Jobo 3063 or other tank questions

mark · Feb 27, 2020

Hello, my name is Mark and my sheet film developing technique sucks. Back in the days before my crippling depression I used a unicolor drum and just rolled it back and forth on a couple of 2x4s for 8x10 and 5x7. It always leaked and since I use pyro-cat, leaking can be a health hazard. I don't want a unicolor drum again for this reason and I'm willing to pay for a jobo tank, just not those crazy priced (but apparently amazingly good) 3005 expert drums. What I am wondering is, on the 3063 and similar tanks is there an insert that needs to be bought as well that holds the film or does the film just sit up against the walls? If this is the case how do the films not overlap as they are rolled? I am looking to do more than one 8x10 at a time, otherwise that SP-8x10 that is at the top of the page here looks like a good Idea.

I was also never successful with DIY tubes due to scratches and uneven development. Once again most likely my fault. I don't want to go this route either.

Aside from the 3063 and ignoring the 3005, what are my jobo options for 8x10 and 5x7 sheet film?

TheFlyingCamera · Feb 27, 2020

I've used a 3063 for sheet film. Others may have better experiences with using it for ULF film (I shoot 14x17, so I'm only doing one sheet at a time in it), but there are ribs on the inside of the drum that will hold your paper/film up off the inner surface of the drum. I found in my experience that I got uneven development where the ribs were. You could use one of the smaller 2500 series paper drums to do one sheet of 8x10 at a time - there may be ribs on the inside of the print drums at that size, or maybe not, I'm not sure. Those crazy-expensive Expert-series drums are, IMHO, worth it, because I NEVER have a problem with development that I can attribute to the drum - no scratches, no unevenness, no developer surge, nothing. With any of them, regardless of size, you must absolutely get them completely dry between batches. Use the Jobo sponge and some paper towels to get them surface dry, then take a hair dryer with cold air setting (or some canned compressed air or use an air compressor) and blow out each tube to get any lint from the paper towels off the surface of the drum.

Get the Jobo roller base for the drums so you can put the tube in a tray with circulating water to temper the drum for consistent processing temperatures. Those expert drums have tiny slots at the bottom to allow water to circulate around the tubes inside the drum to keep the chemistry to a constant temperature during the processing cycle.

mark · Feb 27, 2020

I'm more confused now. I am seeing tanks labeled poilot on the bay. Are they knock offs and are they any good?

RauschenOderKorn · Feb 27, 2020

mark said:
I'm more confused now. I am seeing tanks labeled poilot on the bay. Are they knock offs and are they any good?

They are labeled very carefully, “for jobo processor”. They are made in China, so definitely a knock-off. Genuine Jobo is made in Germany.

A few years ago, Catlabs announced they were going to sell a Chinese made processor, tanks and reels in North America, but cancelled the deal due to quality issues. In the presentation video, you were able to see pallets full of Jobo-style development tanks in the Chinese factory. It seems these tanks have reached Ebay.com.

Adrian Bacon · Feb 27, 2020

mark said:
Hello, my name is Mark and my sheet film developing technique sucks. Back in the days before my crippling depression I used a unicolor drum and just rolled it back and forth on a couple of 2x4s for 8x10 and 5x7. It always leaked and since I use pyro-cat, leaking can be a health hazard. I don't want a unicolor drum again for this reason and I'm willing to pay for a jobo tank, just not those crazy priced (but apparently amazingly good) 3005 expert drums. What I am wondering is, on the 3063 and similar tanks is there an insert that needs to be bought as well that holds the film or does the film just sit up against the walls? If this is the case how do the films not overlap as they are rolled? I am looking to do more than one 8x10 at a time, otherwise that SP-8x10 that is at the top of the page here looks like a good Idea.

I was also never successful with DIY tubes due to scratches and uneven development. Once again most likely my fault. I don't want to go this route either.

