Are cibachrome drums OK?

[hoffy]

OK, yes, I have decided I want to give RA-4 printing a try and have decided to see if I can get some print drums cheap. I have found a cibachrome drum and motorised roller base on the cheap. I was going to buy it (seriously, a drum is a drum, right?), but thought that I would at least ask here, to ensure that the setup will be fine for what I want to do.

So, am I right? A drum is simply a drum and I should be OK? Or should I leave it on the shelf?

Cheers

 

[2F/2F]

It will work fine. I have done it myself. As you say, a drum is a drum.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

Yes, it is basically just a drum, nothing special.

 

[srs5694]

Also, it's possible to do RA-4 in the same trays you use for doing B&W prints. You've just got to work in complete darkness. So if you just want to try RA-4 printing and aren't sure you want to continue with it, you could try it that way and not invest in drums at all. OTOH, some people find working in complete darkness to be very disconcerting, so trying it this way might give you the wrong impression.

 

[paul_c5x4]

Tried using the Jobo drums when I first had a go at RA4 printing. After the first couple of prints, I switched to using trays - Found it much easier and didn't have to worry about drying the drums out each time.

 

[brucemuir]

another vote for trays.

 

[EdSawyer]

Ciba drums are great

Some of the best drums made I think. They are not that bad to wash/dry. can be done pretty fast actually since they break down quickly. If you have 2 drums, even better - wash/dry one while the other is processing.

I preferred Ciba drums and a motor base when I was doing RA4 by hand. Easier to do one-shot replenished chemsitry for consistency, and avoided the trouble of working in pitch darkness.

-Ed