Is this washer archival??

[Bighead]

Or can it be made archival?

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[fotch]

Archival Print Washer

Or can it be made archival?

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Thats what its designed for. Of course, you have to leave prints in the wash long enough, as you would any archival washer. The drain is on the bottom and the drum is designed to rotate for hours on end, all day.

 

[Bighead]

So there is a constant flow of fresh water??

 

[Bob Carnie]

Hi Bighead

I used this washer at college, it is archival if you alone are washing prints and you are sure it drains from the bottom as fresh is added, at school there always was the person who would print late and add their prints to the mix and piss everyone off.
As well the constant rotation may ding some corners but if it was closer to me I would pick it up. go for it.

 

[Ole]

"Archival" washing is controlled by the diffusion rate - it doesn't matter if the water is running or not as long as the thiosulfate concentration in the water is lower than in the emulsion.

In other words: Time is more important than movement.

Incidentally it has been found that paper with a (very) small remaining thiosulfate content is more archival than when all the thiosulfate has been washed out.

 

[Claire Senft]

test to be sure

Being archival is a technique that includes all of the prior steps as well as washing. To be sure one should test both fixing as well as washing. This, I feel, is true regardless of the techniques or washer being employed.

If you have the time and energy and are willing to shuffle prints and change water by dumping and refilling at appropriate intervals, the use of a single tray can provide the best possible wash. Conversely. the finest print washer can give terrible results as far a thoroughness when poorly used..

 

[fotch]

constant

So there is a constant flow of fresh water??

[font=&quot]Yes. There are valves to control the flow rate. Drains from the bottom. Motor can run all day. I don't know how many prints it can do but would guess more that one person could put out. Plenty of room in the drum which must be 21 inches across and 18 inches in diameter.

I would guess that at the end of the day, you would shut both valves rather than refill everyday.

IMHO, it’s an impressive print washer.[/font]

 

[msage]

I have used this type of washer a lot in the old days. It uses a lot of water and often the prints stick together. Also, prints occasionlly would have damaged coners.

Michael

 

[Bighead]

This seems to be similar to the huge print washer in my school, different design but made for lots of washing... I hypoclear all prints, constant agitation for 5 minutes, to reduce wash time to 20 minutes, as opposed to an hour (for fiber)....

Damage is possible in the school washer as well. I dodge other students washes, in order to do a wash of my own (and maybe my girlfriends, if I'm feeling generous)

Thank you everyone for you input....

 

[dancqu]

If you have the time and energy and are willing to shuffle prints
and change water by dumping and refilling at appropriate intervals,
the use of a single tray can provide the best possible wash.
Conversely. the finest print washer can give terrible results as far
a thoroughness when poorly used..

A single tray? Though I do process single tray, where more than
one print is involved I think two trays make for a more efficient use
of time. I use hydrophobic seperator sheets; one at bottom and top
of stack, and one twixt each print. Once placed the prints are not
disturbed untill moved to the second tray. They see the first tray
one more time then are done; three washes.

I preceed the wash with a fix of A. Thiosulfate concentrate
diluted 1:49. A rinse, a hca, a rinse, ALL one-shot, follow. The still
water diffusion method of washing is, I believe, the most sure way
to a uniformly archival washed print; no bubbles no eddies. Also,
the Still Water Diffusion way of washing needs no plumbing,
costs nothing, and uses very little water. Dan

 

[chuck94022]

Or can it be made archival?

Let's see - it appears to be stainless steel, so it probably won't rust. I'd say if you don't leave it out in the rain, it ought to last 200-300 years, or at least as long as the prints you wash inside it...

-chuck

 

[dancqu]

A single tray? Though I do process single tray, when washing
where more than one print is involved I think two trays make for
a more efficient use of time. I use hydrophobic seperator sheets;
one at bottom and top of stack, and one twixt each print. Once
placed the prints are not disturbed untill moved to the second
tray. They see the first tray one more time then are done;
three washes.

I preceed the wash with a fix of A. Thiosulfate concentrate
diluted 1:49. A rinse, a hca, a rinse, ALL one-shot, follow. The still
water diffusion method of washing is, I believe, the most sure way
to a uniformly archival washed print; no bubbles no eddies. Also,
the Still Water Diffusion way of washing needs no plumbing,
costs nothing, and uses very little water. Dan

This additional information should have been included above.
For an 8 x 10 print 5ml of 60% concentrate in 245ml of water
are suggested. Also, I've all solutions at room temperature. Dan

 

[Ronald Moravec]

The washer is archival. It`s forty years old and still going strong.

It makes archival prints on FB paper pretty well too. My wedding photographer friend was showing me some work finished in the 1960`s with that washer. They still look as new.