Motor base for Jobo 1500 series?

[Jan Brittenson]

Does anyone know if the Beseler motor base will work properly with Jobo 1500 series tanks? Any other models I should be looking at?

 

[Robert]

I know the Unicolor one won't. I doubt the beseler will either. Some one suggested sliding the 1500 tank into a length of plastic pipe. The 1500 aren't big enough on thier own to work. The 2500 tanks work great. Assuming you're not using the smallest tank.

 

[Jan Brittenson]

That's too bad. I read someone (Jorge?) posted they had converted a Jobo Expert drum to work with a Beseler base. I thought perhaps the 1500s were the same size. I really like the 1500 tank I have (1510, 1520, 2x1530, 8 1501 reels) and don't feel like buying an entirely new setup, or a big honking processor like a CPA/CPP-2. I process my sheet film in an HP Combi-Plan but wouldn't mind something different like an Expert drum if I had a motor base. Mainly I just want to save on developer and tediousness. Oh well.

 

[Jorge]

I have used the Beseler and Unicolor bases with the expert drums and the 2500, you know the one where the 4x5 sheet is put into reels. They work fine, but I think the 1500 is too thin and wont roll.

But not everything is lost Jan. Open the motor base and you will se you can remove the wheels that turn the drum. Take them off and add rubber bands or something similar to make them of a bigger diameter.
You will probably have to file the opening in the plastic box to accomodate the bigger wheels. Put the box back on and you will probably have a good enough base for the thinner drums.

 

[George Losse]

That's too bad. I read someone (Jorge?) posted they had converted a Jobo Expert drum to work with a Beseler base. I thought perhaps the 1500s were the same size. I really like the 1500 tank I have (1510, 1520, 2x1530, 8 1501 reels) and don't feel like buying an entirely new setup, or a big honking processor like a CPA/CPP-2. .

Jan,

I used the Beseler motor base with the 2800 series tank and later the 3000 series tanks for a number of years. The biggest thing to remember is to level the tank before you start processing. Also some people have built racks that they have set their motor bases into to stop the tanks from walking off the motor base. I used chemical jugs placed at the end of the tank to keep it on the base.

The 1500 series tank is thinner. I'm not sure it will fit into the base. It might but then you will need to slow the base's speed down I would think it would spin the smaller tank rather fast .

 

[Robert]

For comparison the 1500 tank will fit inside a 2500 tank with room to spare. I think the experts are even bigger.

Somebody a few months ago sold what they called a "Jobo system" [something like that ] on Ebay. It consisted of a 1540 tank. A motorbase. A plastic pipe that fit over the tank. Some sort of tray to hold the chemicals. He wanted a crazy amount for his "system". If you take the tank to someplace like Home Depot and ask for a piece of plastic pipe big enough to fit the tank I think you'd be okay. You'd likely need to use more then just the base tank. Lengthwise you need a piece of pipe no shorter then a five reel tank. I think that would be okay. Plastic pipe is relatively cheap even if they make you buy the full length. If the pipe is a little bigger then the tank you can always stuff some rags in there. You could even use the rest of the pipe to make a sheet film processing tank.

The other thing is just to watch Ebay. Used tanks and reels can go for very little if you're patient.

 

[Jan Brittenson]

I have an idea... What if I go to Home Depot and buy a 3/4" sheet of soft foam (not glass fiber, something more pleasant to handle) and a piece of piping or plastic tubing that's 1.5" wider inside in diameter than the 1500 tube's orange flanges. Maybe little less for a tight fit. Then cut the foam and pad the inside of the tube, perhaps glue it in place. Tight, but free of buckles. I should be able to stick any 1500 tube configuration with two or more joints in there, nice and snug. The isolation might even help maintain the developer temperature as measured before it goes in the tank. I say it's worth a try! If it fails or is problematic in practice I can always pick up used tanks later...

 

[Robert]

If you do it in a non-permenant way then you can alway take it apart-) That foam in a can would be a good permanent way but you'd have to be sure that you wanted it that way for ever.