Print washer

mri_tech · May 21, 2007

Greetings to all. Can anyone recommend a good print washer for both RC and Fiber papers. Also, does anyone know of a good place to get one-preferably 11x14? Thanks.

Tom McRae

jstraw · May 21, 2007

The washing requirements for fiber and RC are so different that I'm not sure there's a good answer.

A good archival washer for fiber can certainly be used to wash RC but I don'r bother to use mine for an RC printing session. My Zone VI holding tank is my RC print washer.

Stoo Batchelor · May 21, 2007

Where are you in the world Tom?

mri_tech · May 21, 2007

I'm in the USA

Stoo Batchelor · May 21, 2007

mri_tech said:
I'm in the USA

Sorry Tom.

Things differ in the U.K The favourite usually being a 'Nova'. Very well made and if your lucky, can be found on ebay.

If i remember, it is a different make that is favoured in the U.S. When I was searching for one, the Photographers Formulary made one in kit form (or was I dreaming).

Sorry for being absolutely no help at all!

Regards

Stoo

eric · May 21, 2007

Stoo Batchelor said:
The favourite usually being a 'Nova'. Very well made and if your lucky, can be found on ebay.

The NOVA stuff is so good but too bad, they stopped selling the stuff in the US. I keep searching ebay but so hard to get.

Paul Howell · May 21, 2007

For RC I use a plastic tub with a hose tapped into the side towards the bottom. For fiber I use a rotary drum washer for prints up to 11X14. I also have an archival washer that will take 11X14 ,but over the years I have found the rotary washer to work just as well for working prints a short wash, Perma Wash, another short wash. For archival, rotary wash, Perma Wash then archival wash. For 16X20 and larger I use a plastic wading pool with 3 Kodak tray sipions

Ryuji · May 21, 2007

If you use non-acid, non-hardening, rapid fixer, and if you use washing aid with fiber paper, I think you'll be perfectly fine with a tray to wash your prints, both RC and fiber, unless your volume is very large... (but then large volume users are usually in the D-world these days...)

konakoa · May 21, 2007

I like tray washing when I only have a handful of prints. Keeps things simpler when I'm cleaning up. If I've been really prolific and have a lot of prints to wash, I'll pull out my 11x14 Versalab. The Versalabs are a good deal for the money: less expensive, no frills, easy to clean out and can be ordered directly from the manufacturer.

jovo · May 21, 2007

A lot depends on how many prints you normally expect to wash at a time. If no more than two or three FB prints, a print tray with a Kodak siphon (or some similar way of exchanging water, like just running tap water into the tray with holes in the end of it....simple but it works.) will suffice if you wash for an hour or so, and perhaps also use a hypo clearing agent as well (I don't, but you can.). If you're washing a lot more, the Versa-Lab tank is a good choice. Yes, there are vastly more expensive 'archival' washers, but then there also some seriously retentive geeks who actually think their prints will matter to someone in the year 2546. I am not one of those folks! I've had nothing but excellent results with mine (and the prints may be around in 2546 for all I know anyway. More to the point, will the planet itself have been archivally preserved in that century????)

For RC prints, less time is required...a lot less time!...but similar methods will be effective.

mri_tech · May 22, 2007

Thanks for all your help and ideas.
Tom

David Brown · May 22, 2007

jovo said:
... If no more than two or three FB prints, a print tray with a Kodak siphon (or some similar way of exchanging water, like just running tap water into the tray with holes in the end of it....simple but it works.) will suffice if you wash for an hour or so, and perhaps also use a hypo clearing agent as well (I don't, but you can.).

If you're washing a lot more, the Versa-Lab tank is a good choice.

Excellent advice.

jeroldharter · May 22, 2007

I like Summitek washers. Very low water consumption, well made, and do a good job.

I would probably get a 16 x 20 model so that you could do 12 16x20 or 12 11x14, or 24 8x10 prints at one time. I have a 20x24 so I can wash 24 11x14 prints at once. They are large and heavy.

jovo · May 22, 2007

jeroldharter said:
..... They are large and heavy.

And that's another thing ....., the Versa Lab 11x14 tank is said to weigh 100 lbs when filled with water. Larger tanks are obviously even more so. Be sure your tank is supported on a substantial base. 100 or more pounds of water makes a humongous mess if the tank collapses what it's resting on.

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