Yankee Tank success! using vibration!

[hansning]

Despite hearing horrible things about this 4x5 tank, I decided to give it a shot.
I tried two methods, and one of them always works. The other one failed horribly.

I use ERA 100 in PMK, and the results are very nice.
The method that works is by agitating the tank from left to right for 5 seconds (about 5 times back and forth for 10 tilts total) every 30 seconds. Regular times, regular dilution.

I also tried the same method, but agitated continuously. The infamous mottling effect appeared 4 times on 1 sheet. Never trying that again.

Tonight, after developing 1 tank load, I decided that I was too tired to spend another 30 mins developing. I don't know how I thought of it, but I attached my wife's facial massager (home microdermabrassion tool, which essentially vibrates) to the side of the tank with think rubber bands (I put thick bands on the head too, to reduce the noise as it was late, but when noise isn't an issue, I'll try it without), and let it run for the regular development time. I fixed using manual agitation, just in case the development didn't work, and out came perfectly looking negatives.

Just thought I'd share. Has this been done before? Someone should create an elegant version of this product. I'm guessing it would work for Patterson tanks too.

The only problem with this right now is that it's batter powered. I'm gonna visit a sex store tomorrow and see if I can find a waterproof and ac powered vibrator so I don't have to put PMK on my wife's face.

 

[PBrooks]

lol

 

[Konical]

"I'm gonna visit a sex store tomorrow and see if I can find a waterproof and ac powered vibrator so I don't have to put PMK on my wife's face."

Good Morning, Hansning,

Should be ideal for x-rated photos.

Konical

 

[werra]

The only problem with this right now is that it's batter powered. I'm gonna visit a sex store tomorrow and see if I can find a waterproof and ac powered vibrator so I don't have to put PMK on my wife's face.

Engineer at work, what can you say

 

[bill spears]

Id be more worried about PMK on the vibrator than on the facial massager

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

Just think of the google searches that'll lead to this topic.

ingenious though, I've go a yankee tank sitting on my shelf right now, hm...

 

[Murray Kelly]

See:
http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/DCM-344/VIBRATOR-MOTOR/1.html

Hot glue it to the tank?
Murray

 

[36cm2]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.3.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

"I'm gonna visit a sex store tomorrow and see if I can find a waterproof and ac powered vibrator so I don't have to put PMK on my wife's face."

Good Morning, Hansning,

Should be ideal for x-rated photos.

Konical

Konical, I agree, sounds perfect for Tri-X.

 

[marcant21]

Hey, I have a neck massager, the kind you blow up with air. the cheap ones you see in drugstores. I comes with a vibrator that pops right out. Not sure if it's strong enough to shake up a tank, but worth a look. Here's a pick. You can hot-glue the flat surface.

 

[hansning]

hmm, interesting ideas. thanks guys.
interestingly enough, i'm developing some nudes.

I was looking at supersonic jewelry cleaners, but I don't know how well they'll work. then i looked at concrete vibrators. don't think that would work...
I think that I'm going to look for a hitachi magic wand type of massager in the end.

 

[Lee L]

I think that I'm going to look for a hitachi magic wand type of massager in the end.

You might want to rephrase that ...

Here's another alternative:
http://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?Partnumber=299-028

I like Pan-X with Gene Krupa for a classic look.
TMZ with the Soundtrack from "Stomp" for an edgy look.

I'm only partly kidding. It should work. Generate your own audio frequency or frequencies and volume with something like audacity software, and make a track with silent spaces for intermittent agitation. The transducer is made to shake a chair or couch frame, so it should do a good job for most photographic purposes. You could run it directly from computer sound out, or burn to a CD and play it over an amp.

I use a slosher tray for sheet film with agitation that's a very quick jittery motion with excellent uniformity. No reason this transducer shouldn't work.

Lee

 

[Jerry Thirsty]

I was looking at supersonic jewelry cleaners, but I don't know how well they'll work.

Never tried it, but I would suspect an ultrasonic cleaner will take the emulsion right off the film. I've had the larger lab size ones pit aluminum.

 

[hansning]

Never tried it, but I would suspect an ultrasonic cleaner will take the emulsion right off the film. I've had the larger lab size ones pit aluminum.

haha, yeah, I suppose it may.

I think what I'll do is attach nut to the middle of the tube, then once the unit is close, screw in a long bolt that has the vibrating motor Murray suggested. That way, for sure the film holder gets the most agitation, and could be more efficient, and thus reduce the overall developing time.

The super base idea is badass, but I don't think my family nor neighbors would be amused... But I'll keep it in mind. It would definitely be a conversation piece.

 

[hansning]

Ok, so I decided against an open motor. found this instead:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-Full-Body-...ultDomain_0?hash=item2ea8b3e50b#ht_1635wt_962
though it says it's a mini body massager, we know exactly what this is meant to massage don't we?

will report back here with details.

 

[Mike1234]

Heh... you really gave us a rise out of that story. A positive side-effect is maybe your wife will be in the mood after every developing session.

 

[photomem]

Be careful your "developing mechanism" does not disappear one night when you are late coming home from work.

 

[Lee L]

The super base idea is badass, but I don't think my family nor neighbors would be amused... But I'll keep it in mind. It would definitely be a conversation piece.

It doesn't produce sound per se. There's no speaker cone, only a voice coil and piston that vibrates whatever it's attached to at low frequencies. It's made to attach to the wooden frame of a chair or couch to produce mostly subsonic vibrations for home theater effects. I have one that was intended for attaching to a chair that would be used for a computer car racing game. May hook it up and see how it works if I get time.

Lee

 

[Ronald Moravec]

Around 1958 when I was a sohhomore in HS, a neighbor boy came home from photographing a football ( American footall ) with a Barnack and 135.

The tank was placed on a vibrator dish that would shake the tank at some predertimined intervals.

I have never seen another sample of the device.

That started my love affair and I had a Waltz Envoy and Weston Master 4 soon afterward. Most guys buy a car after college. I bought a Pentax Spotmatic and 6 lenses. Later I learned better and got Leicas.

 

[hansning]

That's exactly what I need Ronald.