New to Printing, looking for advice

[markbau]

I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, that's not what there there for anyway and I never bothered testing it. I use deep red (660nm) for B&W.

If people aren't using them as a safelight, what are people using them for ???

 

[mshchem]

Has anyone done a proper safelight test on B&W paper on these? I'd love to make my darkroom a bit brighter but don't want to plonk down any cash only to have the product fail a safelight test.

I use Thomas safelights for black and white. Nothing works better than low pressure sodium vapor lamps. I have used these with the DUC filters for color, one needs to be very careful using any safelights for color. Usually I work in the dark with color printing.

 

[pentaxuser]

, it’s nowhere to be seen. I tried to find someone using nova processors and there’s nothing on YouTube,

No have never found anything either but that may be because there is very little to explain in their use. For colour I'd set the temp to 25C . The first slot is developer, the second stop and the third blix. The general finding for RA4 is that 20-25 C is fine. Development for paper is to completion as it is with b&w and for RA4 takes about 2 mins. While the paper is in the slot just moved it back and forth with a slight rocking. For stop and blix use the times recommended by the makers of the chemicals. Once blixed room-light is fine.

Just make sure that when you get the Nova you fill the water jackets with water before you switch on. Replenish the developer and blix as per the instructions. That way you effective change the developer and blix slots regularly so in effect the 1 litre of developer and blix is not the same as what was in the slot originally.It is a constant replenishment system

Incidentally while the paper is in the slots it is largely protected from the DUKA's light so to a large extent unless the DUKA is shining into the slots(not a good idea ) the Nova protects the paper

Just be prepared to clean out the developer slot on a reasonably regular basis as developer builds a tar like substance on the sides of the slot. The longer the developer is in the slot the more it sticks to the sides. I use fairly concentrated household bleach at maybe a 1 part bleach to 10-15 parts water and leave for a day or so then flush out. A bottle brush helps to gently scrape the sides and bottom of the slot if required

I hope this helps

pentaxuser

 

[koraks]

If people aren't using them as a safelight, what are people using them for ???

This part of the forum is about color, as is this thread. I use them for color RA4 printing.
I personally don't recommend orange safelights for b&w if only because some papers (notably Fomabrom & Fomaspeed) don't support it. I generally do recommend deep red led strips for this, preferably filtered with one or two layers of Rubylith. But let's not talk about b&w here; there's an entire forum dedicated to it which draws a lot of traffic as well.

 

[mshchem]

I use one these gems. Mine has a built-in heater so no running water. I can be ready to go in a matter of minutes, no big clean up. Takes about 3 1/2 minutes. Easy.

Love this 1960's film by Kodak

 

[mshchem]

Cibachrome tubes work great too.

 

[pentaxuser]

I use one these gems. Mine has a built-in heater so no running water. I can be ready to go in a matter of minutes, no big clean up. Takes about 3 1/2 minutes. Easy.

Love this 1960's film by Kodak

Absolutely fascinating and very interesting. Are any of these machines still for sale? Based on the commentary style, the video technology these machines must now be at least 60 years old

Here's a thought. The little kid in the football kit is one of our Photrio "old-stagers" now

pentaxuser

 

[mshchem]

Absolutely fascinating and very interesting. Are any of these machines still for sale? Based on the commentary style, the video technology these machines must now be at least 60 years old

Here's a thought. The little kid in the football kit is one of our Photrio "old-stagers" now

pentaxuser

These appear on Ebay from time to time. Usually cheap. These were sold in North America, UK, Australia. I've seen at least 3 different accessory heaters. I have a model 16k as well, these are rare birds, these will make 16x20 prints. This was " Space Age" technology in 1964. The 16k has Nylon bearing races with 316 stainless steel ball bearings. The entire machine, drum is made from 316 SS. I got my first model 11 in 1973, other than an every decade of oiling the motor bronze bushings it's maintenance free.

People made fun of these old machines once roller processors appeared, but, no cleaning of racks etc. I can finish a print, rinse off the machine, dry the drum, and walk away. I enjoy messing with this stuff. I have the Jobo stuff too, but you need to preheat the chemistry, and when I'm done printing I have 8 or 10 Jobo print tubes that need to be washed, dried, reassembled and put away, same with the Jobo processor.

This old equipment is kinda like collecting steam engines and old tractors. It's a lot of fun, but no way to make a living. .

 

[pentaxuser]

Thanks for the reply. You are right, I feel, that in terms of set-up and close down time these machines appear to have the edge over Jobos. It could be argued that for regular use the Nova slot processor might be its match in that there is literally no set-up time but certainly once in a while the Nova does need draining down and cleaning

Any idea of its power consumption? If the heater for the chemicals can be set at say 25C rather than 38C which the video suggested then the power consumption may be on a par with the Nova.

pentaxuser

 

[mshchem]

I think my heater is 400W, but I don't leave it plugged in. I would love a Nova processor, the original type not the proposed new model. Nova units for N. America 60 Hz power are very hard to find. RA4 chemistry is brilliant, no problems at lower (or higher) temperatures. If you have a Nova slot processor, you have no need for a Kodak drum unit.

