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RC Print Washing and Bathtub Spigots

silvergelatin

Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2015
Messages
141
Location
Japan
Format
35mm
I've recently started using RC paper for some things (contact sheets, test/proof prints, etc). My workflow is optimized for fiber, so I'm actually finding it more difficult to deal with RC washing than my usual FB. I purchased on of those multi-jet wash trays with the hose that keeps prints separated, but I'd like to be able to use it in my bathtub rather than kitchen sink (too small, too high traffic). I've googled it every way I could, and cannot find a thingy to attach the tray hose to a large, rectangular bathtub spigot. Any ideas? Thanks.
 
put the prints in a tray, a bigger tray than their measurements, ( 11x14 for 8x10, 8x10 for 5x7 et. c )
back to back and face to face.
fill the tray with water with a measuring cup
shuffle the prints in the tray 1 full cycle ...( so the top pair is on top again )
dump water in your recycling bucket
repeat 20 times.

you don't need a sink, you don't need a bathtub you don't even need running water.
wash your FB prints the same way .. back to back, face to face &c &c .....

you should do a residual silver test on a print to make sure how long you need to wash it may require more than 20 fill n'dumps
especially if you don't use fixer remover / perma wash &c ...

good luck !

john
 
IN SOME HARDWERE STORES YOU CAN FIND A PLASTIC HANDHELD SHOWER HEAD WITH THE RUBBER HOSE AND THE RUBBER ATTACHMENT FOR THAT BIG RECTANGULAR SPIGLOT. BUT I SUJJEST YOU TO CONNECT YOUR DEVICES TO THE SHOWER HOSE INSTEAD. REMOVE SHOWER HEAD TEMPORARELY AND CONNECT YOU WASHER TO THE SHOWER HOSE. IN MY BATHROOM I REMOVING THE SHOWER HANDLE FROM THE HOSE, ATTACHING REGULAR GARDEN HOSE VALVE TO THE SHOWER HOSE END, AND AFTER ATTACHING ANY WASHER DEVICES TO THE GARDEN HOSE VALVE. INSTEAD OF USING THIS RUBBER ATTACMENTS I GOT A FEW SIMPLE GARDEN HOSE NOZZELS, ATTACHED THEM TO MY DEVISES HOSE AND THE OTHER TREADED END SCROW ON THE GARDEN VALVE END.
 
I took a piece of black plastic yard-sprinkler hose, heated it with a blowdryer, and crammed it up in there. Then ran cold water through it. It deformed the plastic to have a pretty snug fit in the spigot. A few drops may come out, but before I made my DIY print washer, it did the trick (and I still use it to fill the print washer, which runs in the tub). My spigot is round, but where the water comes out is actually sort of a half-circle. Just get creative and fool with various tubing.
 
I got some plastic and rubber adapters that fit a Kodak siphon to the bathtub faucet.

 
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A bit more labor intensive than I'm after. I'd like to run mostly unattended like I do with my archival FB washer.
 
silvergelatin said:
A bit more labor intensive than I'm after. I'd like to run mostly unattended like I do with my archival FB washer.
Click to expand...

it is a 10-20 minute operation whether you are there or not.
print washers don't necessarily do a good job washing prints and can damage prints whlle they wash them.
i've been processing rc ( and fiber ) prints for decades, i wouldn't leave a tray unattended in a bathtub.
when the tray overflows the prints will slide out and run the risk of being damaged and/ unwashed
contaminated by the constant flow of contaminated water/ and if in a "vertical washer" who knows ..

bset of luck !
 
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I pulled off the shower head, put a diverter on the pipe, and put the head on it. The diverter looks something like this:
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41DzBLhxbJL.jpg

I attach a hose to it when developing, which connects to the hose on my film washer. I turn the diverter to the appropriate outlet, then turn the shower on. I have another hose for when I'm washing wine carboys.

My setup is a bit more complicated than I have stated, because the shower head also has another detachable head, but you get the idea. I also added an elbow so the outlet points towards the tub instead of the wall - which is very useful if I forget to change the valve back to the shower head.
 
Ilford's wash recommendation for RC paper is 2 minutes, which can be reduced to 30 seconds if you are in a hurry, no need for wash trays.
 
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