[Ratmagiclady]

I'm not sure about what Mighty Putty would do with reaction to photo chemicals, never had to use it on my tanks...never had one that was cracked.

You're only supposed to "tap" the side not knock it. LOL

Here is a tank similar to what I have.

MINI COMPACT Adorama Mini Universal Plastic Daylight Film Developing Tank with Reel for One 35mm Film.

I used to use all stainless stell tanks and reels. Still prefer them to plastic ones but they were too expensive, and I couldn't afford to buy them when I was doing this up north.

Heehee, about the tapping. Well, sometimes it's hard to keep the bigger ones under control, when they're full. Actually I learned about the cracking from teaching some high school boys and others, (and finding a few of cracked ones over the years. ) your tank is obviously pretty small, and brand new.

It *looks* like it takes a Paterson-style reel, though, maybe someone could confirm that. (edit: come to think of it, that's not hard. I can see from 'recommended accessories' it's the same) If you'd like a spare, I find it really helps speed things up to have a totally-dry one waiting, I could just send you one, if you think that's worthwhile. Got plenty.

I've never used the stainless tanks extensively, somehow I've managed to hang onto at least one of the Patersons pretty much all along, so I never changed over to stainless steel for my own stuff. Used em somewhere I worked, at least, though.

Some things, I get used to, and just don't end up wanting to change em. Back when a lot of the art majors would take basically Photo 101 with black and white film, I used to occasionally give some lessons, and have a bit of darkroom stuff I'd trashpick or yardsale find around to give em if they were interested in doing stuff at home or whatever. You'd find those occasionally, someone'd clear out some space and put darkroom things on the street or whatever. Kind of miss that whole thing, really.

What about Microdol-X? Use to use it all the time instead of the D-76. It gave a finer grain. When I was running my darkroom I had all stainless tanks. Still have them tucked away for when the bug bites again. Actually I still have all my old equipment. You really need to do your own prints though. That's where the fun and creativity really shines. Just wish some of the old papers were still around.

[photolady95]

Ratmagiclady, my tank is fairly new. As in I bought it a few weeks ago when I realized I was going to have to develop this b/w film I have. I used to have one called a Yankee tank. Yeah I could use an extra reel. Wish I had kept all my reels and tanks and my enlarger but things happen and I wasn't able to keep them.

I'd like to make a small darkroom just for developing film. I'm no longer interested in making prints. And there is no way for me to get a setup to do so. No room here.

graphic, I've not seen Microdol-x in a while. I have done my own prints, but am not interested in that anymore. Too easy to scan the film. I know it is not the same, but I don't as I said above, the room to setup a full working lab.

[Ratmagiclady]

Well, why don't you just PM me, PL.

[photolady95]

Well, why don't you just PM me, PL.

Okay then. I've been down since yesterday, not my computer, but myself. Just one of those days.

[Ratmagiclady]

Okay then. I've been down since yesterday, not my computer, but myself. Just one of those days.

It's OK, I hope you didn't have what I did: it passed pretty quickly, but, blech. I'm just at the point of seeing if I care to venture far enough to get some food I don't have to cook. Got a reel and a box to put it in right here for ya, though.

[davef]

I haven't done much darkroom work for years but when I did, my favourite developer was Ilford Perceptol (sp?) diluted 1:1. You lose about 1/3 stop but it gives very tight grain and very good shadow detail with FP4 or HP5. Stop, fix and wetting agents are pretty generic so I used whatever was the low price when I needed it. Dave

[photolady95]

Naw, Ratmagiclady, my problems were just to my bad health, this time.

davef, I can get D76 for about $3 less than the Ilford, and I'm used to that developer. So, I'll stick with that for now. I'm not planning on developing more than a few rolls a month or even less. If I decide to do more than this, I might try your product just to see how it works.

[Ratmagiclady]

Cool, Photolady. (Looks like it'll have to be after the Fourth before I can get that reel out to you.)

I've just gotten hold of a good little pile of some cheaper B&W film which is apparently, essentially Tri-X. I'm going to try it with some Diafine, (something I've been meaning to give a try to) ...after spending some months concentrating on the digital learning curve, I feel the need to get some winders cranking out there again, and it gives you a nice speed boost with these type films, at the cost of familiar sorts of control. But it ought to suit a lot of what I'm doing.

