Daylight Print Processing Drums

Khrys · Apr 17, 2020

Hello everyone...!

Just wonder if anyone has made their own print processing drum for larger sheets of paper/film?
And if so, what materials did you use? and where to get them? I've been hunting for drums of various sizes to accommodate prints as small as 11x14 up to 20x24, however eBay is very hit-and miss. So I'm thinking of making print drums.

Konical · Apr 17, 2020

Good Afternoon, Khrys,

I did that years ago when I needed to make some prints over three feet wide. All it takes is a large-diameter plastic tube cut to the appropriate length with a plastic bottom sealed to it at one end. For the other end I cut a plastic circle the same diameter as that of the tube, then cut out a smaller circle in it so that it could serve for fill/dump. It wasn't light-tight, so I did the processing under safelight. The one I built is about a foot or so in diameter; I used it on a motor base, but made sure that I was always immediately present, watching it carefully, since the thing is a little heavy and could easily run off the base. It's basic and crude, but it served the purpose at the time.
Konical

DREW WILEY · Apr 17, 2020

I have drums up to 30X40 inch capacity, and know of people making even much larger ones out of black irrigation pipe. ABS plastic drums up to 20X24 were common.

MattKing · Apr 17, 2020

There is a whole bunch of work being done around here replacing pipes in the municipal water supply. I look at the left-over pieces of that bright green pipe and wonder .....

Khrys · Apr 18, 2020

Thanks for all the replies! I'm going to see if I can source some ABS pipe that is wide enough, then make the caps for each end... maybe will see about 3-d printing the caps..

KenS · Apr 18, 2020

Khrys said:
Hello everyone...!

Just wonder if anyone has made their own print processing drum for larger sheets of paper/film?
And if so, what materials did you use? and where to get them? I've been hunting for drums of various sizes to accommodate prints as small as 11x14 up to 20x24, however eBay is very hit-and miss. So I'm thinking of making print drums.

After 'experiencing benefits of 'rotary development' when I was 'working' in a Govt. research facility' we had to 'invest' in a Wing-Lynch due to the number of EPY and 4x5 B/W films being exposed every day and the results needed A.S.A.P.
After my 'retirement' i made my own 'tubes' (i could not afford the BTZS tubes at the time , so I made my own with black plastic 'plumbing pipe'. they worked quite 'nicely'.. and were used until such times that could get the 'real' BTZS
tubes. As of to-day they are still in use but 'finger rotated' in "Tupperware 'tub' with water at temperature always in 'pairs' (most often 4 tubes at a time for 4x5 and two at a time for my 8x10... giving 'continuous rotation' by hand.
I believe I am getting more 'even' development than the other/common methods

I'm not sure though... that I could would even think of trying colour film (of any size) using tubes

As of to-day I will never again process any of my 4x5 or 8x10 inch sheet film using 'hangers-in tank' or even 'think' of using them to process any colour film.

Ken

DREW WILEY · Apr 18, 2020

If you can find a true agricultural supply or industrial pipe dealer you'll have an adequate choice. Home centers are a waste of time except for relatively small diameter ABS. But Ken, I think this concerns printing drums, not film development.

reddesert · Apr 19, 2020

If you find pipe large enough for your drums, you may be able to get end caps from the same source. Of course, you'll then have to open and close the drums under safelight to change the chemicals.

Be aware that plastic pipe that is not black (especially white pipe) is probably not opaque enough to make a true daylight drum, so you'd likely have keep them under safelight even when closed.

MattKing · Apr 19, 2020

You can also use pipe without caps - hand roll it in troughs to create a manual "rotary processor)

DREW WILEY · Apr 19, 2020

An enclosed light-tight drum uses just a fraction of the chemical volume needed for a bath or trough. Better still, you can develop in a light-tight drum not only with the lights on, but potentially outdoors where there's minimal exposure to nasty color chem fumes.

Qebs · Aug 9, 2021

Hello Khrys,
Did you find large enough pipe?

I bought some and the diameter was too big.

I have 2.5 feet of 6" diameter pipe. I think you could do 11x14 with it.

You can have it for free if you want it. I'm in Scarborough.

Cheers,
Kevin H.

Daylight Print Processing Drums

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