Views on Nova slot processors?

xtolsniffer · Nov 2, 2017

Hi all,
I have a small dedicated darkroom (i.e. a shed), in which at the moment I do monochrome (RC and a little FB, mostly 10"x8" but some 12"x16"). I don't get much time to print, and when I do, the time it takes to get out the trays, mix developer (or fixer if expired) and then clean up afterwards constrains what I can do in the time available.

As a 50th birthday treat to myself I was looking at Nova slot processors (the 12"x16" versions). I like the idea of having the chemicals ready, the space saving (it is a little tight in there, especially with the bigger trays out) and the option of one day trying RA4 colour. The options seem to be the Nova Trimate which appears aimed at RC and colour, and the Quad which is aimed at FB but which is heated so presumably can be used for colour too?

Does anyone use these and have comments on ease of use, benefits of the different types, longevity of chemicals, time and space saving and so on?

Ta!

Frank53 · Nov 2, 2017

I use one for up to 12x16. 3 slots and temperature control. I leave the chemicals in there all the time and after developing 20 or so prints, I take out 500 ml and fill it up with fresh liquids. Once a year, in summer, when I usually don’t print, I take out all liquids, clean the processor an fill it when I start printing again. Works fine for me.
Regards,
Frank

Brook Hill · Nov 2, 2017

My experience is the same as Frank53. The chemicals remain useable for several weeks, just need to replenish them with fresh developer about every 10 prints as recommended by Nova. At the end of a session I squirt some Tetenal protection spray into the top of the developer slot, others use clingfilm. If I am doing a special print I would replace the developer or do as Frank53 does. I found this works with Ilford MG or PQ developer. I use mostly fibre paper but the standard clips work fine so long as you are careful or you can use two clips for larger prints. The thermostat control works fine, may need an hour or perhaps two to get the temperature up depending on the room temperature just need to remember to switch it on before starting. I find it a great piece of equipment and would not be without it. It cuts down significantly on the space needed.

Tony

RalphLambrecht · Nov 2, 2017

xtolsniffer said:
Hi all,
I have a small dedicated darkroom (i.e. a shed), in which at the moment I do monochrome (RC and a little FB, mostly 10"x8" but some 12"x16"). I don't get much time to print, and when I do, the time it takes to get out the trays, mix developer (or fixer if expired) and then clean up afterwards constrains what I can do in the time available.

As a 50th birthday treat to myself I was looking at Nova slot processors (the 12"x16" versions). I like the idea of having the chemicals ready, the space saving (it is a little tight in there, especially with the bigger trays out) and the option of one day trying RA4 colour. The options seem to be the Nova Trimate which appears aimed at RC and colour, and the Quad which is aimed at FB but which is heated so presumably can be used for colour too?

Does anyone use these and have comments on ease of use, benefits of the different types, longevity of chemicals, time and space saving and so on?

Ta!

They have indeed all these qualities if you can afford them and thy do a great job in a small darkroom; not my choice if you are spoiled with space button a small room they are great!

xtolsniffer · Nov 2, 2017

Thanks everyone, sounds very tempting! How long do you think multigrade developer could be left in between uses?

bdial · Nov 2, 2017

My experience echoes the earlier comments, I use a quad, and keep it plugged in, but it's set to maintain 68 degrees for B&W. I love mine, it's one of the things that makes my darkroom feasible.

The developer should last a week pretty easily just using the floating lid tubes, perhaps a bit longer if you also use cling film.
Long lived developers like Ansco 130 or Liquidol can last several weeks.

Svenedin · Nov 2, 2017

I have the 16x12 Nova monochrome which is 3 slot and unheated. I never intend to print colour so it suits me (and is a lot cheaper than the heated models). The processor saves a lot of time and wasted chemicals. I used to develop in trays and, as you know, developer in particular has a very short life in an open tray. There was also the inconvenience of setting up every time and the fact that my darkroom is very small. I used to find that there was an "inertia" to setting up that made me reluctant to just make a few prints. I would only set up if I thought I could spend a whole evening in the darkroom and make full use of the trays of chemicals. Now I can make just one print and call it a day if I wish.

In terms of tips:

1) Never ever try to move the unit when it has fluid in it. The unit is quite fragile and it will break
2) Never fill up one slot right to the top without liquid in the other slots. You need to follow the instructions and gradually raise the levels in all the slots. If you don't it stresses the walls of the slots.
3) Only one print clip is supplied and it is handy to have more. Make sure the clip is rinsed well between uses or fix can contaminate a new print.
4) The draining hoses are rather short. It is easier to have longer hoses so you can drain down onto a bucket on the floor rather than trying to hold a jug.
5) I had bad results using a citric acid stop bath -I had spots on my prints from developer carry-over. This problem went away when I switched to acetic acid.

