Plastic or Metal Tanks?

[DieHipsterDie]

Ok, I've read all the threads. In you unbiased opinion, which tank material will least frustrate a newbie?

Make this simple for me. Metal or plastic?

 

[Uncle Bill]

I started processing my own black and white film in June, I went for a plastic tank and reel setup. I like my sanity and I want to keep it

Bill

 

[Konical]

Good Evening,

Search the Forum; there has been lots of discussion of this topic. My own opinion is that the tank material is not particularly important, but I find SS reels vastly preferable to plastic ones. As you'll quickly find, others vehemently disagree!

Konical

 

[mikebarger]

I've never used anything but stainless steel for 35mm, don't see how you can go wrong. Just practice.

Mike

 

[Jim Jones]

For a newbie, a plastic tank may be less frustrating. After a few thousand rolls of film, I consider metal tanks and reels best. I suggest you start with them. Some plastic reels are easier to use than others.

 

[PhotoJim]

Plastic tanks are harder to damage (you can drop the reels without ruining them, most of the time ), easier to learn how to load, and work really well. Metal tanks are harder to learn how to load, but once you do know how generally you can load the reels even when they are wet, which is convenient. They are also superior when you are using a tempering bath because the tanks will conduct the heat or cold more easily. If your room temperature is close to the right temperature, I think plastic is better because the tank will help to insulate the chemicals against warming from your hands. Plastic reels generally can be adjusted for different sizes of film, whereas with metal you need a reel (or several) for each size of film you develop.

Either work.

I use plastic. I've never used metal. Plastic works well enough for me and I don't know what I'm missing.

 

[rmolson]

stainless steel

I bought my first stainless steel Nikor tanks and reels in 50's ( so long ago I forget the exact year), I am still using them . I have no idea of what ever happened to any of the plastic stuff I had before. Stainless is like diamonds forever.

 

[Kevin Caulfield]

I started ten years ago with plastic, and changed to stainless about 18 months ago. I fully agree with all the advice above to start with plastic and then try stainless later.

 

[jim appleyard]

This has been a topic of debate for years. Plastic is probably easier to learn on, but in the end I think it makes little difference.

Some folks think that the plastic ones with the little stir rod give inferior agitation due to it only being two-dimensional, as opposed to three-dimensional agitation with a covered tank and reel set. I have both and see no difference.

I learned on stainless, but I do use the plastic reels & tanks when I have a damaged roll, and old roll with a curl that has set in like rigor mortis, or a roll of 36 exp.; I've always found the stainless not quite big enough for 36.

Use whatever you have and whatever is easier; if it ain't broke...

Just don't tell anyone which type you use because you'll always make 50% of them mad

 

[Flotsam]

I learned on stainless and find plastic infuriating when I occasionally use it.
I'm sure that you will find many others with the exact opposite experience.
Personally, my vote would be for SS. Last night I souped some film in the very same tanks and reels that I learned on as a kid many, many years ago. They'll last longer than I will.

 

[PhotoJim]

I have a plastic Paterson reel from the late 1970s. It's ugly yellow but it still works.

Don't use the "agitation stick". It's designed to get rid of airbells, not to agitate. I put on the lid and I agitate by inversion. I haven't used my sticks in years.

 

[Sparky]

I tried BOTH in the beginning. I've never had anything but problems with plastic. I just could never get the hang of it. I'd have constant jamming of film, etc. It depends on the humidity I think. Stainless requires about 5 mins. of practice in the dark to get the hang of and are FAR stronger, IMO. You can also agitate better since you can really knock the air bubbles off the film much better than with plastic when you slam the tank down.

 

[MattKing]

These comments are mainly about 35mm film.

Plastic flexes more.

Stainless steel can go out of alignment if you bang it.

I have great difficulty using plastic reels, because they require you to use two hands in a coordinated manner that keeps the sides of the reels parallel. For most people, that is easy, but not for me. I have one hand that is much less dexterious than the other.

It took a while for me to learn to use the stainless steel reels, but once I adapted my technique to the reels, it became easy for me to use them. Because they are inherently more stiff, they suit my needs.

For 120, neither work well for me. I have the same problems with the plastic reels with 120 as I do with 35mm. With the steel reels, I have difficulty with the initial attachment of the film.

There are other brands I haven't tried yet (JOBO, for one, and Kindermann for another) that may make a difference. In the meantime, I've found that the old developing aprons are functional, especially when used in tanks designed for steel reels.

I'd suggest trying both, with practice film. I think that if you find that steel reels work for you, they are more convenient, but others might disagree .

Have fun, I know I do, and have done so, for almost 40 years.

Matt

 

[Roger Hicks]

I learned on stainless and still greatly prefer stainless for 35mm but for 120 I use plastic because I find it easier.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Sparky]

I learned on stainless and still greatly prefer stainless for 35mm but for 120 I use plastic because I find it easier.

Cheers,

Roger

Really? It had been my experience that people used plastic for 35mm much more, since it was less likely to bind than with 120. With both formats the one thing that really bugged me about plastic was when you'd get the film 75% of the way in - you'd get a bind and have to do it ALL OVER again, which is basically impossible with metal. Anyway - to each their own I suppose.

