Prints from drums

I have a very limited space for printing, the only room light tight enough is the bathroom, which is small enough that even the cat has to leave it to change his mind. I did colour prints a long time ago, wondering if I set the enlarger up in the bathroom, and put prints in drums for processing, would it work well, I know I would be unable to evaluate a print while processing, but it would allow me to do some printing again.....

Anyone process B&W prints in colour drums on a regular basis?

Good Evening, Paul,

As your post indicates, there are some disadvantages to using a drum for B & W prints, primarily the lack of ability to judge development and, perhaps, to enhance it with full-strength or heated developer. The pluses of drum processing prints are primarily 1)space saving, 2)smaller chemical amounts, and 3)working in full room light after the drum is loaded. I do it occasionally, usually to make a quick contact print or two. For something like that, with standardized exposure and processing, it's ideal. The major disadvantage is that the drum must be thoroughly washed between prints. I found the technique to be especially helpful several years ago when I needed to produce several dozen 16 x 20 copy prints. The prints were all from similarly exposed and processed negatives and required nothing but straightforward processing. Tray processing is still my normal method, but the drum is sometimes a handy alternative.

Konical

RC prints will work better then fibre. Once the print is in the drum you can take the drum out of the bathroom to a room with more space.

If you go this route I'd suggest eventually getting more drums. This way you don't need to dry drums every moment. If you do some of the washing in the drum you'll get the drum clean to.

One thing to watch is some developers won't work too well like this. Drums take small amounts of chemicals. They push air into the chemicals. So either one shot developer or a developer aimed at machine processing.

I find that this works well if you have at least three drums. That way, you can get into a routine that allows the drums to air dry (with just a little help) between uses.

RC prints work well.

When I do it, I get the advantage of being able to do my processing in a room with a nice view through the window .

The biggest advantage is that the setup and cleanup times are short.

There is no reason that you cannot get very high quality results from this.

Matt

You might like to try and lay your hands on something like a Paterson Orbital closed-tray print processor; it suffers from the same core problem as a drum - i.e. You can't develop by inspection - but it's an awful lot less fidely than drums which makes things less of a chore. I use a Paterson for colour prints by preference, only resorting to drum for stuff too large for the Orbital.

Have you considered a NOVA Slot Processor - http://www.novadarkroom.com/product/118/Nova_Monochrome_Processor.html

Effectively 3 processing trays stood on their sides.

You would still need an additional tray for a water/wash/holding bath but they are very space efficient none the less.

I know someone who has one for their under-the stairs darkroom which would make any bathroom darkroom seem palatial in comparison

I have a 10x8 unit & works well for RC or FB processing (FB processing of 16x12 might be a bit of handful)

Chemical economy can good too - working volumes are small & oxygenation rates low due to the small air surface (as are chemical odours for the same reason) - although I tend to frisbee mine at the end of a days printing as it can be a while before I get to have another go.

Not sure about who markets NOVA in North America but I am fairly sure someone does.

Martin

wogster said:

I have a very limited space for printing, ...

Click to expand...

My problem exactly several years ago. So I adopted
single tray processing as the method to use. A second
tray is used as a hold/soak tray and later used with the
processing tray for alternate tray washing. If you have
enough dark space for two trays you should consider
single tray processing.

One-shot chemistry works well using a single tray.
Solution volumes are minimal and the chemistry is
used more dilute than usual. All in all some what
similar to drum processing where dilutions are
higher and the chemistry used one-shot.

If you've the space, two trays, and the chemistry
you should give the method a try. I think it is a
great way of making a few prints. Details?
Questions? PM Dan

dancqu said:

My problem exactly several years ago. So I adopted
single tray processing as the method to use. A second
tray is used as a hold/soak tray and later used with the
processing tray for alternate tray washing. If you have
enough dark space for two trays you should consider
single tray processing.

One-shot chemistry works well using a single tray.
Solution volumes are minimal and the chemistry is
used more dilute than usual. All in all some what
similar to drum processing where dilutions are
higher and the chemistry used one-shot.

