Dip and Dunk!!!

I recently built a set of 3 1/2 gallon tanks from PVC to develop 8x10 film on hangers. A couple weeks ago I realized that I could also use these tanks for roll film and lo and behold there was a rack on ebay just for this purpose with my name on it. I just got out of the darkroom where I developed 13 rolls of Neopan 400 in Pyrocat and it was a great experience- easy and quick. I just need a few more reels and I don't think I'll ever use an inversion tank again. I did get surge marks on a couple rolls, so I'll be more gentle with the agitation next time.

I built a washer from a plastic file storage case. I drilled a hole near the bottom for a hose and made a raised pltform from 1/4 inch acrylic sheet. I drilled a series of holes in the sheet to allow water to circulate up and out the top. I lifted the rack and rotated it a few times while the film was washing to even out any irregularities in the wash. I also use this for film on hangers.

Photography is fun!

Richard Wasserman

Yeah, it's great to have those tanks ready to go, if you're processing enough volume.

I assume that you are replenishing. What developer are you using?

I use Acufine and replenisher as my regular tank developer and TF-4 in the fixer tank, but I'll also mix up batches of other developers like ABC or RAF-pyro for one session. I've got 5-quart and 4-quart 5x7" tanks.

With 5x7" tanks, there's more volume of developer per area of film than in trays and less surface area, so I seem to be able to get three batches of film through a tank of ABC or RAF without a problem, though in trays it's generally recommended not to do more than two batches.

Dave Wooten and I saw the big Refrema dip-and-dunk system (strictly speaking, this is what "dip-and-dunk" refers to) at the Sixty-Eight Degrees lab in New York, and they use Xtol. Those tanks are big enough for 20x24" sheets or 36-exposure rolls of 35mm hanging straight up and down.