Processing 10x8 B&W film in a developing tank!?
Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:35 am Etc/GMT-1+01:00
Hi,
I'm wanting to develop black and white film, such as FP4 10x8 sheet film in Ilford chemistry. Nothing special or unusual about the process.
What I am interested in is whether such a thing as a 'developing tank' or somesuch exists for 10x8 film? I really want to be able to develop the films (loaded in a changing tent, obviously) without dedicating a whole room to being even a temporary blacked out darkroom. I want to have the option of not doing tray processing therefore. I've developed 35mm and 120 roll film this way and got on well with it. I don't want some huge thing that processes loads of sheets at once or uses buckets of chemicals - the whole point is I want to enjoy developing the film myself and also save on processing commercially and avoid sending the film away, etc.
My question therefor is: Does anything exist comercially for the home user to do this?
I am quite good at making things and have a well equippped workshop, so could potentially make something using aluminium, but ideally I'd rather buy an established product if something exists.
(Basically, I'm thinking about something dimensionally similar to a small cereal box in shape, with the bottom of the film carefully clipped to a rectangular weight that would hang towards the bottom of the box. The weight could be prevented from falling and buckling the film, when the tank was inverted, by pinching the side of the tank, and holding the weight by simple interference (if the tank sides are slightly flexy, and sat 1mm oversized compared to the weight. A simple light baffle in a lid would be easy to construct, and I guess I'd need some sort of liquid proof seal, but none of this should be insurmountable). Do-able but would take some effort...
Any thoughts??
Cheers, David.
I'm wanting to develop black and white film, such as FP4 10x8 sheet film in Ilford chemistry. Nothing special or unusual about the process.
What I am interested in is whether such a thing as a 'developing tank' or somesuch exists for 10x8 film? I really want to be able to develop the films (loaded in a changing tent, obviously) without dedicating a whole room to being even a temporary blacked out darkroom. I want to have the option of not doing tray processing therefore. I've developed 35mm and 120 roll film this way and got on well with it. I don't want some huge thing that processes loads of sheets at once or uses buckets of chemicals - the whole point is I want to enjoy developing the film myself and also save on processing commercially and avoid sending the film away, etc.
My question therefor is: Does anything exist comercially for the home user to do this?
I am quite good at making things and have a well equippped workshop, so could potentially make something using aluminium, but ideally I'd rather buy an established product if something exists.
(Basically, I'm thinking about something dimensionally similar to a small cereal box in shape, with the bottom of the film carefully clipped to a rectangular weight that would hang towards the bottom of the box. The weight could be prevented from falling and buckling the film, when the tank was inverted, by pinching the side of the tank, and holding the weight by simple interference (if the tank sides are slightly flexy, and sat 1mm oversized compared to the weight. A simple light baffle in a lid would be easy to construct, and I guess I'd need some sort of liquid proof seal, but none of this should be insurmountable). Do-able but would take some effort...
Any thoughts??
Cheers, David.