Beseler Motor Drum Question

[zenrhino]

Ive got the opportunity to get a Beseler motor base and some "print" tanks for next to nada today.

Can the motor base or tanks be used to develop film? In particular I'd like to do 4x5 sheet film and 35mm.

Thanks!

 

[Nick Zentena]

Yes. It's best if the motor reverses.

Some people use print drums for sheet film. I do for 5x7. Or for 4x5 you could use the Jobo film drums. Same drums work for smaller formats. I don't know about Beselar but I think Uniroller used to make film tanks and reels to.

So it's possible.

 

[Paul Howell]

You can do 2 4X5s in a 4X5 Beselar paper drum. I also have the Unicolor film drum and reels, but the gaskets are worn out and they (2 tanks) leak. I have not looked into making replacement gaskets, but I guess it is a possibility. I can only fit 2 4x5s in the Beselar and when I shoot 4x5 I may expose 20 to 30 negatives, so I use either trays or tanks with hangers.

 

[bmac]

In the past I used both a Beseler unit (it reversed) and two Unicolor units (one didnt reverse). The beseler motorbase was much faster than the Unicolor ones, so times were very short. Not sure if this was just my unit, or if all Beselers were like that. Try to find some Unicolor 8x10 Drums. You can do 1-4 sheets of film in them. The LF site has an article about it.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I can only fit 2 4x5s in the Beselar and when I shoot 4x5 I may expose 20 to 30 negatives, so I use either trays or tanks with hangers.

Nice thing about the Jobo tanks is they'll take up to 18 sheets.

 

[bobfowler]

Out of curiosity...

For those who are using 8X10 print drums for their film processing, how much solution are you using in the drum?

I use 200ml when processing 4 4X5 or 2 5X7 sheets in an 8X10 Unidrum. If I'm souping in Microdol-X 1:3, I up that to 400ml as 50ml of Microdol-X stock solution can be nudging, if not downright pushing, the limits of exhaustion.

IIRC, Unicolor specified 60ml for an 8X10 sheet of color paper (carefully leveled drum), 120ml if multiple smaller prints were processed. I haven't used mine for color printing in a long time, so my memory may be a bit off.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I use 200ml per sheet of 5x7 but that's only 50ml of D-23 stock. I don't know if the tank would leak with too much. If it did I'd just use the film lid. I know with that lid on the tank will take quite a bit of liquid without leaking.

 

[Konical]

Good Afternoon, Bob,

With my Chromega 8 x 10 drum, I normally use 10 to 12 ounces of solution when I process four 4 x 5 sheets of film. I've used 8 ounces (Technidol) with no problems at all. I suspect even 6 ounces would be adequate, but with cost not being a serious factor for most B & W chemicals, I prefer to err on the side of caution. I can use up to 15 or 16 ounces in the Chromega before some of it comes out during the rotation.

Konical

 

[mark]

Good luck. I never had a problem with my Unicolor 8x10 tube once I realized that the emulsion goes toward the inside of the tube. I am using an 11x14 unicolor to do 4 5x7 sheets. I have no idea how much solution I am supposed to use. I put 400ML in the tube and got a 1 inch super dense strip on the bottom of all my negs. At least the line showed me the tube was level.

Anyone else use an 11x14 tube?

 

[Nick Zentena]

Not the unicolor. I just grab which tank is dry and nearest. For quite awhile I had more 11x14 tanks then 8x10 so I guess I mostly used 11x14.

Your getting overdevelopment at the bottom of the tube?

 

[mark]

Not the bottom of the tube at the side of the negatives that are at theside closest to the floor when filling. I know exactly where the water line is in my tube. This is with 12 oz of developer. I am afraid to try to use less for four sheets of 5x7. I am moving back to trays right now. If you are not having this problem then I might be doing something really wrong. I am using pyro cat 2:2:100 for dual purpose negs on AZO and UV stuff. Maybe I am using too strong a solution for the developing method.

Hell, I don't know.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I don't know. The only difference between my 8x10 and my 11x14 tanks is a little length. It's wierd you're getting big differences.

 

[mark]

could I get away with 200ML of solution in my 11x14? Seems like not nearly enough.