Darkroom Water Bath Ideas... Or Just a Jobo

[KidA]

I want so set up a darkroom in my basement and I pretty much have everything I need to start...for monochrome only. The problem is the ra-4 chemicals need to stay at a constant, warm temperature to work properly. I have attempted to develop colour film and found it a huge pain to try and keep the temperature constant by controlling it with the tap. I was wondering if any of you have any good ideas on how to keep the chemicals in my trays at that constant temperature. I have searched all over for fish tank heaters, but they don't heat up enough. Are there any products out there, or any good ideas as to how I can do this? Or am I just better off getting a Jobo? I have no idea how the Jobos work however... I can't find any good videos or details on these processors.

To sum it up, am I better off to just dish out the money and get a processor or is there a more economical (and consistent) way to develop colour paper and film? Can someone kindly give me a brief run-thru of how the Jobo works... Advantages, disavantages... (for both paper and film developing). Keep in mind I will continue to work with monochrome materials as well.

 

[nbagno]

If your looking for a video on Jobo's here's a 3 part series. Lot's on youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG6YN_62iCI

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

When I print RA4, I use an old Beseler drum and agitator system and a tempering box made of an old ice chest that holds hot water. I use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature. I dump hot water in the cooler when the temperature drops.

 

[bvy]

A simple water bath. I keep RA-4 developer in small glass bottles, place them in a small tub with hot water and thermometer, and let everything come to equilibrium. Anything in the mid 90's gives me good consistent results at one minute. Like Mainecoonmaniac, I add hot water as needed. I use Unicolor drums on a reversing motor base.

 

[Nodda Duma]

I was like you a few months ago, wondering how to do color and maintain temp. But then I read here on APUG that you can use Kodak RA-4 chemicals at room temperature (70 F).

So I did that. They came out really nice. The color pictures I have put in the gallery were developed in RA-4 at room temp without the use of temperature maintaining baths or anything. I just keep the room at temperature with a temperature-controlled space heater in winter or adjust development times for the higher ambient temperature in the summertime (currently 78 F in the room). Development times were per what was recommended in the APUG threads on the subject.

 

[DREW WILEY]

If you can find a Jobo "Tempering Box", it's a convenient ready-to-go water bath for keeping their chemical bottles at correct temperature.
Then you can use any drum processor you wish. Otherwise, you make your own tempering box any number of ways or just use "drift by"
temperature for small projects. But I really believe in using a standardized temperature for RA4 and prefer the Kodak RA/RT chemistry or a generic equivalent (like Arista). I've never had consistent results with the so-called "room temperature" RA4 kits.

 

[pentaxuser]

if you are only doing RA4 then a big tray which is the water bath can be heated by aquarium heaters. You can process RA4 in 3 trays inside the big tray at as low as 20C. It just needs 2 mins at that temp.

Once you are sure that regular RA4 printing is for you then you can go for a heated Nova triple or a Jobo. The great thing about the Jobo is that once the paper is in the drum you can do everything with the lights on. If the Nova is in a corner away from the colour safelight the paper should be safe once in the slots,

If you are happy working in the total darkness then as long as you can get from the enlarger to the Nova you can process by feel quite easily. The light can go one towards the end of the blix step.

pentaxuser

 

[MattKing]

If you can find a Jobo "Tempering Box", it's a convenient ready-to-go water bath for keeping their chemical bottles at correct temperature.
Then you can use any drum processor you wish. Otherwise, you make your own tempering box any number of ways or just use "drift by"
temperature for small projects. But I really believe in using a standardized temperature for RA4 and prefer the Kodak RA/RT chemistry or a generic equivalent (like Arista). I've never had consistent results with the so-called "room temperature" RA4 kits.

IIRC, Photo Engineer uses Kodak chemicals at room temperature for RA4. He is fairly demanding about quality.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have an old immersion water heater that I use with tub of water. I think I paid less than a $100 for it, that was years ago, might run more but under $200. Fish tank heaters are set for 78 to 90 degrees, an immersion heater can set for over 100 degrees, mine keep my tub at 100 degrees with little trouble. I have a variety of paper drums, Unicolor, Bessler, Cibarchrome and a Unicolor motor base.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Matt - you missed the point. Kodak RA/RT chem can be used at various STANDARDIZED temps, relative to respective standardized timing, of course. Kits marketed as "room temp" are something entirely different.

 

[jerrybro]

Ok, maybe I missed it, but why RA4 if you are doing monochrome? Why not the standard dektol, stop and fix?

 

[Xmas]

If you use a print tube tank a deep plastic bowl and an electric kettle is sufficient. And you can work in daylight after you load the print into drum.

Or it was ok for cibachrome.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Here's an idea.

https://youtu.be/27E3-l9RcXQ

 

[MattKing]

Matt - you missed the point. Kodak RA/RT chem can be used at various STANDARDIZED temps, relative to respective standardized timing, of course. Kits marketed as "room temp" are something entirely different.

It is true Drew - your post did confuse me.

So I take it that you are happy with "room temperature" RA4 processing, at one of the standardized room temperatures (70F?), as lomg as one uses Kodak RA/RT or equivalent chemicals, rather than the home kits marketed as being suitable for room temperature.

 

[Nodda Duma]

I thought perhaps I didn't mention Kodak in my post, since Drew replied right after mine with his criticism of room temp kits. But I did specify Kodak RA-4 chemicals at room temp and how pleased I am with the results when using them as described in prior APUG posts (the ones where P.E. indicated they would work).

 

[Vaughn]

I have a Jobo tempering bath that is quite nice to use. My particular use is to keep gelatin solutions at 105F (sometimes up to 110F).

 

[DREW WILEY]

Matt, I standardize on 82F and 2 min for my own RA4 dev because I want a long enough time so that filling and draining my big 30x40 drum can be consistently done, yet not drift too far in temp or otherwise tax my patience by a longer time. Kodak published a chart somewhere
(or did) that gives the time/temp options. I downloaded a copy of it before deciding on my optimal personal standard. Since I am allergic to
RA4 chem, I load the drums in the darkroom then process them outdoors on a portable processor on a rolling cart. Our climate here is temperate about half the year, so a slightly higher temp than ambient is easier to work with. For most black and white work, I standardize
on ordinary 20C/68F "room temp" in the indoor sink room, which is so well insulated that it stays that temp much of the year, at least until
the air exchanger is turned on. I have both simple water baths and expensive very precise ones, though only use the fancy kinds on the
most fussy film applications.

 

[jeffreythree]

I am surprised I don't see a PID controlled water bath mentioned here very often on the forum for temp control while I am also looking into all I need for other processes that need temp control. I have a couple from cheap Chinese ebay components(~$25) and one homemade from an arduino for other hobbies and cooking with my smoker.

 

[KidA]

I am surprised I don't see a PID controlled water bath mentioned here very often on the forum for temp control while I am also looking into all I need for other processes that need temp control. I have a couple from cheap Chinese ebay components(~$25) and one homemade from an arduino for other hobbies and cooking with my smoker.

PID???

 

[jeffreythree]

PID???

Sorry, short for a proportional-integral-derivative controller. An internet search for pid sous vide cooking will give you all sorts of examples(and price points) for very closely controlled temperature water baths. You have to be a bit handy and be willing to buy Chinese components one ebay to make one cheap, though.

 

[MattKing]

There have been a number of threads on just that sort of thing. Some of them might be in the respective colour and black and white sub-fora.