Tube developer

I just read the "how to" on making a tube developer and the a screen insert was mentioned. wouldn't this scatch the neg? Also a reply was given about the tube and he mentioned he made a light safe top for the tube but the site given on the post was a dead end. Anyone know of this?
I read on the slosh trays but the tube seems to be the better of the two. (Just in my reading of course.)
Thanks.
Dave

Good Morning, Dave,

Apparently, the screen inserts used in smooth tubes don't cause any particular scratching problem as long as the film is loaded and unloaded carefully. Their only pupose is to allow solution to reach the base side of the film so that any anti-halation coating will be removed.

A simpler approach, and almost as cheap, is to acquire a color processing drum (I favor the Chromega, but Unicolors are used by many); these drums ordinarily come with separators and spacers to allow multiple sheets of film to be handled at the same time. Very small internal ribs keep the film from sticking to the inside of the drums and allow solution to reach the base side.

There are a lot of APUG posts on this topic; do a Forum search.

Konical

For developing sheet film, I use slosher trays and I also use ABS Plastic tubes. Both systems work fine - uniform development with no scratches!

Konical gave you good advice - do an APUG search on these topics.

dschmittle said:

I just read the "how to" on making a tube developer and the a screen insert was mentioned. wouldn't this scatch the neg? Also a reply was given about the tube and he mentioned he made a light safe top for the tube but the site given on the post was a dead end. Anyone know of this?
I read on the slosh trays but the tube seems to be the better of the two. (Just in my reading of course.)
Thanks.
Dave

Click to expand...

I use Beseler print drums for processing ULF film, with rotary development. The only precaution is that the drum needs to be removed from the motor base and given up and down agitation on the horizontal axix very soon after development begins, and once every or three minutes thereafter. I also recommend a pre-soak, but this is not absolutely necessary. With the drums youi can carry out both stop and fixing with the film in the drum.

I develop 5X7 film with minimal agitation by first placing it in PVC tubes, and then placing the tubes in a larger Beseler print drum already filled with developer. With this procedure I agitation at the beginning of development for 1.5 minutes, and then for ten seconds at the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 points of development. After stop bath you should remove the film from the drum and fix in a tray since the back of the film does not get a very good turn-over of solutions in smooth-walled tubes.

Sandy King