Fujimoto CP-51 Chemical Filters

[UF_labtech]

Anyone here know of a place that might have the chemical filters for the Fujimoto CP-51 processor in stock? I have tried contacting all my usual sources and cannot find a place that has them. I contacted Omega since they are the distributor for Fujimoto here in the US and they told me 90+ days until they will be ordering more for distribution. B&H claims 2-4 weeks but I would imagine they would have to get them from Omega and it seems they are just blowing smoke up my @$$.

Any help would be appreciated. We bought this processor used, but in amazing shape, and much to my chagrin there were no filters in it. The students at our school are chomping at the bit to try and print. Also if any incredibly generous APUGers have some sitting around I would be happy to purchase your unused filters.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mike Wilde]

I run a smaller version - CP31, a three tank 12" wide machine, and boy are they nicely made inside. My only mechanical problem has been fatigued springs made from some exotic non reactive metal that tension the rollers. I replace them with square rubber belts from the electronics supply store, as they die off and I discover them ,or a rare jamb brings the situation to my attention. They seem to work fine and at $1 each, are a lot less than the OEM springs when I first went web looking for them, and found an old price listing for defunct minilab product support house.

There is no filters in the CP-31, but then again I drain my tanks and rinse racks every night I use it so there is limited chance to get gunkies to form that need to be filtered out (only 2L tanks to store) I do this because for me since it might be a few weeks or longer before I get back to it. I filter though a coffee filter before I pour back into the storage jug, or after I first put it in the tank, and see gunk in the bottom of the glass storage jug.

An electronic problem was the electronic thermostats seem to have some sort of component that went flaky; Mine only has an electronic thermostat on 1st tank; I swapped in a thermocouple furnace temp controller bought off of ebay, and run the first tank as a pre-wet. It takes a lot of dye off the supra paper, and I am convinced that keeping most of this dye out of the first dev the developer lasts a lot longer; I do not run control strips, but I have run 6 week old developer (stored in glass in dark if it was lightly used when first mixed, and do not see any difference in the images produced. I do pre-boil then let cool the reverse osmosis filtered water I dilute the Kodak RA-RT chems in, to minimize dissolved oxygen in the diluting water, and that seems to help too.

You may want to check out minilab supply. They likely have a filter option to offer to you, even if it is not an OEM filter option. The other option is to find a minilab support organization, and scavenge the filters out of an old kreonite etc and graft them onto the machine. I have a replenisher pump system from a Kreonite that I restored, and then later decided to scrap, that I plan to graft onto my cp-31 set up if I find time this winter.

 

[UF_labtech]

Good to know...

Mike,

I appreciate the time you put into your response. I was hoping someone else out there might be running their processor without filters. I have been thinking about doing that and just changing out the tank chemistry often until filters arrive. I have enough chemistry to fill a Kreonite KM-IV 40" processor a dozen times over so maybe until I can get the filters from somewhere I will give that a try. I only need to run it a bit for the next 2-3 weeks until the semester ends.

Also, I will checkout minilab supply. I appreciate the input and wish you good printing.

 

[UF_labtech]

Mike,

FYI your minilab supply suggestion was great! I found the filters, they have them in stock and only cost $1.38. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me and my students out.

 

[Mike Wilde]

No problem. Glad you are getting it in gear.

 

[Mike Wilde]

New fujimoto glitch. I noticed two nights ago that one of the pumps was making a squealing noise part way though a session. On drain and rinse out I noticed that the developer tank was exhibitting very low flow though the spray bar.

I had been running pretty dark, (but not crud filled) 5 month old Kodak RA-RT developer solution, and 5 month old BF with additive and the colurs coming out looked fine, but I though maybe I had experienced some sort of crud build up though the session. So a couple of hot water rinses. Still no improvement. Oh well, late, off to bed with a puzzle to dream over.

The next day I got home from work and laid the machine out for open heart surgery. I have had it apart before for varoius reasons, the first of which was the replacement of the first tank heater control circuit. I thought that I would find a pinched pipe. I thought it would be from some pipe crossed on another (it is a bit of a spagetti junction inside), and finally it had been squashed. But no, it was from rubber expansion.

It turns out that on my CP-31, which I suspect it is now approaching 25 years old, has rubber piping that swells when exposed to RA-4 developer solutions. That would expain why the developer drain hose is longer and a bit larger diameter than the other hoses.

Well here, the hose from the tank bottom drain to the pump intake had lengthened from the swelling and proceded to kink itself. I detached the hose from the pump inlet (the most accessable place) snipped an inch off, and reattached the pipe with the pipe clamp. The hose weas now the right length, but still was showing signs of wanting to go back to its flattened state. I dug up a large spring clip, of the sort that you put around a pile of paper, and warped it around the pipe to act as a sort of oversized external stent. I use these clips of different sizes as a sort of hemostat on the darin and replenisher lines already.

On reassembly all looked good. I even treated the machine to a clean and rinse with dilute toilet bowl cleaner that it cooked on overnight. A couple of rinses this morning and all is ready to go again.

I am thinking of sourcing a few test tube cleaners and fit them with extra long shafts to allow me to scrub out the inside of the spray bars, since on my unfiltered cp-31 the spray bars tend to catch and accumulate any cruddy bits.

 

[Ricardo beristain]

Can u specify where u got the circulation filters? Im looking for them

 

[Mike Wilde]

minilab.com. I have not bought from them, but they look to have a good supply of 'stuff'.

 

[richard1500]

Filters

Hello, could you give me a phone number for this place you found that sells the CP-51 Filters? I cannot find them anywhere

 

[Mike Wilde]

From the Contact Us tab on their web page:

Minilab Supply Store
Prolab Imaging Products

2920 - Northwest Blvd, Suite 100
Plymouth, MN 55441

Office: 763-404-1248
Toll Free: 800-572-3600 (presumably US only)
Fax: 763-404-1206
Toll Free Fax: 800-566-6123

Hours of operation: 8 am - 5 pm (CST) Monday - Friday