Tray space efficiency

What are you using to conserve table top space when using trays? I have trays for 11x14" (which measure 12" wide by 16" deep) that I use on occasion for B&W print developing. Side by side, they take up a lot of counter top real-estate. Leedal used to have a neat little thing to stack trays, but don't see it available anymore. I am considering getting a few inexpensive stackables such as this one (Dead Link Removed) that is just a tad bit wider than 12" - use 2 on the base and one stacked on the back one and have 3 trays stacked off-set (Developer top, stop middle, fix on the bottom. Instead of needing 36" of contiguous counter space for 3 trays, it should occupy about half of that. Does that sound workable of do you have a better solution to conserve tray space?

MFL

I don't try to conserve space - I just make it happen by moving stuff around. I keep saying I'm going to come up with a more efficient way of working, but I never do.

I tried a "ladder" I made myself, as my darkroom is quite small, but was not pleased with the constraints. My sink is maybe too high, and stacking the trays made it very uncomfortable

Nowadays, I tend to print small, and am happy with 5x7, with is very easy to organize.

Try fewer trays. One for developer, one with a water rinse/stop. Drain the rinse tray and add the fix. The drain that for a second fix, or reset to water for the next print. Fixed prints go to the washer or a holding bucket. That's the extreme end, but up to 11x14 prints it is easy enough to drain and refill trays. It gets harder with larger sizes.

I have a three level stacker that will hold 20x16 trays, but to be honest it spends most of it's life under the wet bench as shelves to hold the trays. I can just about squeeze four 20x16 trays on the bench if I move the Jobo. The big problem with the stacker is how much (or how little) of the lower trays are exposed. Big prints are not easy to slide in without creasing if the exposed portion of the tray is too small. It can be done, though.

My ideal small space stacker that I was planning before I managed my current darkroom, would have two trays below, one tray above. The upper tray would slide left to right so it could be positioned above either of the other trays. The top tray gets developer, the lower two stop and fix. The upper tray is moved to allow access to whichever lower tray is needed, so the overall width is around 2.5 tray widths.

For those who want space I recommend some kind of rotary system.. Kodak made an ingenious K16 back in my college years that worked for all us students in a very small cubby hole we were assigned.

Nova tanks all the way. Perfect for everything except lith (which I'm yet to try).

For a while I used a free standing Ikea bathroom shelving thing, it was surplus to bathroom requirements but 12x10 trays fitted on it perfectly. I didn't really like this way of working though as moving down the shelves meant a fair amount of spillage off the paper and back ache from bending over all the time. Much more comfortable having all the trays at the same height sat on the storage units I now use to provide a large work surface.

Dear MFL,

For prints larger than 11x14 I use the single tray system. Technically, two trays as I use a Kodak siphon in a second tray for washing. Essentially I have a set of 1 gallon pails that I pour the liquid out of and back into. The opening is large enough that it is easy even for 20x24 prints. I should point out here that I never scrimp on trays. I like the Paterson design and stick with it.

Good luck,

Neal Wydra

A few years ago, just before Calumet went out of business, I ordered a 16 X 20 Leedal tray ladder from them. It was a special order and was shipped, about a month later, directly from Leedal. AFAIK Leedal is still in business, mostly making laboratory equipment. You might want to contact them to see if you can order a tray ladder directly. FWIW their 16 X 20 tray ladder is far more sturdy than the 11 X 14 model I bought much earlier and also works for 11 X 14 trays.

Michael Firstlight said:

What are you using to conserve table top space when using trays?

MFL

Click to expand...

As Neal above I'm also using one 16x20 tray only over a tray heater and 3-5 5-litre jugs. Works very well for me.

I'd guess a tray ladder for anyone's specific requirements would be a simple thing to make with a circular saw and a drill-driver. If you don't have the skills, chances are a local handyman could do it quickly. Doesn't need to be a fine piece of furniture - sand the edges smooth and slap some poly on it.

Years ago I made 16x20 prints in a very cramped darkroom; sink only 4+ feet. I used two tray stackers, with two trays each. The stackers were designed for three trays, but I found it cumbersome with all three trays in place. Better for me was to use the top and bottom shelves and leave the middle empty. The top tray on one rack was developer, stop was at the bottom. Fix was on the top of rack two and the water holding tray on the bottom. The 16x20 washer was in the bathtub below the sink. This worked fine for me for a number of years; certainly not optimal, but doable. The trays on these racks were staggered, with the top tray being 5-6 inches rearward of the bottom. This prevented a lot of dripping into the sink.

If tray stackers aren't commercially available anymore, then making them should pose no real problems; just make sure the top tray is set back enough from the bottom to avoid making a mess

Doremus

I gave up with trays in my very small darkroom. Now I use a Nova slot processor and I'm much happier in the darkroom. Less wasted chemicals too.

In my old closet darkroom, I built a tray stacker that handles up to 16x20 trays. It's final iteration had an improved ventilation system that made it bearable enough to make exhibition quality prints. I have since bought a house specifically for the 500 square feet of dedicated darkroom space it has with a total of 1,000 square feet for my photography business overall.

The stacker worked well for quite awhile:

I use three-drawer plastic storage bins. Here's a video from a few years ago: