Nova processing tanks...disadvantages?

[FujiLove]

I'm in the process of setting up a temporary darkroom in a very small bathroom. I've been assessing the space and I think it's going to be difficult to have three trays in there. I had a look at the Nova processing tanks and they look like a great space-saver, and possibly a great chemical saver, as I'll likely be doing short runs. I realise they can be quite delicate, but are there any other disadvantages to using them?

 

[Ronald M]

Nicest defect free color prints I ever made and I tried every system out there.

I stand mine next to the sink. To empty, open the valve and put the chems into a bottle.

Buy extra print clips other wise you need to keep drying them.

Buy the four slot model for developer, water, stop, blix. Water does not stop RA4 fully and can lead to stains.

Wash in a tray.

For black and white, just get a tray ladder or make one like stairs. Developer goes on top.

 

[Solinar]

I live in Texas - which is in a subtropical climate. I use only B&W RC paper.

1.) I use them in a 70 degree Fahrenheit room. So, I forgo the heaters.
2.) I never move them with when full.

With regards to a chem saver: I don't fully understand what you mean. I usually keep the developer replenished and start fresh after 24 hours. The stop bath needs to be changed often, because of carry over. While the fixer life is limited to the number of prints, let's say 20 8x10" on RC paper.

 

[FujiLove]

I've been looking at the basic tanks without heaters as I'll only be doing B&W and the room is warm enough to keep the dev at 20 degrees C. I read somewhere that the tanks could be covered with cling film and the chemicals would last much longer, thus enabling several short processing sessions and saving chemicals.

 

[Solinar]

I've been looking at the basic tanks without heaters as I'll only be doing B&W and the room is warm enough to keep the dev at 20 degrees C. I read somewhere that the tanks could be covered with cling film and the chemicals would last much longer, thus enabling several short processing sessions and saving chemicals.

Yes, the basic Nova Print Pods or vertical trays as I call them will allow you to do the bit with cling wrap and a rubber band - in addition to the provided plastic pipe that rests at the top of each tank, when not in use.

If you have already found one for sale, act quickly. The basic Print Pods doesn't come up for grabs very often.

Best Regards,

 

[Ronald M]

I would not choose Nova to B&W RC.

Color kits do not ever come with SS. Experience has taught me it is required.

 

[FrozenInTime]

Only real down side I've found is that you get a pair of pin pricks on the paper ( from the clips ) and if your doing e.g. 12x16 fiber paper, sometimes the paper can tare at the clips ( especially larger heavy weight sheets )

I did find that it was necessary to agitate the paper a little, moving it in and out, to prevent a herringbone pattern - the paper can sometimes lightly adhere to the side of the slot.

The 12x16 4 slot tank I bought new a decade ago for Cibachrome but sensitivity to the fumes drove me to RA4.
During the great digital switch/throw out, I picked up a couple of 10x8 slot units for pennies on e-bay - these are the ones I get most use out of today.

The other thing you will miss with B&W is watching prints develop - you need to rely on timing ( which is probably a good thing anyway ) .

 

[Solinar]

I would not choose Nova to B&W RC.

Color kits do not ever come with SS. Experience has taught me it is required.

In the past dozen years and hundreds of prints - I haven't had any difficulties using a slot processor for resin coated, black and white paper.

I clean the slots with a bottle brush after each session and as mentioned in the above post - I keep the paper in motion through out the entire process.

Best Regards,

 

[Ljós]

They are a real boon, mostly. As has been said already: don't move them around while they are filled. Other than that they are solid and not delicate.
They do (my experience is with black and white) extend the life oft the chemistry enormously and save you not only space but also time and money. (OK, the initial outlay needs to be recouped 🙂)

Greetings, Ljós

 

[pschauss]

I have been using the Nova three slot 8x10" slot processor for about ten years, mostly for 8x10 contact sheets and 5x7" prints. I normally only do between four and ten prints at a time and it works well for me.

My processor came with loosely fitting plastic part which covers all three slots but does not seal out the air. Using the valves built into the slots you can only drain about half of the chemistry in each slot. The way that I normally use my processor, however, I get do several printing sessions without replenishing (= drain half of the tank and refill it with fresh chemistry). I check the fixer with a short length of undeveloped film before each working session and replenish the developer when the blacks on my prints start to look weak. If I am doing a large batch of prints I replenish everything before I start.

As some else has mentioned, I have found it necessary to agitate when printing 8x10" in order to keep the pattern on the sides of the tanks from imprinting on the paper. I find it easier just to use a print drum for larger prints like that.

 

[FujiLove]

Thanks for all the comments and advice. I'll be keeping an eye out on eBay.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I would not choose Nova to B&W RC.

Color kits do not ever come with SS. Experience has taught me it is required.

Dear Ronald,

Why not? I've been using 'em for that for maybe 25 years and heartily recommend them.

