Help with printing in a drum

Melanie · Nov 3, 2004

HI
I just received my roller so I'm ready to print some 11 x14 RC prints, but I don't know how much developer to use, :confused: most of my printing has been in trays, and this is my first time using a drum, and a big drum at that. 6 in by 20in. its a Cibachrome mark II color processing drum if that make any deferents.
any help with this project would be greatly appreciated.
thanks Melanie

Ed Sukach · Nov 3, 2004

Melanie said:
HI
I just received my roller so I'm ready to print some 11 x14 RC prints, but I don't know how much developer to use, :confused: most of my printing has been in trays, and this is my first time using a drum, and a big drum at that. 6 in by 20in. its a Cibachrome mark II color processing drum if that make any deferents.
any help with this project would be greatly appreciated.
thanks Melanie

The rule of thumb .. and I don't remember where this came from - is .75 milliliters per square inch. I can hear the groans from here.. However ... that works out to 100 ml for an 11" x 14" print.

That is the recommended dose for accomplishing the task - and will be dependent on the size of the tank, the configuration, the mechanics necessary to insure complete coverage.... All of which should be archived somewhere. Failing any other information, I'd start there. If you get adequate coverage, fine .. if not, and the tank is level, use more volume.

I use JOBO tanks: 60ml for 8" x 10"; 100 ml for 11" x 14" (actually should be 103); and 300 ml for 16" x 20".

Hope this helps.

Melanie · Nov 3, 2004

thanks Ed
well give it a try in the morning.
Melanie

bmac · Nov 3, 2004

FWIW I am chicken about using that little solution. I would double it.

Konical · Nov 3, 2004

Good Evening, Melanie,

For what it's worth, whenever I occasionally process a contact sheet or work print in a drum, I make sure that I have plenty of solution. After all, for B & W, cost is not really a factor, and there's no harm done by having a little too much developer or fixer in the drum--unless the amount is so great that it slops out during the rotation.
For 8 x 10, I'll use at least eight ounces, but ten or twelve ounces causes no problems. After each step, I pour the solutions back into their containers and reuse them for the next print or two or three. I suspect that eight ounces would actually be enough in an 11 x 14 drum, but I'd probably plan on at least sixteen ounces.

Konical

Konical · Nov 3, 2004

Just remembered--Cibachrome drums have a reservoir in the cap which allows pouring in the chemicals while the drum is in the vertical position. Turning it 90 degrees to horizontal allows the chemicals into the drum itself. The capacity of the cap may limit the amount you can use to less than the sixteen ounces I mentioned in the previous post. That's not a limitation I have with my Chromega drums, since they have a different cap configuration.

Konical

Melanie · Nov 4, 2004

Thanks for all the info.
I went with the 16 oz on the developer/stop /fix and the prints came out great, but only got three prints out of the developer and had to make another batch, but it worked and I'm very happy with the pictures. just need to get used to that drum it's a little difficult to handle. maybe if i rinse the drum between prints?? or is that abought average.
A very happy camper.
Melanie

Dave Miller · Nov 4, 2004

Melanie said:
HI
I just received my roller so I'm ready to print some 11 x14 RC prints, but I don't know how much developer to use, :confused: most of my printing has been in trays, and this is my first time using a drum, and a big drum at that. 6 in by 20in. its a Cibachrome mark II color processing drum if that make any deferents.
any help with this project would be greatly appreciated.
thanks Melanie

I have to use drum processing, generally I use the JOBO 2840. The quantity of fluid must be sufficient to cover the paper quickly when its laid on the roller base. The cap reservoir will hold 100ml which is enough to do this. The actual amount of chemical required is about 10ml for a 12 x 16 RC print or about 15ml for fibre paper, so do not be concerned about not having enough fluid in the drum.

Konical · Nov 4, 2004

Good Evening, Melanie,

I always wash out the drum after processing a print. As to capacity, consider that each ounce of a typical paper developer solution in a tray is usually good for one 8 x 10 print. Twelve to sixteen ounces of developer should be good for quite a few prints. I don't know how much effect residual fixer or HCA from an unwashed drum might have on the developer, but I assume that any effect would not be positive.

Konical

Melanie · Nov 4, 2004

I think so, when i use the trays the developer last a lot longer, maybe next week i will give it a try, a quick rinse after each print.
thanks melanie.

Ed Sukach · Nov 4, 2004

I'm not sure about what your specific processing recipe is ... I can only extrapolate from what I do with JOBO drums, in a JOBO processor. Do you wash your prints in the drums, or remove them and wash then separately? I wash them with six changes of water, for thirty seconds each. That is sufficient to clear all chemistry. Then I wipe out the drum with a large wad of paper towels ... It is necessary to have the drum DRY for the next print, or *big* streaks will be present.

It is possible to replenish, to save chemistry. The "rule of thumb" there is to replace 30% of the used (color) developer or (bleach-) fixer with fresh chemistry - and there should be no significant change in results. Where the volume of chemistry is low, as in the JOBO (100ml for an 11" x 14" print), howeveer, it is not really worth the trouble - to me anyway.

Help with printing in a drum

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