What is this Thing?

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

I bought a huge pile of darkroom gear on Monday (almost couldn't fit it all into the Swagger Wagon ).

Included was this weird metal thing:



Any ideas? I thought maybe some sort of print washer (?)

 

[frobozz]

It's a rocking print tray! I think Nikor was one maker, maybe also Soligor. You put your paper in there and a little bit of chemicals and rock it back and forth, sloshing the chems over the print. Kind of a cross between tray processing and drum processing

Duncan

 

[zsas]

Neat!!!

 

[Rick A]

Yep, rocker tray, also called a "canoe" tray because of the shape. There are other types of rocker trays, but yours is a true canoe tray. They are supposed to save on chems.

 

[bdial]

What I remember about them was that they were intended for color, you would put it in a water bath, and agitate by rocking it back and forth.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

A remnant of the 70's: a Mitchell Color Canoe - sold by Heathkit. The bail goes under the paper and is used to lift the paper out of the canoe.

They don't work very well from what I understand.

 

[dehk]

It looks like a cradle for rocking a baby inside a darkroom.

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

Crazy! I can't imagine trying to get liquid out of this thing once you are done.

Thanks for mind sourcing this, guys.

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

A remnant of the 70's: a Mitchell Color Canoe - sold by Heathkit.

Well, the Mitchell Color Canoe is probably going in the trash with the bell bottoms and my old Heathkit timer, which magically died the day I bought my f-stop timer from you. Coincidence? I think not.

 

[eddie]

I believe they were for color, but they could be advantageous for the extended times, and higher temperatures, of lith printing.
Don't toss it. I think you'll find a lith printer willing to take it off your hands.

 

[ParkerSmithPhoto]

I believe they were for color, but they could be advantageous for the extended times, and higher temperatures, of lith printing.
Don't toss it. I think you'll find a lith printer willing to take it off your hands.

Thanks for the heads up. Probably as soon as I tossed it, I'd decide to take up lithe printing and then think "dang, I should have kept that thing!"

Maybe I'll put it on the Swap Shop.

 

[eddie]

Parker- That's why I mentioned it. I once had one. Somewhere, over the years, it disappeared. When I tried lith printing I thought it would have been a good tool to have.

 

[Jim Jones]

Don't toss it. They are handy when one needs to make just one print without setting up trays and chemicals. It takes maybe two ounces or less for the 11x14 Color Canoe. I remove the wire bail from mine. It then works with slightly less chemicals.