I'm not quite sure what the other two sentences mean. What's SS? And what experience has taught you that what is required?

Cheers,

R.

 

[Fotohuis]

Great system for a small dark room:

Nova Masterlab. Bought from a closing Police darkroom lab for Eur. 25,- maybe already 15 years ago.

 

[Ronald M]

Only real down side I've found is that you get a pair of pin pricks on the paper ( from the clips ) and if your doing e.g. 12x16 fiber paper, sometimes the paper can tare at the clips ( especially larger heavy weight sheets )

I did find that it was necessary to agitate the paper a little, moving it in and out, to prevent a herringbone pattern - the paper can sometimes lightly adhere to the side of the slot.

The 12x16 4 slot tank I bought new a decade ago for Cibachrome but sensitivity to the fumes drove me to RA4.
During the great digital switch/throw out, I picked up a couple of 10x8 slot units for pennies on e-bay - these are the ones I get most use out of today.

The other thing you will miss with B&W is watching prints develop - you need to rely on timing ( which is probably a good thing anyway ) .

Instructions say to move paper in elliptical pattern to agitate. I never got marks.

 

[Ronald M]

Dear Ronald,

Why not? I've been using 'em for that for maybe 25 years and heartily recommend them.

I'm not quite sure what the other two sentences mean. What's SS? And what experience has taught you that what is required?

Cheers,

R.

Cost and I have space. SS is acidic acid stop bath to neutralize the alkaline developer quickly and preserve fix. SS is short stop.

 

[presspass]

I have been using the 8X10 and larger models for nearly 20 years. Just RC B&W prints. The stop bath and fixer will last about a month if topped up. The developer goes after a week, both using just the plastic pipes that come with the slot processor. Never tried cling wrap. With Sprint chemistry, the exhaustion rate for the stop and fix is identical, so as long as the stop doesn't change color, the fix is still good. BTW, I used the film-strength fix which, according to Ilford, gives complete fix in 30 seconds. The first prints I did more than 20 years ago are still good, even if displayed. Wouldn't be without the slot processor.

 

[Solinar]

Great system for a small dark room:

Nova Masterlab.

This is the first time that I've seen this particular set up. The basic Nova Print Pods are usually only available as a unit with a red stand that holds three of the 8x10" pods shown above. Having 4 Pods would be nicer.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Cost and I have space. SS is acidic acid stop bath to neutralize the alkaline developer quickly and preserve fix. SS is short stop.

Dear Ronald,

Thanks for the clarification -- it's not an abbreviation I immediately recognized, obviously -- but I'm still not quite clear what you're saying. We use 4-slot processors for B+W as dev/ stop/ fix 1/ fix 2. Even if you add short stop to RA-4 (and I'm not convinced you have to) it's still only four slots.

Do I understand correctly that your objection to Novatanks is that they are expensive? Yes, they are. But they're also wonderfully easy and consistent. We built one of ours into the workbench in our darkroom, where we have plenty of space for tray processing too: see http://www.rogerandfrances.com/subscription/darkroom.html

Cheers,

R.

 

[joeswe]

From my own limited experience I think these units are quite good for processing BW paper, but I think at least for RA4 a small tabletop RT processor is much more comfortable while being not necessarily more expensive nowadays.

To explain, I have a four slot 12x16" Nova processor, it came as part of a bigger darkroom lot I was interested in. I gave the unit a try and processed some color negative paper, more out of curiosity than out of need (I have a tabletop RT processor for RA4), but I found that I had problems with carryover, splashes of processing liquid and generally residual liquid on the top of the walls between the processing slots, which made processing quite a mess.

I realize you are supposed to pull the back of the paper along the blade at the top of the slot to wipe off excess liquid from the back of the sheet, but found this very difficult to achieve in practice in total darkness with RA4 paper that is typically not nice & flat nowadays, but rather quite curved, as it is mostly available only custom cut from rolls. I imagine someone could master to get the sheet from slot to slot without spilling or carrying over too much liquid after some time, but being used to the comfortable work with a small RT processor and also having enough space in my darkroom to set up trays for developing BW, I personally put the unit back into storage very quickly ...

OTOH, I can imagine it works quite well for BW paper where you can operate under safelight conditions and actually see what you are doing.

 

[FrozenInTime]

I realize you are supposed to pull the back of the paper along the blade at the top of the slot to wipe off excess liquid from the back of the sheet, but found this very difficult to achieve in practice in total darkness with RA4 paper that is typically not nice & flat nowadays, but rather quite curved, as it is mostly available only custom cut from rolls. ...

OTOH, I can imagine it works quite well for BW paper where you can operate under safelight conditions and actually see what you are doing.

I'm fear the day my Duka 50 safelight fails - though I did snag a working one as a backup for $50 a couple of years ago 🙂