Graflex.org

[Baker]

I have an old Fink-Roselieve sheet film daylight developing tank --- squareish, with a lid and light trap, and slots inside to hold the film. How do I use it? I'd guess it's similar in basic principle to developing rollfilm in a daylight, but what about agitation? It doesn't have the sort of seals required to turn it upside down, as one would with a lttle rollfilm tank (should it?).

[alecj]

I haven't heard of anybody who really got good agitation out of the FR tanks, because of the inability to invert [no seals].

[45PSS]

If I am correct in assuming it is simular to the "Yankee" tank then agitation is accomplished by covering vent and pour holes with your fingers and shaking side to side. It's ok for B&W but not for color.
I suggest using it as a paper weight and buying a JOBO 2521 tank and Sheet Film Reel 2509n, about $95 and worth every penny.
Charles

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While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a quality photograph is worth a million.

[ This Message was edited by: 45PSS on 2002-07-31 19:17 ]

[WLeach]

Maybe I'm a fluke, but I've used my Yankee tank for the past year with great success. I've found that simple side to side agitation "about 3 every 30 seconds" has given me consistent results. Of course my development times are about 15 min. with stock Perceptol.
Granted a tank with film holders is much preferred. But it sure beats tray development in the dark, as I have to do with my 6 1/2 x 8 1/2.
If your consistent with your procedures, you'll get consistent results.

[45PSS]

The 2509n reel I mentioned previously holds 6 sheets of 6 x 9; 9 x 12; 4 x 5.

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The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

[Lensman]

Agitation Instructions from FR company manual for their Cut film developing tank....
"Immediately after pouring in the developer, grasp the tank in the right hand with the air vent knowb protruding between the thumb and index finger; the thumb on the cover and the four fingers on the side of the tank. Support the tank with the left hand underneath. Move the tank sharply back and forth, in a horizontal plane, away and toward the body. This method of agitation allows fresh developer to continually come into contact with the emulsion side of the film. Agitate for 10 seconds every minute during development.
Caution: Agitation in the wrong direction (perpendicular to emulsion side of the film) may cause film to be jarred loose from its retainer groove.
Spots, streaks, air-bells, under-developed areas and over-developed areas resulting from developer acceleration by oxidized organic agents can be traced directly to improper loading and/or insufficient or improper agitation:
1. Be certain the the retainer bar is firmly pressing film into grooves. Films should take the semi circular shape of the retainer grooves, preventing the possibility of entrapped oxidized developer.
2. Load film so that the emulsion side is away from the wall of the groove.
Note: You will insure perfect results by loading films so that the emulsion side is on the inside of the curve in a concave position after inserting them in the tank."
There are more instructions which would be too lengthy to post.

[Baker]

[Lensman]

ATTN: BAKER...
Send me an email TO- lenw@telus.net
and I will send you first two pages (jpg),to see if you can read them. Your email will provide me with your email address.

[sobahguy]

one quick question about the F-R tanks....
i have one & for the time being its what i'm using for strictly 4x5 negs, although ideally i'd like the Jobo equip mentioned previously.
anyway, is there an ideal way to load the sheets into it. damn if it isn't a time consuming task to load sheets into the correct slots and just when i thought i'd done a slam-bang job of it, i open the tank up halfway through the fixer and lo-and-behold there's not a straight negative in the whole bloody lot! the negs came out quite well for an initial effort, although a couple of them had dropout streaks on them that will print black.
anyone with hard-learned experience who could offer advice i would appreciate hearing from. perhaps instructions on loading sheets could be copy/pasted here or could email to me; if email, please send PM.
Thanks for any help.
Hopefully, SG

[ This Message was edited by: sobahguy on 2002-09-06 18:01 ]

[Les]

Well I haven't used an FR tank all that much, but what I do with my HP and Yankee tank is to use the edge of the film to count off the notches.

Lets assume the FR holds 8 sheets I'd grab the first sheet of film by the sides close to the bottom. Let it come down and touch the rails as though its going into the slot closest to a wall, then stop. Now the film isn't into the slot more than 1/8" but enough to that you can feel the rails that keep it away from slot #2.
Now I drag the film toward the inside of the tank, the film makes a tick noise like a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle. I count off four ticks and that's the slot I drop the first one. The second sheet gets three ticks and so one until I get to the wall.
Then I rotate the tank and start over again--4, 3, 2.

Then I feel the top edges of the film and make sure they aren't converging into each other.

Inthe case of an FR tank witout a basket, I'd try one of two methods.

A. Start with a two minute water pre-soak. The water should be the same temp as the developer. This will soften the emulsion somewhat with water rather than developer and should lessen the streaking from dribbling in the developer from the top onto dry film.

B. Pour the developer into the tank in the dark with the top off. I wouldn't do this if you dark room is the bathroom after 10pm


Options for people on the edge....

C. Use Diafine. this is a two part developer. It's not sensitive to time or temp. 3-5 minutes in A the same in B. It does give a 1/2 to one stop boost in speed, and you shouldn't pre soak with this developer.

D. Go dilute. Rodinal 1:200 for 35-40 minutes. No agitation. This was what was called tank developing before wwII. With that kind of time, streaking shouldn't be a problem

_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison

[Les]

Well I haven't used an FR tank all that much, but what I do with my HP and Yankee tank is to use the edge of the film to count off the notches.

Lets assume the FR holds 8 sheets I'd grab the first sheet of film by the sides close to the bottom. Let it come down and touch the rails as though its going into the slot closest to a wall, then stop. Now the film isn't into the slot more than 1/8" but enough to that you can feel the rails that keep it away from slot #2.
Now I drag the film toward the inside of the tank, the film makes a tick noise like a playing card in the spokes of a bicycle. I count off four ticks and that's the slot I drop the first one. The second sheet gets three ticks and so one until I get to the wall.
Then I rotate the tank and start over again--4, 3, 2.

Then I feel the top edges of the film and make sure they aren't converging into each other.

Inthe case of an FR tank witout a basket, I'd try one of two methods.

A. Start with a two minute water pre-soak. The water should be the same temp as the developer. This will soften the emulsion somewhat with water rather than developer and should lessen the streaking from dribbling in the developer from the top onto dry film.

B. Pour the developer into the tank in the dark with the top off. I wouldn't do this if you dark room is the bathroom after 10pm


Options for people on the edge....

C. Use Diafine. this is a two part developer. It's not sensitive to time or temp. 3-5 minutes in A the same in B. It does give a 1/2 to one stop boost in speed, and you shouldn't pre soak with this developer.

D. Go dilute. Rodinal 1:200 for 35-40 minutes. No agitation. This was what was called tank developing before wwII. With that kind of time, streaking shouldn't be a problem

_________________
"In order to invent, you need a good imagination and a lot of junk" Thomas Edison