Developing a very long roll of b&w paper

[AeroDan]

Hi Folks,

I've been shooting 35mm photos for some time now and have some very long, continuous negatives. I have a Jobo drum processor and a nice enlarger, but have a technical challenge. Is it possible to develop my black and white paper in long, uncut segments rather than single 8x10s? Has anyone attempted this type of project in the darkroom?

My thinking is:

1) Put the negatives in the enlarger and just advance and expose a roll of paper as normal, being careful not to expose portions of the roll I don't want exposed (probably some type of drum I will cook up in the shop).

2) Take a segment, say 4-5 feet at a time, and figure out a way to put them into a larger Jobo drum much like a roll of 35mm film would be loaded on a spool.

3) Agitate side to side in addition to the normal rolling processor motor motion. Use more developer, fixer and stop than normal. How much, well I don't know. Coverage will be the big issue.

...perhaps tray processing will be better...

Thoughts? Am I daft?

Many thanks,
Dan

 

[OzJohn]

Not daft at all but possibly overthinking the problem. Five feet of paper is six 8x10s lengthwise. This number of prints - even more - can be fairly easily tray developed by interleaving (where the stack is slid one at a time into the developer and when they're all in, the bottom one is brought to the top, the top one goes to the bottom and so on). It's black & white paper so you can watch what's going on under a safelight. Once all are in the stop bath the rest can be done in room light. Just don't use a too rapid developer. I do think trying to do a long length of paper in a Jobo would be an exercise fraught with frustration. OzJohn

 

[AeroDan]

Thanks much OxJohn - are the trays side by side for developer and then below on another shelf the stop and fix? So I can pull the first picture through and rest of the roll follows like a train? Sorry I'm over complicating this - I'm a poor engineer

 

[OzJohn]

Thanks much OxJohn - are the trays side by side for developer and then below on another shelf the stop and fix? So I can pull the first picture through and rest of the roll follows like a train? Sorry I'm over complicating this - I'm a poor engineer

Sorry, I apologise for not reading your post more carefully. I assumed you were cutting a roll of paper into sheets as many photographers do - but it seems that you are proposing to print from continuous negs onto continuous paper - different problem altogether that possibly can only be solved with photofinishing machines. I still doubt that the Jobo solution is feasible but if you want to cut the paper into sheets the interleaving method I suggested will save a bit of time over individual development of each sheet. Good luck. OzJohn

 

[AeroDan]

Ah, no worries I appreciate the attempt!

 

[paul_c5x4]

I've been shooting 35mm photos for some time now and have some very long, continuous negatives. I have a Jobo drum processor and a nice enlarger, but have a technical challenge. Is it possible to develop my black and white paper in long, uncut segments rather than single 8x10s? Has anyone attempted this type of project in the darkroom?

There was a guy on another forum that had fifty 5x4 negs that he wanted to contact print on to a continuous strip of paper. The project was successfully completed with the aid of a couple of deep tanks and lots of chemicals.

Admittedly, if I were to contemplate such a project, I think I'd go looking for a table top roller transport processor...

 

[DannL.]

Ilford has made roll paper, both in 4" and 5" wide by 500' long. I have used both MGIV and Ilford Express. You could easily run this through trays by hand. The rolls come up on ebay occasionally. Saw one sell there last week, if I recall.

 

[ic-racer]

Five feet of paper is six 8x10s lengthwise. This number of prints - even more - can be fairly easily tray developed by interleaving (where the stack is slid one at a time into the developer and when they're all in, the bottom one is brought to the top, the top one goes to the bottom and so on). It's black & white paper so you can watch what's going on under a safelight. Once all are in the stop bath the rest can be done in room light. Just don't use a too rapid developer. I do think trying to do a long length of paper in a Jobo would be an exercise fraught with frustration. OzJohn

This ^^^

 

[AeroDan]

paul_c5x4, that's exactly the link I needed. Thank you!

 

[AeroDan]

Just thought I'd report back in case anyone refers to this thread in the future. I was able to procure a roll of 10in x 250ft from the fellas at Keeble and Schuchat on recommendation from Ilford direct. Will follow up when I figure out how to process very long segments. I have a good idea... famous last words

 

[paul_c5x4]

I have a good idea... famous last words

[video=youtube;AsXKS8Nyu8Q]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsXKS8Nyu8Q[/video]

 

[cl3mens]

You should be able to just roll the paper through the tray, or build a winder if you are up to it...

I've also heard about people simply using a bathtub and a brush to apply the chemistry.