I bought a 4x5 developing tank

It is a Price MonoTank CF-46 Bakelite Developing Tank for 4x5 Sheet Film w/ 15 Hangers. I hope to use it to develop film AND glass plates. I already have some plate hangers. They come in different shapes and sizes. I hope the ones in this outfit are plate holders, too.

Anyone else ever use one of these. How? Are there instructions available?

It is linked to ebay off my Facebook page because there is another for sale, too, two! And because it is so cool.
I've been using an FR tank. Some edge artifacts during full stand Caffenol developing led me to want to use film hangers instead of curved slots. I'm a newbe 45 developer.
None of my other small plate tanks accept 4x5. Films just fall out.
It has not arrived yet.
Anyway, instructions would help.
Thanks.
Michael

I have never seen one before, but here's just a guess:

Looks like you use it with the lid on, like any typical daylight development tank. I'm not sure you'd want to invert it, even with a finger plugging up the hole (it will probably leak out), so you'd probably have to slide it on your table top or something like that, or lift up a corner. Kodak's instructions for small noninvertible tanks call for sliding the tank back and forth 10 inches (25.4cm).

Typically, with hangers and tanks, there's not lid on top, and you have to do all your development in the dark, lifting up the hangers for agitation. There are similar sized daylight tanks for sheet film that have built in "slots" for holding the film (maybe like the one you mentioned using), rather than typical hangers. You can probably find instructions for them and adapt as necessary.

The feature that stands out for this particular tank is that it's a daylight developing tank, but uses standard 4x5 hangers instead.

LFGuy said:

The feature that stands out for this particular tank is that it's a daylight developing tank, but uses standard 4x5 hangers instead.

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Thanks for that. It arrived. The 15 hangers have open top slots that accept 4x5 glass plates easily as well as film. Normal thick glass fits easily that I get from the hardware store. There are no spring loaded trap doors to deal with. Inside are three areas to divide the hangers into. There is just enough room that the hangers move back and forth a tiny bit, however, if you push the tank away from you, the bottoms of the hangers swing. That swinging would create greater agitation.
The hole in the fill area has a light trap under it. The extended corner is for pouring out the contents, so inverting is not a good idea. Film or plates would fall out of the holders.
It takes 2L to fill it to the top of the center tank.

I'd like to see what kind of results you get from this unit.

I bought this because I think it's neat. I've never used it. I always assumed you poured in through the hole and poured out the corner while holding the lid on. If it was me I would fill the tank with developer. Then, in the dark, load your hangers, then drop them in and put the lid on. Then you could turn on the lights. The old Kodak slosh back and forth works just fine same as with the FR and other similar designs. This really appealed to me because it takes fool proof Kodak plate and film hangers. I've never developed a glass plate but the Kodak hangers (and Carr etc.) are designed for both . All you need is a thermometer and a timer and you would be set. This picture shows 10 hangers. I'm not sure what it was designed to hold but I think having it comfortably full of hangers even if some needed to be empty might help keep things from scratching (Just a guess)
Best Regards Mike

I have one of these tanks in all-black. It came with an insert for 12 4x5 film sheets. The hanging plate holders could also be used.

I have a set of 3 tanks very similar to yours. Mine are smallish side, takes a quart of chemistry and will hold up to 5 hangers. I usually don't use them as a daylight tank, I develop in the dark, agitage by lifting the hangers out of the chemistry. When I do use them as daylight tanks I tends towards a developer with long development times to prevent uneven development, I timedhow long it took to empty, about 30 to 40 seconds. If you have a dark room you can turn off the lights to fill and empty the tank which takes much less time than pouring though the lid. My set was marketed as color developing tanks, which made sense in the day as color chemistry must have been very expensive and needing only a quart must have been a savings.

Here's my 2x3 setup



I wonder if I could scale this idea up for 4x5 some day...

I've seen large SS tanks with a 4X5 insert, don't recall how many sheets would fit. In addition to my tanks I also use a motor base and paper drums. I use a 5X7 cibachrome paper drum, not sure it is a Cibachrome drum may be an off brand but works the same way. Takes very little chemistry, very quick, take 20% off your normal development time, if processing a small number of sheets or using the zone and processing each sheet at a different + or - time works really well.

Paul Howell said:

I've seen large SS tanks with a 4X5 insert, don't recall how many sheets would fit.

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The Nikor tanks with 4x5 stainless cage accepted 12 sheets. The current production B&W King tank with cage (direct from Hong Kong) will hold 10. Both use a liter of developer when loaded to capacity, a few extra ml if only partially loaded.

For about 1/5 the money, I got a brand new Yankee Agitank; its insert holds up to 12 sheet and is adjustable for 2x3, 6.5x9, 3x4, 9x12, and 4x5; it takes 55 ounces for 4x5. I can fill it in around ten seconds, pour out in under fifteen (into a wide enough receiver), and agitate with either a "Kodak slide" or by rocking the tank (its feet are narrower than the tank body, so I can tip it both directions without spilling the solution inside). It does require I hold the lid in place when pouring out, however.

I have an older Yankee, its a slow fill, but I use for 6X9. For mass development my preference is for open tanks, either the larger size that takes a 1/2 gallon or the smaller quart size, for small runs the motor base and paper drum, or the Yankee for 6X9.

Paul Howell said:

I have an older Yankee, its a slow fill, but I use for 6X9. For mass development my preference is for open tanks, either the larger size that takes a 1/2 gallon or the smaller quart size, for small runs the motor base and paper drum, or the Yankee for 6X9.

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6x9 is the same as 2x3 yes? How do you get the sheets on the reel?

I have a Yankee thank with slots that adjust from 4X5 to 6X9 or 2X3. Below is a picture I found at Freestyle, they are out of stock but will have a new shipment later in the month, price is $37.00.

Paul Howell said:

I have a Yankee thank with slots that adjust from 4X5 to 6X9 or 2X3. Below is a picture I found at Freestyle, they are out of stock but will have a new shipment later in the month, price is $37.00.

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This is the same one I have (and the price was a strong factor in my purchase). The photo doesn't show the "rocker feet" -- a pair of rails parallel with the short sides, inset enough from the ends that the tank can be readily tipped up until the corner touches the countertop, then let back down, tipped the other direction and returned to level -- I call that one "inversion" cycle and give five of those each minute. In Xtol stock, I get even development. The first time I used it, with Dektol 1+9, I got hesitation marks, but I poured from a small mouth bottle instead of the nice graduate pitchers I have now and it took forever to fill. Pouring from my current graduates, it's almost as fast to fill as a Paterson.

The small piece on the right is a loading aid, helps make sure the film sheet goes into the same slot on each side of the carrier, and clicks along notches in the film carrier plates to let the operator easily find the six slots on each side. The carrier adjusts, with click stops for each supported film size. The film slots are slightly curved, so the tank, as made, can't be used for glass plates -- but it would be easy enough for someone with the skill and equipment to 3D print replacement carrier parts to fit one size of glass plate, or even keep the adjustment capability to support varying sizes (up to 4x5 maximum; bigger than that and the lid won't close enough to light seal).

Note that, like a Paterson, the tank is not light tight without at least the bottom part of the film carrier (which incorporates the core). Unlike a Paterson, the lid is held on only by gravity -- if you're going to leave film in the tank (say, got it loaded but don't have time to develop immediately) I'd recommend either taping the lid down or wrapping an elastic or velcro strip around the tank to prevent accidents.