Stainless tanks- how to fill faster?

GarageBoy · Dec 2, 2013

So I got used to Paterson tanks where you literally dump in liquid and it fills instantly
With my 240mL SS tank, it takes a good 15 seconds to get the developer in. Is there a pouring technique I don't know about?

Rick A · Dec 2, 2013

I always tip my SS tank and pour chems in. Somewhere from 30-40degree angle and don't try to dump it in all at once. It only takes about 5 or 6 seconds to fill a single 35mm tank. Also, check the fluid level of your tank with the reel in and the top off(no film of course) to see how much actual chems you need. If you overfill the tank you won't get proper agitation. You only want to just cover the reel so there is an air space. Fill to just covering then dump liquid into a measuring vessel to get a reading.

mike c · Dec 2, 2013

Back in the 60's the stainless steel tanks had lids which were very slow to pour in chems, they were redesigned with more faster ones for pouring chems in, maybe you have one of the older slower ones. Think mine take about 5 or so seconds to fill the double 120 reel tank (28-32 oz.)

limnidytis · Dec 2, 2013

Tank lids that have circular vents (pour in the middle, vent around the edge) usually are faster to fill than those that have a diagonal split vent.

Konical · Dec 2, 2013

Good Morning, GarageBoy,

The time taken to fill or empty the tank is normally relevant only to the developer solution because that's when the timing can be fairly critical. It's not difficult to work around the problem. At the end of the pre-soak, kill the lights, pop the tank top, dump the water, pour in the developer, replace the tank top, turn on the lights, and proceed. Do the same thing at the end of the developing step, except for dropping the reels into the film washer and using the time the developer is being washed out to rinse the tank and the top before pouring in fixer. After the reels are back in the fixer and the top is back on, timing isn't particularly critical, so the slow dump and fill times won't matter much.

Konical

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 2, 2013

If you are worried about filling and emptying the fluid content of your developing tank, then consider this alternative:

Use tanks that already has the liquid in them, and use lifters to transfer the reels from one tank to the next in darkness.
This completely eliminates the risk of uneven development due to pouring liquid into the tank.

Obviously you need more than one tank for this, and a different working method, but it is a better way of uniformly coating ALL of the film with chemistry within a split second.

Edit: Or what konical said above.

Gerald C Koch · Dec 2, 2013

As previoudsy mentioned the key to rapid filling is to tilt the tank slightly to facilitate air escaping as the tank fills. The tank can be filled with the cap off and then in the dark the reel inserted and then the top put on. Of course you need a room that can be used as a dark room.

However if you considered what happens during filling and emptying the following happens. During filling the film at the top of the reel receives a bit more contact time with the developer. However during emptying the reverse situation occurs. The two situations tend to cancel each other out. So don't worry.

jeffreyg · Dec 2, 2013

I have been using the same ss tanks for forty-two years usually doing two 120 rolls in the 1 liter tanks and as mentioned tilt the tank when filling and emptying. It usually takes about 8 - 12 seconds. I never worry about it since developing in ID11 1:1 @ 68F takes fourteen minutes it is a very small percentage and I have not noticed any adverse effects such as over development or too much contrast on my negatives.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Kawaiithulhu · Dec 2, 2013

Hack the system by killing the lights, pull the top and pour in the pre-measured amount directly. Re-cap and ready to roll.

MattKing · Dec 2, 2013

The cap serves as a good stand to perch the tank on - the angle works quite well.

GarageBoy · Dec 2, 2013

Thanks, I don't have a darkroom, nor any room I can darken
My negs look okay, but I am not wet printing
Will try the tilt trick

bdial · Dec 2, 2013

Try practicing with just water, you should be able to fill most 2-35/1-120 tanks in 10 seconds or less.

Nuff · Dec 2, 2013

If you practice tilting a 1 x 120 (2 x35mm) tank can be filled in 4-5sec. Which is the same as paterson tank (I have measured). But Patterson tanks do drain much faster. A 2 x 120 tank takes me 8sec to fill.

Also check the amount of developer you need to use. The smaller the amount you need to pour in, the faster it will be.

Salem · Dec 5, 2013

15 seconds is negligible compared to 10 minutes but it's significant compared to three minutes. So if you're worried about filling time affecting your film, you could choose a developing method that requires more developing time.

mexipike · Dec 5, 2013

As long as you always use the same tanks and it always takes about the same amount of time to fill them, you will have consistent results, right?

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 5, 2013

mexipike said:
As long as you always use the same tanks and it always takes about the same amount of time to fill them, you will have consistent results, right?

Like consistently uneven development?

It takes me about 30 seconds to fill my 2x120 SS tank. In a ten minute developing time that could definitely account for visibly uneven development in areas of uniform tonality.

That is why I never pour developer in through the hole in the cap.

David A. Goldfarb · Dec 5, 2013

Tilt the tank of course, but if you have a really large tank, it makes sense to fill in the dark and lower the reels in on a rod. If you have a tank with an old stainless lid, you might get a new plastic Kindermann lid. Those fill faster.

Christopher Walrath · Dec 5, 2013

When you fill the tank it is right side up. When you empty it it is inverted. All the film gets the same time in the soup either way. I think you might be overthinking this a little.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 5, 2013

Christopher Walrath said:
When you fill the tank it is right side up. When you empty it it is inverted. All the film gets the same time in the soup either way. I think you might be overthinking this a little.

No. When one gets uneven development in areas of uniform tonality, you examine each step. Not pouring the developer into the loaded tank helped me overcome that issue.

Instead I lower the film into an already full tank.

Christopher Walrath · Dec 5, 2013

If uneven development is an issue. He just didn't mention that. That's all.

Thomas Bertilsson · Dec 5, 2013

Christopher Walrath said:
If uneven development is an issue. He just didn't mention that. That's all.

I guess I'm just trying to give good advice to others, that help them achieve good or better results.

Christopher Walrath · Dec 5, 2013

True dat.

tkamiya · Dec 5, 2013

I wonder if there is an actual problem such as uneven development that OP is trying to solve?

I use metal tanks also and takes probably 15 seconds or so to fill and empty. I've never seen any problem in the end result. I keep my development time greater than 5 minutes as that's what Kodak datasheet says. I find, if I tip the tank a little and aim at certain point in the opening, AND regulate the speed of pour, I can get good flow rate. I try not do it too fast where it starts to "burp."

If this question is a result of reading somewhere, uneven development could result from slow pour in/out and OP is not seeing an actual problem, then I'd not worry about it so much.

Nuff · Dec 5, 2013

wrong thread... delete

paul ron · Dec 5, 2013

I have no problem filling tanks. It takes 15 sec to load but also takes 15 sec to drain so my dev time is the same each n every time... It all works out. Besides a few seconds really makes no difference.

Just be consistant!

Stainless tanks- how to fill faster?

GarageBoy

Rick A

mike c

limnidytis

Konical

Thomas Bertilsson

Gerald C Koch

jeffreyg

Kawaiithulhu

MattKing

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GarageBoy

bdial

Nuff

Salem

mexipike

Thomas Bertilsson

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

Christopher Walrath

Thomas Bertilsson

Christopher Walrath

Thomas Bertilsson

Christopher Walrath

tkamiya

Nuff

paul ron

Stainless tanks- how to fill faster?

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