How many developing tubes can you use at once?

[JG Motamedi]

I am considering purchasing a few of J&C's developing tubes for 8x10 and 5x7 use. I have been doing 11x14 for a while in a junky color paper tube, and have been pretty happy with the results, however I only do one sheet at a time. How many developing tubes are you able to handle in one session? Do the extra caps help?

Thanks,

jason

[Donald Miller]

I have four of each size and usually use only two at a time. I built my own tubes and therefore am not able to comment on the extra caps.

[johnnywalker]

This is a bit off topic, but I built my own tubes from plumbing supplies according to some plans described somewhere here. I joined two of the tubes together, so the solutions can pass between, but not the negs. So I do two negs at a time.

The person who came up with this idea suggested wrapping the negs in fibreglass cloth to protect them against scratching. I've been doing this, cutting fibreglass cloth a little bigger than the negatives, using it then throwing it out.

The fibreglass cloth works, but it is a PITA. I end up with strands of it all over the darkroom, and it can't be rinsed to use again without falling into threads. Anybody got any better ideas? Short of sewing an edge on the cloth.

[Donald Miller]

This is a bit off topic, but I built my own tubes from plumbing supplies according to some plans described somewhere here. I joined two of the tubes together, so the solutions can pass between, but not the negs. So I do two negs at a time.

The person who came up with this idea suggested wrapping the negs in fibreglass cloth to protect them against scratching. I've been doing this, cutting fibreglass cloth a little bigger than the negatives, using it then throwing it out.

The fibreglass cloth works, but it is a PITA. I end up with strands of it all over the darkroom, and it can't be rinsed to use again without falling into threads. Anybody got any better ideas? Short of sewing an edge on the cloth.

I am not sure if you are using the tube design that I came up with or someone else's. However on the fiberglass window screen material, I am still using the original ones I fabricated over two years ago. It may be that you have a different material in Canada.

I got away from using the screens for a short while but went back to them because my negs develop better with them. I found that I can dry the screens in a microwave between uses.

[johnnywalker]

Uh Oh. Fibreglass window screen you say. That may explain it. I was using fibreglass cloth. I should learn to read more better.

[John Bartley]

I develop in tubes and also made my own. I also posted a set of plans here, but that's beside the point. I can only roll one at a time, but that has more to do my own dexterity and the fact I use continual agitation in the form of sllooowww steady rolling for one or two complete turns one way before rolling back the other way.
As per David Carper (formerly of Ilford, and formerly tech support on the Ilford forum), I don't worry about the back of the film, trusting the tray wash to remove anything that's there. NOTE :: I develop, stop and fix in a tube, but I wash in a tray of running water.
I use a 0.020" poly sheet behind only my 4x5 negs, but only because I have big hands and my thick fingers have a hard time gripping the negative in that tiny tube, so I pull on the poly instead of the negative to remove it.
I have recently started presoaking my negatives and that has eliminated any fluid runs showing in the finished negative. These I have found, are caused by not having a dry tube to start with.

Anyway - the answer? - only one tube at a time for me.

cheers

[noseoil]

Good Lord Johhny! I'm guilty, but I believe I said fiberglass window screen in my little post on the subject (per Donald's idea).

I've done 4 tubes at a time, but it seems too much like work for me. This is with minimal agitation, so timing is important, as well as the rubber bands to tell which tube is which. I put a rubber band on each tube, in a different location (1,2,3,4), so I could keep track of which tube to spin and when, etc. This got to be a bit stressful, as I was too busy with this method and photography is supposed to be a strees relief valve from work. Two at a time is plenty for me now. tim

[johnnywalker]

Good Lord Johhny! I'm guilty, but I believe I said fiberglass window screen in my little post on the subject (per Donald's idea).
tim

I'm sure you did. I must be suffering from adult-onset dyslexia. At least I hope so, as the alternative is not good.

[Amund]

Four at a time shouldn`t be a problem, and you don`t need the fiberglass screen with the JandC tubes.

[JHannon]

Four at a time shouldn`t be a problem, and you don`t need the fiberglass screen with the JandC tubes.

I bought four but did not try them yet. I notice that the inside walls of the tubes have ridges running the length of the tubes, this may help the liquid get at the back of the film??