 

[DREW WILEY]

The nice thing about drums is that you can make them as big as you wish, yet they take up relatively little space, and have few maintenance issues. As big as I go is 30X40 inch prints; but if I wanted to go bigger using drums, it can certainly be done.

 

[mshchem]

The nice thing about drums is that you can make them as big as you wish, yet they take up relatively little space, and have few maintenance issues. As big as I go is 30X40 inch prints; but if I wanted to go bigger using drums, it can certainly be done.

Drums being tubes in Kodak parlance of the Kodak color darkroom dataguide. Drew I wish you were here. I have had a slight to pretty bad fogging issue rise up in my RA4 process.
I've never experienced anything like this in 50 years of AMATEUR color printing. I have 2 new boxes of Fujifilm CA paper coming should be here tomorrow.
I will report back. I thought maybe it was a neutron bomb, but that's not it.

Kodak or Fuji chemistry no change, 3 different papers no change. I have prints from a week ago that look fine. I use RO water, 5 stage. Deionized, two carbon filters, two sediment. The city water appears normal.

I will report back. I'm waiting for my light bulb to come o .

 

[DREW WILEY]

Hmm. Don't know what to say. Some problems just have to be ironed out a step at a time until the culprit is identified. I'm waiting forever for a big roll of Fujiflex Supergloss. I might have to use some cut sheet CAii
in the meantime for those negs that don't look appropriate in the full gloss polyester based medium. But I'd really prefer something even bigger in that. I can handle up to 40 inch wide material in my darkroom.
Fuji Super C is decent stuff; but now with Kodak largely unable to deliver anything, lots of those former Kodak paper labs are now turning to Fuji and causing a shortage. I sure wish all this gaming of port and cargo container delays would end. It's driving prices wild too, with ports charging "parking" for containers that simply can't be picked up because they're buried below so many other containers. If WW 3 does start, I'm sure this area will be one of the first hit; so if the nukes don't fog my paper on their own, I'm sure I will fog it myself if I survive, glowing in the dark for the rest of my life.

 

[mshchem]

I'm thinking that my paper has been through a worm hole. Something is wrong. I went to Walmart today, using absolutely no tap or my own RO water, mixed everything with WM distilled still have an issue. I should have fresh paper, glossy from B&H tomorrow. I think this maybe some old paper from Unique Photo, but that would shock me too.

Purchased in December of 2021.

If the paper doesn't work I will get in touch with Fuji and see what they say. From 1972 until today I've not experienced something this annoying. I will probably find I'm doing something dumb.

Good for my brain to workout!

 

[DREW WILEY]

Well, I recently had someone at Unique tell me that RA4 paper never goes bad and that they don't need to worry about the storage conditions. ... That proves "advice" can go bad too! I always ask about the freshness of the paper and if it's been cold stored.

 

[mshchem]

I had neglected to add starter. With the intense agitation of the drum/tubes I was doing some chemical fogging. I brain must need oiling.

 

[Robbie]

Update. So I have my duka 10 and heres 2 images of it in my dark room. First is at 0 on the dial and the second is max 35 (next comment)

 

[Robbie]

Maximum

 

[pentaxuser]

The trick is to use your Duka at the lowest setting at which you can see to get around and process a print. I'd try a setting of between 5 and 10 initially and wait a few minutes before starting the print process. It is amazing how much the eyes get used to a low setting once they have adapted over a few minutes. Here I am talking about RA4 colour prints. It is possible to print b&w at much higher settings

pentaxuser

 

[Robbie]

The trick is to use your Duka at the lowest setting at which you can see to get around and process a print. I'd try a setting of between 5 and 10 initially and wait a few minutes before starting the print process. It is amazing how much the eyes get used to a low setting once they have adapted over a few minutes. Here I am talking about RA4 colour prints. It is possible to print b&w at much higher settings

pentaxuser

So the higher settings, is that okay for black and white? I’ll try between 5-10 for colour. Yeah I definitely noticed my eyes adapting to the dark so that little bit of light definitely helps

 

[pentaxuser]

So the higher settings, is that okay for black and white? I’ll try between 5-10 for colour. Yeah I definitely noticed my eyes adapting to the dark so that little bit of light definitely helps

Well I need to add a caveat which is that I only used the DUKA on a couple of occasions for b&W prints in the distant past but I have certainly seem other users of the DUKA say that full illumination or close to full is OK. Maybe one of those users of a DUKA for b&w will confirm my statement.

The reason why I decided to stop using the DUKA for b&w is that it may be "wasting " the sodium bulb unnecessarily. I think that other than buying another DUKA each time a bulb goes there is little chance of finding replacement bulbs these days unless someone here know differently.

pentaxuser

 

[Robbie]

Well I need to add a caveat which is that I only used the DUKA on a couple of occasions for b&W prints in the distant past but I have certainly seem other users of the DUKA say that full illumination or close to full is OK. Maybe one of those users of a DUKA for b&w will confirm my statement.

The reason why I decided to stop using the DUKA for b&w is that it may be "wasting " the sodium bulb unnecessarily. I think that other than buying another DUKA each time a bulb goes there is little chance of finding replacement bulbs these days unless someone here know differently.

pentaxuser

Yeah you're totally right. I think, for that reason, I'll get a dedicated b&w safelight.