Anyone ever fabricate archival print washer?

looking at prices of even used zone6 or calumet print washers made of clear acrylic, was wondering if anyone on apug fabricated one DIY mostly for 8/10 size and below, does not have to look like alistar ingless model from Canada, but was trying to build one if possible, maybe someone can share their experience either positive or negative, and what materials?

When I was a teenager I remember seeing one from Patterson, but it looked complicated....

Many Thanks!

Harlequin

hi harlequin

there used to be a website called fine art photo supply run by a guy in rochester NY named Anthony Guidice .
for years he had instructions on his website for converting a fish tank into a print washer.
basically what you do is you get a fish tank and then you buy pvc tubing and plexiglass sheets...
you put the tubes at each end and you cut slots in them where you will set the plexiglass sheets. you basically fill the tank with water and let the prints soak
then you siphon the water out and refill it again for another soak.. its a pretty good system and cheap.
here is a link on the LF site that explains "stuff"
https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?6910-Fine-Art-Photo-Supply

Hi Harlequin,

It depends what you want to get out of building it yourself. A practical tool or some darkroom jewelry. If you're keen to build it yourself to save some money you'll be hard pressed to do so once you cost your time and tooling. Though, if it's all about the learning experience then go meshuga. That's what I've been doing with some acrylic, Tensol, and a couple clamps, and it's worked ok for me. There are plenty of online suppliers which will cut your perspex to order. If you require the plastic to be modified or machined, then there are websites where you can post a "job" and machinists and fabricators can bid against each other for the work.

I've used both a Zone VI and Nova, and prefer the Nova as it's more space efficient. (I also hear Nova's new processors will have some features like the Zone VI, such as risers to keep the print away from the hypo which will sink to the bottom, and will be a modular setup with will allow you to develop and wash in a single temperature controlled vessel, and that sounds pretty nifty to me.) Maybe hold out to see if this new product meets your requirements.

In all honesty a rectangular tub big enough for a Paterson print rack (or similar) to fit in will work just dandy. Fill it up with water and let your prints soak for an hour or so. You could then add some hoses if you want to cycle the water, though if your making less than a dozen 8x10 prints in one session then filling up the tub with something like 10 litres or more of water and emptying it out at the end of the session should be sufficient.

Good luck and happy building!

Lucid

Not my video but this may give you some ideas.

I tried various washers and finally settled on cheap plastic tubs.

Dear Harlequin,

Material cost can be the deciding factor. This place has great prices. I built this using scrap 1/4" Lexan using a table saw with a dado blade and a home drill press. The center panels slide out for cleaning and it is held together with clear RTV labeled for aquarium use.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

adelorenzo said:

Not my video but this may give you some ideas.

Click to expand...

I made one similar to this, only I used a clear, flexible hose to connect it to my shower head. I bought a diverter for the shower head so all I have to do to hook it up is screw the hose onto the diverter, pull the knob on the shower head arm, and run the shower. It drains out into the bathtub. The clear hose comes in through the top and has some holes drilled in it to fill the slots. The end of the hose is plugged. I used acrylic sheets for the dividers, and glued them to the PVC tubes with PVC glue. I don't remember what it cost me, but it probably wasn't much more than $50, and I can do something like 15 11x14's at a time. It took maybe two days to make (glue had to dry), only required a miter hand saw, and works like a champ!

Mine is a galvanized wash tub about 24 in. in dia. and 10 in. deep. It has a short spray bar at the top that keeps the water swirling and a bottom drain with a hose to adjust the water level. Hypo is heavier than water, so it must drain from the bottom. I don't know if it's "Archival", but I've been using it for nearly 40 years. I have prints from the 60's that look a good as they day they were made.
Works for me.

bsdunek said:

Hypo is heavier than water, so it must drain from the bottom.

Click to expand...

Bruce's design for a washer sounds like it would be exceptionally effective, but I'm afraid that the portion of his post that I have quoted reflects an idea that was once generally understood, but is now generally discounted. I think Fred Picker had a hand in the idea becoming popular.
A stationary quantity of fixer laden water is slightly heavier than a stationary quantity of fixer free water, but as soon as you mix them, they will remain mixed unless and until you leave them stationary for a very long time.
The biggest reason to have the drain at the bottom is that you don't have to pump the water up to where it drains out.

And, like on mine, the water comes in from the top left, and drains out from the bottom right. That increases the circulation, and will cause the water to turnover more quickly. You can use a couple of drops of food dye to test it out and see how long it takes to clear the dye. This test won't tell you how long you have to let your prints wash, but it will tell you if you have any areas where water stagnates and doesn't flow freely. If so, you may need to alter your design.

Yes, I have built a couple different versions....
The Tank:

• I struggled to find an appropriate tank (big enough with vertical walls and made of plastic for easy drilling of holes for inlet and outlets)
• The idea of using a fish tank came from Fine Art Photo Supply who had advertised a Water Saver Print Washer using an aquarium for the tank.
• Here is a link to my flickr page showing my first 11x14 version: https://www.flickr.com/photos/c330shadowcatcher/albums/72157629185153709
• I like the Versa Lab unit tank but the cost with exchange to CDN and the cost of shipping to Canada is too much, however I think I found the source of the tanks they use: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=26177&catid=960
• Shipping cost for this tank to you may be more reasonable.
• I used a standard off the shelf aquarium for both the 11x14 and 16x20 Vertical Print Washer (VPW) with no reinforcements
• In the 16x20 version in my post I had drilled two holes - I no longer bother with that and use standard washing machine hoses from Home Depot and a Little Giant pump to circulate water, drain and or add water.

