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dark room rookie;
yes it is and the messy looking silicon sealant prevents turbulence from the paper channels. It was a learn by doing process and the drum works well for both black and white or color. I couldn't find any ABS tubing less than 1/4 in thick and that was just too heavy for me and the ABS caps fit very tight and were hard to remove and they still leaked, so I used PVC and develop under safelight which poses no hardship and the PVC cap fits more precisely and does not leak. The PVC tubing is also available in 10in and 12in and would make tubes capable of print widths of 30 and 40 inch and more.
Denise Libby
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Denise,
Thanks for the explanation and the pics, quite instructive and helpful. The caps I have also do not leak, but are a bit hard to remove. Do you think the Jobo-style cup or a similar one in Cibachrome drums is less effective for the even development of a 33x44" colour print?
d_rookie
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That is a great solution!
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darkroom_rookie;
I have never used either of those systems so can't give you an informed answer but I can tell you that the secret to even development of color prints is consistent agitation and speed in filling and emptying the chemistry. As to agitation, one complete revolution every 1 1/2 to 2 sec is sufficient and allows you to rotate in both directions. The large 2in elbow allows filling and draining the tank in less than 5sec for either action. You said that your cap was difficult to remove and I found that true even with the PVC cap if I pushed it all the way on so I put a piece of tape around the tube at the point where no leaks occurred and yet still allowed easy removal. Just remember NEVER pre wet the print to temper the tube as it will cause staining and uneven development.
Denise Libby
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I have been looking for tubes or drums also. I plan to develop film and paper, up to 50 x 65.5. I may have found a solution. Tonight I stumbled on the ceme-tube HDPE plastic concrete forming tubes. They come in 4 foot lengths and in diameters of 8, 10, 12, 18, 24 and 30 inches. Google "ceme-tubes" for information. There is even a video on Youtube showing how they connect. They have optional caps which look like they will fit one end of the tube. According to the web site, the tubes can be cut to length using regular power tools.
I plan on ordering one with a couple of caps to experiment with. I was hoping to attach a Ilfochrome light trap to one of the caps for adding chemicals to the tube without having to remove the cap in between chemicals. White Cap construction supply lists the tubes for sale on their website--and they have locations near me.
I assume they are light tight, but I'll check this once I have the tubes.
The smaller tubes look like they would work for your situation.
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Allen, did you ever buy one of these concrete forming tubes? Apparently, they're not available in Europe.
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Yes. I bought a tube and two end caps. They work well for developing very large film and prints. I am currently rolling them on the floor, but I hope to build a mechanical unit using an electric drill to turn the tubes in the next few months.
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Which diameter did you buy?
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I've only seen one CPI set for sale used ever, and could kick myself for not buying it. I'm still using my
original unit I bought new, but am starting to wonder if I should stockpile a spare gearmotor or a few spare electrical components just in case. I don't think concrete tubes would work very well for dev use,
though you might be able to impregnate them with liquid expoxy penetrant. ABS irrigation pipe would be
better. The original CPI drums were made of expensive noryl, which is a better insulating plastic per
temp control.
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I bought the 24" tubes to develop my very large prints. 18" would have done the job, but I went with the next bigger size to make it easier to load.
