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Buying new trays

Look an Ebay, you'll might find something affordable. I bought some 11x14 trays for less than half the original cost.
 
miha said:
Don't you think 50 EUR / 60 USD is a lot of money for a plastic, be it PVC or PP, I'm not sure, tray? 4 trays buy you a weekly food suply :http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...kly-shopping-reveal-cost-ranges-3-20-320.html
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If you buy a few Jobo Expert drums, the new trays will suddenly look inexpensive. You are not paying for the materials that went into making the trays. What you pay for paper to put in those trays will far outweigh the cost of the trays in the end.
 
David, I didn't say I don't want to buy proper trays, I want and I have been using proper ones for years already, including quality safelights. What amazes me is the price for a simple plastic thing that never needed any R&D or anything. Lets not divert this tread into something about me. Thank you.

Cheers, Miha
 

My apologies. I did not mean it personally.

(Post deleted)
 
It's $44.85 for three 16x20 Paterson trays at B&H. Three different colours, built for photographic use. Do the alternatives have a proper spout, notch for tong placement, ridges for lifting the paper off the bottom, etc? Also consider that you shouldn't use metal trays with toner. I bought the Paterson trays and I'm happy with them.
 
David Brown said:
My apologies. I did not mean it personally.

(Post deleted)
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I wasn't offended in any way, and I know there is some 'noise' in our written communication that is to blame if the message doesn't come through clear enough.
 
I might also offer that with stainless steel trays one gains the advantage that simply rinsing them off is all the cleanup they will normally ever require. That can be a definite time-saver for some.

My standard print developer is home-brewed Ansco 130. I started using this in a plastic tray dedicated only to the developer. In almost no time that tray was deeply stained. I don't like using filthy tools. It puts me in the wrong mindset. That was the motivation to source a stainless replacement.

My original intent was to purchase only a single replacement for the developer try. But seeing a beautiful matched set of stainless 11x14s available for only $40 each, and knowing that would be a lifetime purchase for me, I couldn't resist.

Ken
 
I agree. My whole workbench, including the sink is SS, made for a butcher who changed his mind so I got it for half the price. Easy to clean with water and some soap.
 
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Make your own. That's what I did when over half of required materials became available to me either at a discount (slightly bent XXL-sized sheet of AW100 8mm plywood) or FREE (epoxy leftovers, various fiberglass fabrics). So now I have three 66x82 cm trays that I carry around, use and abuse and am very happy for making the effort of putting them together. No cracks or breaks in over four years. But don't skimp on the final coat - marine-grade polyurethane is expensive. And remember to coat it less than a day after epoxying.
 
The stainless steel used for photo products uses a photo or chemical grade rather than a food grade SS. That is probably one of the reasons that some SS products cost more than what is sold at a big box store. Same with sinks, the photo grade is more expensive. Does this matter for the home darkroom? I don't know.
 
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