[photolady95]

Sounds good on the reel. I'm in no hurry as I explained in the PM.

How does one "get hold of" a good pile of cheap film? However, you got it, sounds good. I was just reading about Diafine. Sounds good too. A developer that isn't perticular in what temps you use. I might want to try that.

[Ratmagiclady]

Sounds good on the reel. I'm in no hurry as I explained in the PM.

How does one "get hold of" a good pile of cheap film? However, you got it, sounds good. I was just reading about Diafine. Sounds good too. A developer that isn't perticular in what temps you use. I might want to try that.

Oh, Freestyle has the stuff, like two bucks a roll. By all accounts it's either Tri-X repackaged or maybe some second-quality Tri-X, or a darn good imitation. . 'Arista Premium' Good price on the Diafine, too.

I'm not really in love with the idea of giving up so much development control, but not having to be too fussy about temperature could be a convenience. (Probably you may as well try and get me to unlearn the whole 'don't run with scissors' thing, what, no temperature control, but hey...convenience, maybe. )

The stuff ought to solve certain problems and let me cut loose a bit out there some nights. I think I really need that.

You can get a stop and a half or two out of the combination, though, and that might help you with your animal-chasing with the lenses you've got. Different films respond differently to the stuff, too, so you can have a different range of ISOs and develop them all together, too. Wonder-product in many ways, I just hope I like what the results look like.

[photolady95]

I was looking over Freestyle (never heard of them til you mentioned it), some nice prices there.

I like being able to control my own developing too. But let me know how this works out and I might try it too. I have hot and cold running water here.... but I'm not sure how I would control that to the correct temperatures. I still have a lot of equipment to buy, thermometer and timer. I want to get a bigger tank to develop more than one roll at a time. Specially, when I start shooting more b/w.

I saw some color open stock film or whatever they call it. It was not boxed but was in canisters. Would you buy that?

I picked up a CVS brand 200ISO today. Looks like Kodak, and probably is.

Wish I could go back to developing color film. I'm not real happy with these one hour labs. I got two rolls developed Saturday and the film still felt tacky on the emulsion side. I have no idea what it would cost to buy the full working color lab again. I think it was about $200-$300 last time. Still like to try again. I hate having to trust my film to flip book learned techs.

If I get my neice to buy my single core self built computer, I could start this buying spree now.

[Ratmagiclady]

I was looking over Freestyle (never heard of them til you mentioned it), some nice prices there.

I like being able to control my own developing too. But let me know how this works out and I might try it too. I have hot and cold running water here.... but I'm not sure how I would control that to the correct temperatures. I still have a lot of equipment to buy, thermometer and timer. I want to get a bigger tank to develop more than one roll at a time. Specially, when I start shooting more b/w.

I saw some color open stock film or whatever they call it. It was not boxed but was in canisters. Would you buy that?

I usually just use the kitchen sink to warm or cool the whole bottle of my chemicals, ...you'll definitely want a thermometer, though. A digital kitchen timer's good enough for processing black and white, no real worries there. (I was actually using an old digital darkroom timer for a kitchen one for a while, till I actually got my enlarger. ) I know an Ebay seller (also a brick and mortar place called "The Darkroom Studios," who carries a lot of the smaller darkroom stuff you might need. Noticed he had a bunch of dial thermometers. Or maybe Freestyle will have something, they supply a lot of schools and such.

I'd presume the open-box color stuff is just emptied out of some special offer packaging or some such: it's probably OK, maybe none too fresh. As for if it's a nice film to begin with, I'm not really up on color negative film these days, beyond popping a bit of Fuji in now and again, it's been all B&W for years, till digital brought a bit of color back in. It really is hard to find a competent local lab for it lately. I'd swear they deliberately don't focus or tend the minilabs in order to sell digital. But, ask on the Film board and you can hear about good places to send away.

[photolady95]

I usually just use the kitchen sink to warm or cool the whole bottle of my chemicals,

That sounds like a winner.

I went to "The Darkroom Studios" and looked over their inventory. Looks like a good place to get darkroom stuff. Thanks for that.

I'll ask over in film, about a send away lab.Trying to sleeve those negs the day I got them, they were tacky on the emulsion side and would not slide easily into negative sleeves.

[Venturi]

Dwayne's Photo is probably the best option for mail order processing.