tray size and chemistry volume

[temujin]

hi all, i have slowly been putting together equipment for a home darkroom for b&w work, and now have most of the equipment. so now i have to decide what size of trays to get for developer, stop, fix, & hypo-clear. i always print on 8x10 paper, so would 8x10 trays suffice? or should i get slightly larger trays? also, what volume of chemistry do you typically put in a 8x10 tray, or a 12x16 tray, etc? i typically only process one print in a tray at a time, two tops, so i figure i shouldn't need really large trays. i would prefer to use smaller trays to conserve chemistry and save a little money. thanks...

 

[Ian Grant]

This was discussed yesterday, and the day before with plenty of helpful replies
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

That link will help you

Ian

 

[Nick Zentena]

Different companies make different sized 8x10 [or other size] trays. The bigger ones are fine for 8x10. But the ones that are just over 8x10 size will be tight.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Wow, I was really surprised to see how little developer folks are using (at Ian's link). Being economically minded, I use a liter of 1+2 Dektol in an 8X10 tray. Less surface area to volume ratio, less oxidation. At the end of the session, instead of pouring the developer back into a bottle (turbulence, introduction of oxygen, oxidation) just cover the tray with saran wrap. It clings to the surface of the developer perfectly, and seals at the edges. I can get at least three printing sessions out of a liter, over the course of ten days, with no degradation or extended development times. That's pretty cheap developing.