I had one that leaked after 6 months but Nova were brilliant and replaced it without any quibble at all (and they paid shipping).

Developer should last for weeks. My own experience is that Tetenal Eukobrom lasts better than Ilford MG. Remember to replenish as per instructions.

I would never go back to open trays now!

tezzasmall · Nov 2, 2017

I absolutely love my Nova unit (which I bought off of ebay second hand) and couldn't do without it now!!! I do shudder at the full new price for them though...

I have a 12" x 16" three slot unit with heat control.

Living in the UK, my darkroom is also in a (large) shed /cabin at the end of the garden and even though the air temperature in there is about 16C at the moment, I find turning the unit on for an hour before starting is more than enough to bring the chemicals up to 20C.

I use Ilford multigrade developer at 1 + 9. My printing is very on and off but I find if I top up the developer at the end of each session (10ml working solution per RC 10" x 8" print, = twice that for FB I believe, as it soaks up more chemical) and I find the developer lasts for AT LEAST TWO MONTHS, with the stop and fixer lasting longer. I keep a tally on a small whiteboard of how many prints in inches squared to let me know when the dev and fixer needs changing and the stop bath has a colour change in it to show when that needs changing. This is all just by keeping the fluids topped up and the floating lids put on, ie NO gas of any sort pumped in, although I do use this on my stock chemicals.

Terry S

PS And as just said, you only get one clip with a new unit. I slowly built up a collection of about a dozen at about £10 each on ebay, and that amount is just about right for me. When I've used them all up on test strips and prints, I take a quick break back in the house to put bits in to wash and make a cuppa tea etc. before returning.

As also said, it makes it very easy just to do one or two prints if you're limited on time, which you probably wouldn't even contemplate if you have to set up dishes, block out the windows in a bedroom or bathroom etc. etc. etc.

xtolsniffer · Nov 2, 2017

That's absolutely fantastic advice, thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I totally agree Svenedin about the 'inertia', I may only have an hour to spare a few nights a week, and that's just not worth the effort to breaking out the trays, mixing the chemicals, printing one or two prints and then washing up. I could probably make do with the three slot unit, but the four slot has a clear front to see development and seems more geared up to FB, is it worth it for the features do you think?

bdial · Nov 2, 2017

I don't see a lot of value in having a clear front, vs lifting the print from the slot and looking at it directly. IMHO

Yes, aside from the space saving, the ability to walk into the darkroom and be ready to print in just a couple of minutes is almost priceless. You will want more than one clip, I have 4 which seems a good number. Some papers (Ilford Art 300 comes to mind) benefit by extra support, I use two clips when I'm printing 11x14 with that paper.
Also, multiple clips allows you to have a print going in the developer and another stopping or fixing at the same time.

Frank53 · Nov 2, 2017

Have a look at www.secondhanddarkroom.co.uk
They always have a few processors at reasonable prices.
Regards,
Frank

xtolsniffer · Nov 2, 2017

Thanks Frank, they do have a few on there. I'm slightly leaning towards getting a new one for the warranty and to support the company a little. There is so much good secondhand kit out there that it must be very hard for manufacturers of darkroom equipment to survive. I've benefited enormously as most of my kit is secondhand (or free in many cases) and as it's a treat for me, I think I'll pay the extra and get new.

cowanw · Nov 2, 2017

The carry over of developer and stop, print by print, and the evaporation of the fluids, mean that the necessary replenishment make the solutions last for a very long time. The tubes that come with the set are not really efficient at stopping evaporation. While I agree with all of the positive reviews here, what I never have heard mention of is the tendency for my fixer to crystalize about the top and down the sides of my 4 slot Nova. I suppose I need to wipe it off more often.

tedr1 · Nov 2, 2017

xtolsniffer said:
Thanks everyone, sounds very tempting! How long do you think multigrade developer could be left in between uses?

My experience with Ilford MG dev in open trays and Ilford MGFBWT paper is that the warm tone requires fresh developer, as in mixed that day, with old developer the warm tone faded out. I like always to work with fresh developer. I believe stop and fix do not age as fast as developers. The slot concept addresses exposure to the atmosphere but does not address the spontaneous aging of developer when mixed with water.

Down Under · Nov 3, 2017

Slot processing is fine IF you develop all your paper at the same time ie 60 seconds, 90 seconds. Not so good in my experience, if you tend to vary your developing times or if you tend to inspect your prints a lot during the processing.

I use a lot of older paper - I have an almost lifetime supply of older (circa 2000) Ilford Galerie FB paper to use up. Like most expired papers, Galerie is "inconsistent" (a polite term) in its process times for uniform contrast, on a sheet to sheet basis.

