Needing to enlarge up to 24x24

[ac12]

Did you get the manual for the 23c and the color head ?
If not download it and read it. Much info there.

Go to the Ilford site and get the document that tells you what color filter combination equals what grade filter for their multi-contrast paper. That way all you do is to dial in the filtration values into the color head.

Gee from 24x24 to 40x40. You are thinking BIG.

Gud luk

 

[Nige]

regarding the the cheap option, I have done some 20x24's using a single tray. I use 4 litres of chemistry in the tray (so 4kgs) and a set of household buckets (about 9 litres I think) for each chemical (I use just use plain water for the stop). I use a higher dulution developer so the time it takes to empty the tray and rinse before getting the fixer in is less critical. Pouring the chems out of the tray into the bucket is fairly straightforward but not 'easy'. I doubt man-handling a 40" tray would be reliable and would require some mechanical assistance.

 

[MartinP]

Well, one way of coping with large prints is to make a table of the trays and have no gaps between them, as per Clyde Butcher - seen in this video http://clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm

Alternatively, how about trough developing, where you make a scroll of the paper and keep it moving through the chemicals? I think you would need two pairs of hands for 40" paper though, especially fibre.

With the single tray method, it is heavy and trays are not always rigid. I have often thought of putting a hinged table-top on the bench. In that way the corner of the (huge) tray points at the hinged edge and you lift the opposite end of the table to drain most of the liquid, at which point it will be light enough to finish off by hand lifting. Using siphons and stuff just seems to over complicate a simple technique (and slow it down).

Large, or odd-sized, trays can also be made of fibreglass over marine-plywood, as described many times in Apug. I have never done that, but maybe getting the right sort of resin would be critical? The rigidity problem would be taken care of by my hinged table-top idea (maybe I should patent it?).

When you are setup make a few photos and stick them up in the darkroom picture sticky-thread.

 

[healingvirtue]

Well, one way of coping with large prints is to make a table of the trays and have no gaps between them, as per Clyde Butcher - seen in this video http://clydebutcher.com/technical-info.cfm

Alternatively, how about trough developing, where you make a scroll of the paper and keep it moving through the chemicals? I think you would need two pairs of hands for 40" paper though, especially fibre.

With the single tray method, it is heavy and trays are not always rigid. I have often thought of putting a hinged table-top on the bench. In that way the corner of the (huge) tray points at the hinged edge and you lift the opposite end of the table to drain most of the liquid, at which point it will be light enough to finish off by hand lifting. Using siphons and stuff just seems to over complicate a simple technique (and slow it down).

Large, or odd-sized, trays can also be made of fibreglass over marine-plywood, as described many times in Apug. I have never done that, but maybe getting the right sort of resin would be critical? The rigidity problem would be taken care of by my hinged table-top idea (maybe I should patent it?).

When you are setup make a few photos and stick them up in the darkroom picture sticky-thread.

Yes! I was thinking of doing Clyde's method which i had seen a while back. But that takes up a huge amount of space and can be more expensive.

I was just reading Ansel Adams book "The Print" and he recommended the trough method which I am leaning towards. I actually like the looks of the three tray method better though. I just need to find some inexpensive tray alternatives. I think someone mentioned a tool tray or something like that. I'll have to go back in the thread to see exactly.

I also agree with the siphon thing. I'll be doing
three-tray or three-trough. :}

 

[healingvirtue]

BTW, where is the "new past" button. I subscribed and it looks like my subscription is not working or I am just not finding the button!

 

[MartinP]

Don't discount the single tray method - it minimises the handling of the paper and will reduce the failure rate significantly. I have used that idea for 16x20 before I got a slot-processor. For the handling problem, a hinged top can be easily added to any workbench, so long as one doesn't want cabinet-maker finish quality.