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Metal/Steel tanks - UK??

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cherryrig

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Apr 28, 2008
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I'm think of starting doing black and white film developing at home. Worked out the developer, stop, fix, wash stuff (I think) but I'm after some steel developing tanks. I was wondering if anyone knew where to get some from here in the UK. Looking to do 120 and 35mm.

Also what is the difference between having a lid like this -

66240develtank.jpg


and like this??

tanksa.jpg


Cheers
 
Can't help you with a source, but I can tell you the differences. In short, not much. The plastic lids fit well and don't leak much when inverted. A good steel lid won't either. Drop a steel lid and you might deform it, making it difficult or impossible to use. It will be awfully hard to find a replacement lid without getting another tank. The plastic lids can have a reputation for splitting as they get older. If you inspect them regularly, you can see it coming and avoid a problem. They are readily available, in the US at least, for a few dollars. I keep a spare around, and haven't needed it yet. If you're into the aesthetics of steel tanks, then one with a steel lid might be just the thing to float your boat. Me? I don't care what it looks like as long as it does the job.
 
Trevor Crone said:
You might like to check out these guys, as these tanks do 'pop up' on the used market from time to time.

Dead Link Removed
http://www.secondhanddarkroom.co.uk

Ebay, of course is another site to keep an eye on.
Click to expand...

Have you bought anything from Secondhand Darkroom before as they have some reels and some other stuff which I might get? Or has anyone bought stuff from them?
 
I have only as yet bought a secondhand Ilford Safelight and found it an excellent company to deal with. I think it stocks as big as range of items as the econs of the business allow it to do, given that it ties up capital for sometime by doing so. Excellent on chems and paper prices. It charges more on most secondhand darkroom stuff than can be obtained on e-bay but you know what you are getting with SDS. It has a star rating system for secondhand goods which in my limited experience of SDS is an accurate rating system.

If it was nearer and I could get there cheaply I'd make it my stockist of choice for most things.

Ring up and talk to SDS. I found the person I spoke to very helpful and not a bit pushy.

pentaxuser
 
Thanks for that. I just don't want to spend out loads of money and have products which I will not be happy with.

Anyone else?
 
If you've not used 35mm metal spirals before can I suggest you practise a lot first?! I love 120 metal spirals but 35mm ones are a bitch and I gave up on them years ago.
 
Well to start I'll just be doing 120 film as I got 12free black and white 120 rolls the other day.
 
cherryrig said:
Have you bought anything from Secondhand Darkroom before as they have some reels and some other stuff which I might get? Or has anyone bought stuff from them?
Click to expand...

Yes, I've bought quite a bit of kit from them over the years and have always found them to offer a first class service.

I've also found MXV to be very good.

Trevor.
 
I bought a Bronica lens hood from MXV and was very happy.

Thanks for saying about SDS, I'll bare that company in mind
 
SDS is in Witney, Oxfordshire. Not a million miles from Gloucester. I'd be tempted to travel there and have a look. As I said, it's pretty good on consumables so even if you decide it's not for you on hardware, the trip wouldn't be wasted and you could offset travel cost against the p&p.

You can learn a lot from a face to face meeting with a stockist. Not sure if it caters for walk in off the street unannounced customers so might be sensible to arrange to go by phone contact first.

pentaxuser
 
I own and use both, and as long as the plastic is in good shape, doesn't matter. However, the metal would be my preference just because it seems to be better made.

As for as dropping, seems like there is a epidemic of clumsiness now a days, bottles, tanks, cameras, lens. Not that I never drop anything but its never been a big problem for me anyway.

Anything fragile, I work over a table, bench, sink, or whatever so nothing would go to far. Also have some 1 inch soft rubber pads a friend gave me, anything critical, I use them as needed.

Good Luck.
 
pentaxuser said:
SDS is in Witney, Oxfordshire. Not a million miles from Gloucester. I'd be tempted to travel there and have a look. As I said, it's pretty good on consumables so even if you decide it's not for you on hardware, the trip wouldn't be wasted and you could offset travel cost against the p&p.

You can learn a lot from a face to face meeting with a stockist. Not sure if it caters for walk in off the street unannounced customers so might be sensible to arrange to go by phone contact first.

pentaxuser
Click to expand...

It does say showroom open weekdays :smile: Only takes 1hour to get there. Could drop them an e-mail sometime soon asking about collecting stuff. I didn't know they were only that close!
 
I concur with what people have said about mxv and SHD. Never had a problem with them. I also found that www.ffordes.co.uk was useful and friendly. RK photographic also has been very useful. They don't have a used section, but RK will try and track things down for you if you send an email.
 
Shame RK photographic don't sell the reels as they have tanks!! Dam!! Ffordes don't have any tanks, I had a look before
 
I have metal tanks with metal lids, and plastic tanks with plastic lids, and metal tanks with plastic lids.

I find I can switch the plastic lids between tanks (metal or plastic), but need to keep the metal lids matched to the right tank.

My sense (without any hard evidence to back it) is that the metal lids leak slightly more than the plastic when inverted, but both leak very, very little.

Matt
 
Cheers for that tip MattKing

Why can't one website just sell both things!!! Bit of joke really but what can you do, order from two different sites I guess
 
Good morning;

Yes, the real differences between the Nikor/Honeywell-Nikor and the Patterson type developing tanks are minimal. I have both also.

The comments about the 35 mm reels being difficult to load may not be as much of a problem as described. One point is to have the reels and the film dry when pushing the film into the wire channel.

There may be some additional comments in a couple of days. I need to check something first.
 
You push the film onto a wire spiral reel? You're supposed to wind it from the inside out, or am I missing something here?
 
cherryrig said:
Cheers for that tip MattKing

Why can't one website just sell both things!!! Bit of joke really but what can you do, order from two different sites I guess
Click to expand...

Can't be sure as Iwasn't looking for a tank and reel and was simply browsing but I thought I saw a metal tank plus reel on UK e-bay. If the seller has 100% rating and given the nature of a metal tank and reel i.e. not a lot to go wrong, it might be worth a look see on the famous bay if none of the usual suspects have one or you don't like their prices.


pentaxuser
 
Retrophotographic sell steel reels and tanks. I bought a Hewes reel and a Kindermann tank and haven't looked back since.
 
However I sent them an e-mail and they don't have the 120 tank size, they don't sell them any more.

Also thanks for the heads up pentaxuser, I was watching some tanks on Thursday however they went for £52 in the end, with reels and stuff. Way more than what I want to spend really, seeing as you get new for cheaper!!!
 
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