As tedr1 (#14) commented, the need for fresh developer changed regularly can also complicate your slot processing, if it requires one or more changes of developer. You then have to drain the developer slot, mix up a fresh lot, and refill the tank. Add a further wait if the developer temperature has to be adjusted for your processing workflow.

All this is not to say slot processing isn't the way to go - it's just not for everyone, at least as a constant way of processing paper. After a year of trying to cope with it, I mostly went back to the three trays system. It help gretly that my home darkroom is warmed or cooled with a split system.

Another problem I encountered (I use a Jobo Duolab, the Nova processing technique is may be different) was the paper often slips off the Duolab 'paddle' which fastens to the print with small rubber suction cups. I never did adjust to this - it left cup marks on Ilford single weight papers, and having to fish about for a piece of 5x8" sunk somewhere in the depths of your slot system (as well the print will be beyond saving when you eventually find and retrieve it due to the overlong processing time) is I reckon, not unlike for the Titanic at the bottom of the North Atlantic.

If you print with extra large white borders on 8x10" or 11x14" papers and use spring-loaded paper tong, you won't have the latter problem, but for me accidentally dropping a sheet of paper however big in a slot is an irritating problem when it happens, and it seems to happen at least one time every printing session, trust me on this, it will.

Those are the only two problems I have with slot processing (I still use it for about 20% of my darkroom time). They may not bother you, if so you will be fine with a Nova (or Duolab).

FujiLove · Nov 3, 2017

I use an unheated 16x12 Monochrome for B&W and a heated quad for RA4. They're both superb and pay for themselves in less wasted chemicals and saved time. I'd buy another in a heartbeat if either broke.

tezzasmall · Nov 3, 2017

Yes, as ozmmoose says, even with the Nova system and clips, a print WILL eventually break loose and fall into the depths of the chemicals, but for me at least, this has been a VERY rare occurrence = maybe once or twice a year tops.

When it does happen, it has ALWAYS been with FB papers with the clips (like others I have used two clips per print). The problem mostly happens with Ilford Art 300, which seems to be much softer than standard FB when wet.

To get around this, I bought two secondhand NOVA FB Print Holders and the problem has disappeared! :

https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/ProductGrp/Print-Processor-Accessories-Spares

Whether you buy new or secondhand, I am sure you will love the printing experience, especially as mentioned, being able to almost just start on a whim, and do just one or two prints.

Terry S

xtolsniffer · Nov 3, 2017

Just out of interest, I'm guessing you only need three slots of RA4, what do you use the 4th slot for in the heated quad?

tezzasmall · Nov 3, 2017

I've read that the forth slot is commonly used for a quick rinse, although the water would have to be changed frequently I would have thought?

Terry S

spijker · Nov 3, 2017

You can use it for a 2nd fix or HCA. I do the latter.

bdial · Nov 3, 2017

I use the 4th slot as a second fixer bath. As Terry says, I think Nova's intention was for it to be used for rinsing, hence the large outlet tube it has, but they also intended the heated 4 slot processor to be used for color processes.
I fill the slot with fix up to the bottom of the outlet tube, and I have a cap over the end of it to contain any over flow.

As for inspecting prints, I've never found it to be a problem to lift the print to look at it during development, it's my normal routine, but milage varies. In terms of handling a print during development what I do miss is being able to warm an area with my hands to make local adjustments during development. But dodging or burning under the enlarger accomplishes the same thing. My normal development time with the dilutions and developers I am currently using runs between two and three minutes.

Yes, once in a while a print comes off the clips, my solution has been to make sure the "shoulder" of the clip is fully seated at the paper's edge, and give the print a tug if if something doesn't feel right before dipping it in. That has made it a rare problem for me. For soft papers like Art 300 I use two clips when I'm doing 11x14 or bigger prints.

cowanw · Nov 3, 2017

Indeed the paper must be moved during development or the honeycomb pattern of the walls may be visible on the print.
And won't Art 300 float up and out about 1/5 if they slip off the clips. At least they do in Canadian density water.

tezzasmall · Nov 3, 2017

Yep, I think that Art 300 paper is the only darkroom paper that floats!

Terry S

Canuck · Nov 3, 2017

I have had one for over twenty years now. You won't regret a purchase of one. I have just a question for the experts here. My developer slot is dirty (dark brown). What can I use to clean it with? Tried scrubbing it but does help. It does not affect the processing but just looks ugly.

Svenedin · Nov 3, 2017

Canuck said:
I have had one for over twenty years now. You won't regret a purchase of one. I have just a question for the experts here. My developer slot is dirty (dark brown). What can I use to clean it with? Tried scrubbing it but does help. It does not affect the processing but just looks ugly.

This has worked for me: http://www.tetenaluk.com/tetenal-chem-cleaner-1l-bottle.html

Expensive but works.

Views on Nova slot processors?

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