Slosh Trays

BarryWilkinson · Dec 21, 2004

I'm interested in purchasing and using an 8x10 PF Slosh Tray for processing my negs. Has anyone here used one? If so, what keeps the negs in their repective troughs? Anything I should be aware of in their use?

Thanks

Barry

johnnywalker · Dec 21, 2004

See the thread

"Please recommend a developing tank for 4x5" started by GaussianNoise,

a few below this one

BarryWilkinson · Dec 21, 2004

johnnywalker said:
See the thread

"Please recommend a developing tank for 4x5" started by GaussianNoise,

a few below this one

Thanks,

I'm using a Combi tank for my 5x4's but I would like some info on slosher trays for use with 8x10. I did search APUG and found one reference to these trays but as it does not answer my question, I thought I'd start a new thread.

Regards

Barry

rbarker · Dec 21, 2004

Although I think there have been a couple of designs (particularly with DIY sloshers), my impression is that most use small pins with a small notch cut in the edge to hold the edge of the film. The big design issue, I think, is to keep the retainer pins small and low enough not to create swirl patterns around the pins as the tray is rocked, with the resulting increased localized development.

BarryWilkinson · Dec 21, 2004

Sorry Johnywalker

I should have said that I read the post by MonoPhoto but I don't have the facilities to make one myself.

Barry

Shmoo · Dec 21, 2004

http://www.photoformulary.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=2&tabid=9&CategoryID=78&langID=0

Check out photographers formulary...8x10 tray

Jim Moore · Dec 21, 2004

Shmoo said:
http://www.photoformulary.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=2&tabid=9&CategoryID=78&langID=0

Check out photographers formulary...8x10 tray

I ordered this tray a few months ago but have not tried it yet.

Jim

Monophoto · Dec 21, 2004

Barry -

Let me make sure I understand your question. Do you want to process 8x10 sheets, or do you want to process four 4x5 sheets in an 8x10 tray?

If you want to process a single 8x10 sheet, then you don't neet a slosh tray - any 8x10 tray will do.

I made a slosh tray to process six 4x5 sheets in an 11x14 tray. I've also thought about making a slosher to do four 4x5 sheets in a slightly oversized 8x10 tray - but I don't have the oversized trays. Right now, what I need is to use the stuff in my darkroom, not add more stuff that I don't use very often.

There are two basic designs for slosh trays. The DIY version I made uses short strips of plastic to separate the sections of the tray. These are long enough to keep the film from migrating between sections, and yet short enough that developing fluids can move freely between sections without creating eddy patterns that result in uneven development. The other design uses nylon bolts to perform the same function. Commercial slosh trays look more like the plastic strip DIY designs, only they tend to be molded from solid plastic.

BarryWilkinson · Dec 21, 2004

Monophoto said:
Barry -

Let me make sure I understand your question. Do you want to process 8x10 sheets, or do you want to process four 4x5 sheets in an 8x10 tray?

If you want to process a single 8x10 sheet, then you don't neet a slosh tray - any 8x10 tray will do.

I made a slosh tray to process six 4x5 sheets in an 11x14 tray. I've also thought about making a slosher to do four 4x5 sheets in a slightly oversized 8x10 tray - but I don't have the oversized trays. Right now, what I need is to use the stuff in my darkroom, not add more stuff that I don't use very often.

There are two basic designs for slosh trays. The DIY version I made uses short strips of plastic to separate the sections of the tray. These are long enough to keep the film from migrating between sections, and yet short enough that developing fluids can move freely between sections without creating eddy patterns that result in uneven development. The other design uses nylon bolts to perform the same function. Commercial slosh trays look more like the plastic strip DIY designs, only they tend to be molded from solid plastic.

Thanks for your description of the DIY and commercial trays.

I want to process four 8x10 negs in a 16x20 tray.

I have been looking at the Photographers Formulary 8x10 slosh trays. Unfortunately I could not see how the films were kept seperate from each other during agitation in the PF image, which prompted my post. I hoped that someone had used one of these and could provide an answer to this and as to any problems in use. Sorry for not making this clear.

Thanks also to all who replied.

Barry

Jim Moore · Dec 21, 2004

BarryWilkinson said:
I have been looking at the Photographers Formulary 8x10 slosh trays. Unfortunately I could not see how the films were kept seperate from each other during agitation in the PF image,

Barry,

The tray from Photographers Formulary has dividers molded into the plastic.
The best way to describe it would be 4 8x10 trays molded together.

Jim

Tom Hoskinson · Dec 21, 2004

BarryWilkinson said:
I'm interested in purchasing and using an 8x10 PF Slosh Tray for processing my negs. Has anyone here used one? If so, what keeps the negs in their repective troughs? Anything I should be aware of in their use?

Thanks

Barry

I have a PF 8x10 Slosher and use it for all my 8x10 neg developing. It works fine - and I use it for both minimum agitation and semi-stand development procedures.

The Slosher is a developing tray insert that separates sheet film for tray development. The Slosher tray is divided into four compartments which keeps the film sheets separated. The Acrylic plastic compartments have flow-through holes so the solutions can circulate freely. The Slosher can be used for normal or compensating development including Pyro. Mine is made of 1/8 inch red Acrylic plastic.

rbarker · Dec 21, 2004

So, there are no edge retainers of any kind on the PF slosher? If not, any problems with the sheets floating out of their respective cubby holes?

waterlily · Dec 21, 2004

Here is the Phil Bard design for a film processing panel. He does not use solid dividers. The film clips under nylon screw heads. This may provide more uniform development since there are no panels to create turbulence.
http://philbard.com/panel.html

BarryWilkinson · Dec 22, 2004

rbarker said:
So, there are no edge retainers of any kind on the PF slosher? If not, any problems with the sheets floating out of their respective cubby holes?

Ralph,

That's exactly what I was concerned about, I just did not put it in the right words. I assume that as long as you don't overfill the holding tray, the film cannot change 'cubby holes'?

Thanks Tom and Jim for your descriptions. I am going to order one as soon as the Christmas post dies down.

Regards

Barry

Tom Hoskinson · Dec 22, 2004

rbarker said:
So, there are no edge retainers of any kind on the PF slosher? If not, any problems with the sheets floating out of their respective cubby holes?

No edge retainers of any kind!

No problems at all with film sheets floating out of their respective cubby holes.

All processing steps - including washing - can be performed in the slosher. This minimizes film handling and associated probability of handling induced damage.

amurray · Dec 22, 2004

Tom Hoskinson said:
No edge retainers of any kind!

No problems at all with film sheets floating out of their respective cubby holes.

All processing steps - including washing - can be performed in the slosher. This minimizes film handling and associated probability of handling induced damage.

Do you move the slosher from tray to tray or do you need 3 or 4 sloshers?

Thanks,
Allen

Tom Hoskinson · Dec 23, 2004

amurray said:
Do you move the slosher from tray to tray or do you need 3 or 4 sloshers?

Thanks,
Allen

You move the slosher from tray to tray. Thus, only one slosher is used and film handling is minimized.

BTW, I have a total of 3 sloshers; a 4x5, a 5x7 and an 8x10. My 4x5 slosher and 5x7 slosher were made by Summitek. Summitek does not make an 8x10 slosher, hence my PF 8x10 slosher. Summitek calls these devices cradles. The Summitek Cradles sell for substantially less than the PF Slosher and are very well made.

http://www.summitek.com/cradle.html

Slosh Trays

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