Prints sticking to the bottom of the trays

OK so I'm too cheap to buy "real" developing trays. I went down to the local
hardware store and bought "dish trays" to develop my 8X10 stock. They're
perfect in almost everyway (cheap, size and easy to hold on to) except one,
the prints tend to want to sit on the bottom. Is there something I can put
in the tray to keep them floating around the tray? Marbles?

 

Alan said: >They're perfect in almost everyway (cheap, size and easy to hold on
to) except one, the prints tend to want to sit on the bottom. Is there
something I can put in the tray to keep them floating around the tray?
Marbles?<<

Alan, talk about a straight man set-up.

Do you want people on this board saying you've lost your marbles ?

Seriously, that should work, although depending on your agitation and print
handling technique, you need to watch out for any abrasion marks when the
emulsion is down if you get pressure rolling the marble against it.


Bernie

 

The marbles should work, perhaps a square of fiberglas
window screen as used for print drying layed on the bottom
of the tray. Most photo trays have grooves or bumps in them
to prevent this but the Cesco trays used by Platinum
printers are flat. They are preferred for Platinum because
they minimize the amount of solution necessary.

 

You know what I'm going to try?! Some 1" hard rubber "super" balls or
smaller cut in half or sectioned and glued strategically to the bottom on
the pans. Maybe one in the centre and four in the corners a la the dimple
idea. Silicone should hold them.

 

aug2404 from Lloyd Erlick,

Marbles are a good ol' time solution. But they mean you need
enough solution to cover them...

A alternative is to cut a long strip of plastic, perhaps
from an empty bag of photo paper. Run the strip through the
tray, with plenty of it sticking out at each end, hanginmg
out of the tray. If you want to move the print, well just
pull the plastic strip a bit upwards. It should be slightly
wide, maybe two or three inches, so as not to have any
tendency to cut into the wet print.

This is also much cheaper than marbles. The huge savings
will surely pay for more packs of paper to provide more
plastic strips...

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________

 

how about a couple of beads of silicon down the length of the tray

Nige.

 

Like sand?

I'm guessing you mean "silicone".

 

I'd try this type of cabinet door bumpers
http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.asp?SID=&ccurrency=1&page=40536&category=3,43738

 

I hear "Pam" works. Just spray it on.




No just kidding

Cheers,
-sd
http://www.zoom.sh

 

drop a few of the plastic cocktail stirrers in the bottom.

PSsquare

 

REAL photo trays are cheap enough for all but the most impecunious.
Get some and quit whining!

 

If you REALY want to process on the CHEAP use just one tray. Very,
very economical of space also.
If interested search this NG for, one tray . I use chemistry one-
shot with one tray but chemistry can be used multiple times with
one tray. Dan