Idaho_Photoist
Some years ago while trying to teach some kids photography, and wanting them to learn on film before digital destroyed their ability to excel in their shots. And while trying to develop the quantity of film a group of young girls can go through. Tip and Drip tanks were driving me nuts, so I decided to cure the problem once and for all. And the best is it is cheap! It starts with a chunk of 4" black ABS (sewer pipe "new" unused 
). You need to determine how many rolls of film you could possibly want to do at once. Measure the length of all the spools stacked in a column, and a few inches extra for good measure, and that will be the length of each developing tank. Mine are 16" high, then go to your hardware store, and you will want to buy enough pipe that you can cut it into at least 3 if not 4 pipes of the same length. You will also want to buy at least two knock out caps for each tank, these glue into the pipe with a thin narrow lip over the edge of the pipe. You want this and not over the end caps as they will not stand and will tip over. I cut my pipe on a table saw, setting the fence at 16" and slowly rotating the pipe as I applied it to the saw blade so I would have a smooth uniform cut end. Now take a Knockout cap coat it and the mating end of the pipe with ABS glue, and make sure you use plenty, you do not want it to leak! When they are all glued, set them off to the side to dry. the other cap for each tank is for a lid so don't glue it. Last step, find a welding shop and buy a piece of stainless welding rod, on one end bend a double looped "T" and on the other end a small loop so you don't poke yourself in the dark. A friend couldn't find the rod so he bought some thin PVC plastic pipe and made his rod out it, I don't know what he used on the end to hold the spools but it would work.
Oh! and the extra tank(s) I use one (clean and dry) for putting the spools in while loading the other spools to eliminate any possibility of darkroom light leakage fogging the film and to hold them in place in the dry tank till they are all ready to go to the developer tank, I also use one for washing. It is a lot easier...
Now you could take two knockout plugs trim off the outer lip carefully, save that, and glue two caps tops together so they will float, and laminate the trimmed edge and glue it on for a handle and you have a floating lid for your chemistry.
If you have an extra cool darkroom or one that is too warm set up a tub or fish tank etc. as a water jacket around your tubes...
I use D76 with replenisher which works great for most films, I will include a couple pix so you can see... enjoy! Larry
). You need to determine how many rolls of film you could possibly want to do at once. Measure the length of all the spools stacked in a column, and a few inches extra for good measure, and that will be the length of each developing tank. Mine are 16" high, then go to your hardware store, and you will want to buy enough pipe that you can cut it into at least 3 if not 4 pipes of the same length. You will also want to buy at least two knock out caps for each tank, these glue into the pipe with a thin narrow lip over the edge of the pipe. You want this and not over the end caps as they will not stand and will tip over. I cut my pipe on a table saw, setting the fence at 16" and slowly rotating the pipe as I applied it to the saw blade so I would have a smooth uniform cut end. Now take a Knockout cap coat it and the mating end of the pipe with ABS glue, and make sure you use plenty, you do not want it to leak! When they are all glued, set them off to the side to dry. the other cap for each tank is for a lid so don't glue it. Last step, find a welding shop and buy a piece of stainless welding rod, on one end bend a double looped "T" and on the other end a small loop so you don't poke yourself in the dark. A friend couldn't find the rod so he bought some thin PVC plastic pipe and made his rod out it, I don't know what he used on the end to hold the spools but it would work.Oh! and the extra tank(s) I use one (clean and dry) for putting the spools in while loading the other spools to eliminate any possibility of darkroom light leakage fogging the film and to hold them in place in the dry tank till they are all ready to go to the developer tank, I also use one for washing. It is a lot easier...
Now you could take two knockout plugs trim off the outer lip carefully, save that, and glue two caps tops together so they will float, and laminate the trimmed edge and glue it on for a handle and you have a floating lid for your chemistry.
If you have an extra cool darkroom or one that is too warm set up a tub or fish tank etc. as a water jacket around your tubes...
I use D76 with replenisher which works great for most films, I will include a couple pix so you can see... enjoy! Larry