 

[leeturner]

I'm with Roger, I find it much easier to load 120 than 35mm on plastic reels.

 

[Steve Smith]

Until a couple of months ago, I had trouble loading both 35mm and 120 into a plastic tank. Then I came up with my new method:

1. Make sure reel is completely dry - use a hairdrier if necessary.
2. Spray a small amount of furniture polish onto a surface (usually the kitchen sink). I use Mr Sheen.
3. Use an oil painting brush to 'paint' an absolute minimum of polish to the spiral surfaces. I must stress that the amount used is minimal.
4. Load film - I have not tried yet but I think I would be happy loading two 120 films into the spiral one after the other taped together (I will try it soon).
Previously, it was a major success just to get one loaded.

I appreciate that there may be a few people who will tell me why this is not a good idea (interaction with chemistry, etc.) but I have not seen any detrimental effect yet.

I do pre-soak the film twice with inversion agitation just to make sure I remove any remaining polish residue although, as I said earlier, the actual amount is minimal.

This method has changed my film loading from a frustrating, time consuming, film jamming session to a simple and quick process and is now my standard method.

Steve.

 

[Dave Miller]

Steve, there is no need to tape the two 120 films together. just fold the tape over at the end of the first film and the second film will push the first around easily. I'm not too keen on your polish idea by the way, I can see long term problems with that. I'm also a plastic reel man by the way, I've never found what the fuss is all about, certainly the reels have got to be dry, but apart from that there are no other difficulties with them.

 

[Steve Smith]

Steve, there is no need to tape the two 120 films together. just fold the tape over at the end of the first film and the second film will push the first around easily. I'm not too keen on your polish idea by the way, I can see long term problems with that. I'm also a plastic reel man by the way, I've never found what the fuss is all about, certainly the reels have got to be dry, but apart from that there are no other difficulties with them.

O.K. I will try that next time I have two films to process together.

My polish method was really out of desperation in getting the film to load. It could just be that my reel is rubbish and I should buy a better one.

I have seen no indication of the polish doing anything i.e. no marks on the edges of the film where they touch the reel and I do stress that the amount involved is absolutely minimal. In fact, I go around again with the brush wiped clean and dry so the amount remaining is almost negligable.

I also think my double pre-soak removes anything left over.

Since most people don't have the problems I am having, then I think it is time I bought a quality new reel. All of my current reels are secondhand I think.

I have always claimed that if someone else can do something then so can I so I should really apply that logic (or arrogance?) to film loading and learn to do it properly.


Steve.

 

[Dave Miller]

Think about loading problems with plastic reels, I have remembered one problem I had, and that was when one or both of the little steel ball bearings that grip the film jammed. When freed the reel worked ok again.

A gadget that I use and find very helpful as a spool loading aid is available from Nova and is called:

Nova Spiral EasyLoader Ref: ANEASYLOAD

It's buried away on Nova's website under miscellaneous darkroom accessories http://www.novadarkroom.com

 

[Dave Miller]

Just came across this link that may be of interest.

Dead Link Removed

 

[Brian Jeffery]

When I got back into developing my own films I purchased a Jessops plastic developing tank. Loading my first film onto the spiral took me a full 30 minutes. The problem was exasperated by the fact that I was loading the film in a changing bag and and my hands were starting to sweat. Needless to say I wasn't a happy chappy. I had previously loaded over 50 films in my Dad's darkroom without significant difficulty.

I went out and bought a Jobo tank. The next film was loaded in minutes. I couldn't believe how easy it was. The Jobo spiral doesn't have any ball bearings so nearly a complete 36 exposure 35mm film can simply be pushed onto the spiral; only the last few inches need to be loaded by twisting the two half of the spiral backwards and forwards.

My point. I don't think it's as simple as plastic vs SS. Where as I didn't get on with Jessops developing tank, you might. It's horses for courses I suppose.

Brian

 

[blackmelas]

I started on plastic tanks due to lower cost and better availability (Its hard to find quality SS tanks here). But I kept having problems with the film getting stuck before I had fed it all the way in. I also had problems with uneven development at the edges and excessive tank leakage (though the nicer plastic tanks shouldn't suffer from this problem).

After about three months I dropped the plastic for SS and never looked back. The only problem I had in the beggining with stainless was with the film touching itself on subsequent turns leaving undeveloped spots. Experience corrected this. I can now load a 120 film in 30 sec and 35mm takes only a bit longer.
James

 

[ChrisW]

Patterson plastic tank with Samigon auto feed reels work easily. I use the 5 reel 120 tank. The other plastic auto feed reels are impossible to use when wet.

 

[Monophoto]

Frankly, this question is in the "boxers or briefs" category - the answer is purely a matter of personal choice.

I use stainless steel reels in metal tanks. I also use plastic reels in plastic tanks. And my plastic reels are designed to load from the center just like stainless steel reels (as opposed to the Yankee-style walk-in plastic reels).

That's my choice, and I'm sticking to it!