If you've the space, two trays, and the chemistry
you should give the method a try. I think it is a
great way of making a few prints. Details?
Questions? PM Dan

Click to expand...

Here is the problem, the bathroom I can use is about as small as you can ever imagine, there is room for a sink, a toilet and a shower stall, and maybe a 1m x 1m square area to connect them together. I was thinking of building a small table to fit over the toilet to put the enlarger on, this would also raise up the height to something reasonable. Expose the paper, put in the drum, go out to the kitchen (next door) to do the actual processing. So I don't think a couple of trays would work. The kitchen can not be made dark, even though it doesn't have a window, it has about 5 different doorways, several without doors, and all traffic in the house moves through the kitchen. I rent, so I can't alter anything.

Now if I won the lotto, then things would change, when I was a teenager I had a darkroom in the furnace room, under the stairs, with two counter tops, one for wet one dry, and an old kitchen sink from a kitchen reno we did.

Funny conversation that one:

Plumber: what do you want to do with this old sink and taps
Me: I want to put it in my darkroom downstairs
Plumber: For 10 bucks cash, I'll put it in for ya
Me: Let me get my wallet....

Now it was 1978 when $10 actually meant something.

Which enlarger do you have?

I suggest you look at the shower area for tray space. Either mount 2 or 3 handhold safety bars, front, back and possibly side at the same hight and place a lightweight wire shelf such as "Closet Maid" when needed on it or use pvc pipes to build a folding support of your own design to use with a wire shelf or two, one over the other with the lower used for washing trays, by-way-of a connector to the shower head/pipe for water supply.

Depending on which enlarger you have and what you may have above the toilet, you could securely mount a heavy wood shelf, which could be as simple as a 2" thick 6x18-24 yellow pine board, above that area with an attachment point/holes for your (single column?) enlarger, perhaps even leaving the column base in place or a spare purpose bought, sans baseboard.

To the side of the toilet on the wall, and I'm of course, guessing the toilet is by the wall, you can mount a fold down shelf as a baseboard/table, with either a hinged leg attached for support, ie. like an ironing board, or an attachment point for a leg that can be kept in the corner.

There's lots you can do in a small space, pics would help us make better suggestions as well as more info on which equipment you want/have to use in this space.

Happy New Year, Eli


Link to Closet Maid stuff - http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...o-_-Know_How-_-ShelfTrack_Wire_Closet_Storage

wogster said:

Now it was 1978 when $10 actually meant something.

Click to expand...

Yeah. Today all you can get a plumber to do for $10 is laugh at you.

Drums and motor bases are cheap! Get one and try it.

I have never done (30 years) anything else then developing fibre paper in drums. Never had any problem. An extra advantage, above the already mentioned, is the repeatability. When working in trays there are more variations in contrast between the different prints of the same neg. with the same paper, exposure time and the same developer etc.

hka said:

I have never done (30 years) anything else then developing fibre
paper in drums. Never had any problem. An extra advantage,
above the already mentioned, is the repeatability.

Click to expand...

Repeatability is no problem when using A tray for processing.
The solution volume is some what more than used with drum
processing, more dilute, and used one-shot. One or a few
prints at same processed insures consistency. Dan

Although I perfer trays, my counter space is just too small for trays larger than 11X14, I process 16X20 in drums with a Unicolor motor base. I found that RC works best as fiber will creat a suckson making if somewhat diffcult to get it away from the drum wall without tearing the print, but I print both fiber and RC. I have both 16X20 Bessler and Cibrachrome drums, I like the Bessler drums better than the Cibrachrome. I dont recall off the top of my head amount of chemistry needed for each print, I use Clayton P20 as one shot, standard stop bath and rapid fix. I wash my 16X20 outside on my patio in a plastic wading pool with a couple of Kodak tray sphions.

In my townhome complex another photographer, has the same floor plan that I do has built a table that sits over her toliot where she sets up her enlarger, we both have a 2 sink vanity which she built a another shelf over the sinks, she can fit 3 16X20 trays and washes her prints in the shower. She takes her darkroom down when not is use, I leave mine up.