Aside from the 3063 and ignoring the 3005, what are my jobo options for 8x10 and 5x7 sheet film?

you can develop 4x5, 5x7, and 8x10 in a Jobo 1520 plus 1530 extension tube. Single sheet at a time. I do it all the time. Curl the film short end to short end (so the short sides are touching) emulsion side in and put it in the tank pushed all the way to the bottom. Put the center rod in and the lid. Run it on the jobo. It works just fine.

Sirius Glass · Feb 27, 2020

I have the Jobo 3010 Expert Drum which has five cylindrical holes for ten sheets of 4"x5" film. It is well worth the cost which gets amortized over the years with properly developed spot free, streak free, film. Come on you just know that deep in your heart you want the same thing for your 5"x7" and 8"x10" film. So buy the expert drums now.

Keith Pitman · Feb 28, 2020

TheFlyingCamera said:
I've used a 3063 for sheet film. Others may have better experiences with using it for ULF film (I shoot 14x17, so I'm only doing one sheet at a time in it), but there are ribs on the inside of the drum that will hold your paper/film up off the inner surface of the drum. I found in my experience that I got uneven development where the ribs were. You could use one of the smaller 2500 series paper drums to do one sheet of 8x10 at a time - there may be ribs on the inside of the print drums at that size, or maybe not, I'm not sure. Those crazy-expensive Expert-series drums are, IMHO, worth it, because I NEVER have a problem with development that I can attribute to the drum - no scratches, no unevenness, no developer surge, nothing. With any of them, regardless of size, you must absolutely get them completely dry between batches. Use the Jobo sponge and some paper towels to get them surface dry, then take a hair dryer with cold air setting (or some canned compressed air or use an air compressor) and blow out each tube to get any lint from the paper towels off the surface of the drum.

Get the Jobo roller base for the drums so you can put the tube in a tray with circulating water to temper the drum for consistent processing temperatures. Those expert drums have tiny slots at the bottom to allow water to circulate around the tubes inside the drum to keep the chemistry to a constant temperature during the processing cycle.

Years ago I stopped drying Expert drums between batches of film. Now I load the tubes wet. I fill the number of tubes I need with tempered water, then insert the film, dump the water, put on the lid, and process normally. Give it a try; saves a lot of time.

Tom Kershaw · Feb 28, 2020

Keith Pitman said:
Years ago I stopped drying Expert drums between batches of film. Now I load the tubes wet. I fill the number of tubes I need with tempered water, then insert the film, dump the water, put on the lid, and process normally. Give it a try; saves a lot of time.

I have thought about doing this but would be concerned about splashing water around in the dark, drying hands between sheets etc.

TheFlyingCamera · Feb 28, 2020

Keith Pitman said:
Years ago I stopped drying Expert drums between batches of film. Now I load the tubes wet. I fill the number of tubes I need with tempered water, then insert the film, dump the water, put on the lid, and process normally. Give it a try; saves a lot of time.

That is manageable when you're dealing with a 3006 or 3010 drum, awkward with a 3005, and should not be attempted with the 3063. You'd have enough water in the 3063 drum that you'd pop the lid off just trying to turn it horizontal, and possibly break the lid and/or drum. I'd rather deal with dry drums so I don't accidentally get wet fingers on the image area of sheets of film I'm loading and stick the sheets together.

mark · Feb 28, 2020

Went to ebay. 3005 expert =365 with 175 for shipping. Way out of my league. These don’t seem very common on the used market.

any ideas besides the 3005 which would, more than likely, cause big problems at home.

mshchem · Feb 28, 2020

A 2830 Jobo drum will hold two sheets of 8x10 paper or film. Also Catlabs offers the CL810 works a big sheet film reel that holds 3 sheets of 8x10. If you can find a nice Beseler tube, they work great for two sheets of 8x10.

Watch Craigslist for darkroom clean outs.

I picked up a 3005 a few years back, well used but perfectly functional for under 300 bucks, they are a thing of beauty.

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