The "Fingers" to keep the dividers separated and in place:

• I am lucky to have a table saw so I am able to cut down the Wire Duct to make the "fingers" that hold the slot dividers in place: https://ca-en.alliedelec.com/product/panduit/g2x2wh6/70333534/
• I cut in two along the length of the duct and then trim off the ends of the fingers before cutting to the width of the tank.
• I recommend using clear silicone to hold then in place as the white silicone looked messy.

The Slot Dividers

• The slot dividers are made from: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/pl...nch-white-corrugated-plastic-sheet/1000171722.
• I have also made the dividers from plastic lattice that is available from Home Depot, I found that it tended to float so I then needed to find a way to hold them down - I just use the corrugated plastic now.

16x20 Vertical Print Washer:

• Uses a 24"L x 12.5"D x 16"H, 20 gallon tank
• Has 15 slots to hold up 15 16x20 photographic prints
• Footprint 12.5"x24"

11x14 Vertical Print Washer:

• Uses a 20"L x 10"D x 12"H 10 gallon tank
• Has 12 slots to hold up 12 11x14 (24 8X10) photographic prints
• Footprint 10"x20"

Let me know if you have further questions or if you would like more details.

All the best

Todd

The dividers in my Inglis 8x10 paper/film washer appear to be made of cut-down plastic shower door material, the kind with a textured and slightly pebbly finish. The odds of film or a print sticking to the dividers is low because the surfaces aren't smooth. My 11x14 Versalab uses some kind of very smooth plastic (polypropylene??) sheet for the dividers, and I do occasionally find a stuck print during washing.

What I'd really like to find is a "portrait mode" 11x14 washer - I'd happily trade off height for reduced footprint in my micro-darkroom. I guess I need to make one...

Back when I was in grad school and only had a utility closet to use as a darkroom, with no running water, I made a sort of vertical processor with 3 or 4 slots each for dev/stop/fixer, out of acrylic. This is a bit like making a vertical washer, smaller, but with a greater requirement for keeping the solutions separate. In a washer, you just need dividers, not individually sealed compartments. I used precut 12x12" sheets of acrylic from a plastics store on Canal St in NYC, and acrylic strips for the edges between the sheets. It worked, but leaked a little, so I had to stand it in a tray to avoid a mess.

A few thoughts:
- The solvent usually used to glue acrylic contains methylene chloride and is extremely nasty (toxic/carcinogenic). Use this outside if you must use it. Someone upthread was able to use RTV, which is more innocuous. Research what glues will work with the plastics you plan to use.
- Even my small acrylic processor wound up quite heavy. Plus filling a big tank with water is super heavy. Of course, if you use an aquarium as the outer tank, it's designed to take the water weight, but make sure you have a plan for where you are going to put it and a fill and dump routine.
- If you use RC paper, it washes quickly and you don't need an elaborate washer.

I've made several of them in different sizes. Without going into detail, I recommend learning basic acrylic fabrication skills through either web tutorials or classes held by plastics stores. Sheets of Plexiglas which have been accidentally scratched are sold at considerable discount. You need to be able to make straight, perfectly square-edged cuts for acrylic solvent welding, or have them cut the pieces for you. It takes me about half a day to make a very professional looking and functioning washer.

Todd Barlow said:

Yes, I have built a couple different versions....
The Tank:

• I struggled to find an appropriate tank (big enough with vertical walls and made of plastic for easy drilling of holes for inlet and outlets)
• The idea of using a fish tank came from Fine Art Photo Supply who had advertised a Water Saver Print Washer using an aquarium for the tank.
• Here is a link to my flickr page showing my first 11x14 version: https://www.flickr.com/photos/c330shadowcatcher/albums/72157629185153709
• I like the Versa Lab unit tank but the cost with exchange to CDN and the cost of shipping to Canada is too much, however I think I found the source of the tanks they use: https://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=26177&catid=960
• Shipping cost for this tank to you may be more reasonable.
• I used a standard off the shelf aquarium for both the 11x14 and 16x20 Vertical Print Washer (VPW) with no reinforcements
• In the 16x20 version in my post I had drilled two holes - I no longer bother with that and use standard washing machine hoses from Home Depot and a Little Giant pump to circulate water, drain and or add water.

The "Fingers" to keep the dividers separated and in place:

• I am lucky to have a table saw so I am able to cut down the Wire Duct to make the "fingers" that hold the slot dividers in place: https://ca-en.alliedelec.com/product/panduit/g2x2wh6/70333534/
• I cut in two along the length of the duct and then trim off the ends of the fingers before cutting to the width of the tank.
• I recommend using clear silicone to hold then in place as the white silicone looked messy.

The Slot Dividers

• The slot dividers are made from: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/pl...nch-white-corrugated-plastic-sheet/1000171722.
• I have also made the dividers from plastic lattice that is available from Home Depot, I found that it tended to float so I then needed to find a way to hold them down - I just use the corrugated plastic now.

16x20 Vertical Print Washer:

• Uses a 24"L x 12.5"D x 16"H, 20 gallon tank
• Has 15 slots to hold up 15 16x20 photographic prints
• Footprint 12.5"x24"

11x14 Vertical Print Washer:

• Uses a 20"L x 10"D x 12"H 10 gallon tank
• Has 12 slots to hold up 12 11x14 (24 8X10) photographic prints
• Footprint 10"x20"

Let me know if you have further questions or if you would like more details.

All the best

Todd

Click to expand...

I'm looking to build the aquarium based print washer described in your post. What size water pump did you use or think necessary
Thanks