Darkroom Aids archival 11x14" stainless steel print washer

[Curt]

Does anyone have a Darkroom Aids print washer and know how to hook it up and use it. I am getting one that doesn't have any instructions. I hear AA used one and I hope it works for me.
Thanks

 

[Curt]

Does anyone have a Darkroom Aids print washer and know how to hook it up and use it. I am getting one that doesn't have any instructions. I hear AA used one and I hope it works for me.
Thanks

Just looking for a little help in the plumbing of the washer and not a big over blown explanation of the theory of hydrodynamics and volume calculus and engineering design of stainless steel or metal chemical reactions or even mole counting of hypo...

 

[John Cook]

I have never heard of this brand, but have processed color and B&W film and paper in various stainless sink lines for many years.

I found this photograph with a quick web search:

Dead Link Removed

If this looks like your unit, it is a simple, basic wash tank with plastic dividers.

The normal procedure to hook one up is with clear plastic tubing and stainless hose clamps from your neighborhood Ace hardware store. Just match the inside diameter (ID) of the hose to the diameter of the nipple shown at the bottom of the unit. A female hose connector for the other end is also available there, but harder to find with a nipple that matches your small hose ID.

The normal method is to just let the water run and flow out over the top of the tank. Some tanks have a sheet metal quick dump valve near the bottom.

Some municipalities are nervous about this kind of setup because if the water pressure should fail, fixer can be siphoned up into your home water pipes. The more fussy places may require a plumber to also install some sort of anti-siphon valve as is now common for outside lawn watering, but this is not a traditional installation.

Be careful to keep the flow rate high enough to be able to regulate the temperature. Some water mixing valves malfunction when there is only a trickle passing through.

 

[rmann]

Nice washer - I had one until just recently.

You connect a hose to the bottom male extension - I used a standard hose clamp. Then, adjust the water flow so the water flows out the holes at the top on the opposite side - fast flow rates would sometimes cause the prints to float up due to the water jets along the bottom. I would put a plastic "weight" across the top of the rack to keep the top paper edges under water if this was happening. There is a very small hole near the male water inlet tube that is a gravity drain to empty it when you are done. The last inch is then easier to dump out. The plastic dividers I used had a fiberglass screen attached to the bottom so prints would not "fall out of the bottom." I had good results when I ran fiber prints for about 30 minutes when I was using it - timing from the last print entered.

 

[Curt]

Nice washer - I had one until just recently.

You connect a hose to the bottom male extension - I used a standard hose clamp. Then, adjust the water flow so the water flows out the holes at the top on the opposite side - fast flow rates would sometimes cause the prints to float up due to the water jets along the bottom. I would put a plastic "weight" across the top of the rack to keep the top paper edges under water if this was happening. There is a very small hole near the male water inlet tube that is a gravity drain to empty it when you are done. The last inch is then easier to dump out. The plastic dividers I used had a fiberglass screen attached to the bottom so prints would not "fall out of the bottom." I had good results when I ran fiber prints for about 30 minutes when I was using it - timing from the last print entered.

That's the unit, I just found a photograph of Ansel Adams with the washer in the background. I have it hooked up and it works great. I bought it from a local ad and it was $15 so I got a pretty good deal.
Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.
Curt

 

[Eric Mac]

Darkroom aids

Darkroom Aids was a legendary camera store in Chicago. I used to wander around their store/ warehouse on Lincoln ave. I also have one of their washers, but haven't used it yet. I think their demise was due to a poor transition to the next generation.

 

[panchromatic]

I think their demise was due to a poor transition to the next generation.

Unfortunitly that is the case with a large percentage of camera stores in the industry