Switched from kitchen sink to a darkroom tray for film developing

I used to just stand at the kitchen sink with a changing bag and two little plastic tanks. Did that for maybe 3 years. Then I visited a friend in Portland who had a whole setup with trays and a dedicated space. She showed me how much more control you get with a real darkroom tray for the developer stage. I tried it that same weekend with an old roll of Tri-X I had sitting around. The difference in grain and contrast was huge. Now I keep a tray and a small red light in the closet. Does anyone else find it harder to get consistent temps with a tray versus a tank?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_viola1d agoOG Member

That aquarium heater trick is genius honestly. Might have to steal it. The temp swings drove me crazy with a tray. One time I tried ice packs wrapped in paper towels to cool it down. Worked okay but then the paper towel disintegrated and I had little wet paper bits all over the negative. Total nightmare. A water bath setup sounds way more reliable.

phoenix_grant3416h agoMost Upvoted

You ever try a seedling heat mat instead? I had the same paper towel meltdown once, that stuff turns into confetti fast. I keep a cheap inkbird temp controller hooked to a heat mat under my trays. Keeps it within a degree or two without all the water bath hassle. If you go the heater route, get one with a guard so the cat can't knock it over so easy.

vera5141d ago

My last batch of Tri-X came out looking like a Monet painting because I couldn't keep the tray above 65 degrees. I actually bought a little aquarium heater and stuck it in a water bath. Works great until the cat knocks it over and now I'm developing film on a wet floor.