DIY Slosher Tray

ParkerSmithPhoto · May 25, 2013

I found this thing at a garage sale and it makes a perfect slosher tray. Any idea what it is so I can find more?

Ken Nadvornick · May 25, 2013

I saw that exact thing offered on eBay a while back. The description said the seller didn't know what it was. I just assumed it was a purpose-made darkroom item. I forgot to bid on it. Would have only been a couple of dollars. I've never seen another, but like you I'd like to...

Ken

Truzi · May 25, 2013

If it's not specifically for photography, could it be for basting or marinating?

AgX · May 25, 2013

What is a "slosher-tray"? The dictionary at hand does not know.

summerbee · May 25, 2013

that definitely look like some "skilled" or "trendy" cooking tool, imho. never seen one before, i must say...

snederhiser · May 25, 2013

Hello;
Is the tray made of Pyrex or simular oven cookware? Looks like a device to bake custard in the oven. Just my two cents, Steven

ParkerSmithPhoto · May 25, 2013

Just for clarification, the item referred to is made of stainless wire. (My best guess was that it was a stationery sorter.) The white tray is a standard darkroom tray.

Jim Noel · May 25, 2013

It is a slosher tray made of stainless wire. I have three of these for various sizes of film.
I call them "baskets" since they are not really trays.

ROL · May 25, 2013

Gerry Butler made them specifically for LF sheet development. I would not classify these as DIY, rather DIH (did it himself). He bent the SS wire around forms and soldered them in sizes from 4x5 to 11x14, until his hands became too arthritic. He was already retired when I bought mine (2 – 5x7) out of his remaining stock 10 years ago.

Congratulations on the find, they are the best of the slosher–basket designs.

BTW, when using pyro developers (possibly others as well), you should be using a developing tray one size larger than the basket and not skimp on developer, for even results.

Ken Nadvornick · May 25, 2013

Very cool. And useful. I thought they might be purpose-built. They looked it. Sounds like a small cottage-industy item just waiting for someone who is retired to perhaps pick up.

Reinhold? Are you by chance listening in?

:w00t:

Ken

ParkerSmithPhoto · May 26, 2013

ROL said:
Gerry Butler made them specifically for LF sheet development.

Awesome. Is the interwebs amazing?

Thinking back, I must have gotten this in a large haul of darkroom equipment acquired early in the year. I'm such a pack rat that it's hard to remember from where all the junk comes.

So far the Butler Basket has been used for ortho sheets in D23 under a very dim safelight. I was a bit concerned about the evenness of development but can gladly report that it is far superior to steel hangers.

Ken Nadvornick · May 27, 2013

silveror0 said:
Another option would be to build it using acrylic sheet, glued together, lots of holes for developer to pass through, and "bumps" to minimize contact between film base and acrylic.

Formulary Sheet Film Developing Trays

But I still think thin stainless steel wire baskets would be preferable.

Ken

mark · May 28, 2013

desertratt said:
I worked for 11 newspapers, a huge international wire service, a buncha magazines and on and on for over 50 years and I never heard of a slosher tray. Some folks have a nasty habit of saying something like "I can't focus my "X39021" leaving folks who don't use that particular rare breed of camera in the dark without an enlarger.

I've never worked at any of those places and I have been familiar with the "slosher" method since I started photography 20 years ago. But since you have never heard of it someone using what has become a pretty common term has a nasty habit?

That basket is a pretty sweet product.

ROL · May 28, 2013

silveror0 said:
BTW, would the films be washed and photoflo'd while in this basket, then hung to dry?

A link was provided with this information, as recommended by the designer.

DIY Slosher Tray

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