. I am learning this is a whole different world than roll film in so many ways and requires a lot more patience and perseveration. Thanks!!!

-- Andy (drewu3000@aol.com), August 31, 2001.