Tube in Tray Development

[jiggler]

Has anyone attempted the tube in tray development described here? Dead Link Removed

It seems with open tubes, a solution to getting fluid between the film and inside tube wall would be to drill holes in the tube wall. Has anyone tried this?

 

[juan]

Link didn't work for me.

I use tubes in a container for extreme minimal agitation development. I get the fluid to the film back by putting a piece of fiberglass screen on the back side of the film. No, I've never scratched the film.

Sandy King uses the method, too, and he says the screen is not necessary - that he moves the film around in the presoak and gets the back wet that way.
juan

 

[jiggler]

Since the link does not seem to be working right now, it is to David Kachel's technical article on using open-ended PVC tubes in trays of developer, stop and fix. Essentially, film goes in the tubes and the tubes are rolled in chemicals in the trays. It seems like a very easy developing method, albeit in the dark. He uses slightly different length tubes to be able to differentiate them in the dark for multiple development times.

 

[juan]

Or, you can just keep up with the order of the tubes in the tray - nearest two tubes develop for 10-minutes, next two for 15, etc.

Take a look at this (there was a url link here which no longer exists). It's Sandy King's original thread on the use of tubes in a tray.
juan

 

[noseoil]

Another way of dealing with this issue is to put tubes in play over a time period, so tha the longest development goes in first, then each shorter time is put in until all are soaking. All done at once, so you can dump the developer out at the same time. Since I do short runs, I use ABS plastic tubes which are light tight and don't require lights off, except for the filling and dumping.

I think Sandy King uses a "dark box" to put the tubes in while they develop. This way he can have the lights on while things are moving along. Again, lights out to do chemisty transfers, but it would be simple enough to make a box with a sliding cover which is light tight. tim