Erroneous tab press!!

To continue, -- if the described method works OK one doesn't need such large
trays.  Has any one an opinion on this method of paper control?

"bob" <1xwj.ReverseThePartBeforeTheDot@bellsouthnet> wrote.

Good point.  They serve several purposes:

o  Letting chemicals circulate behind the print

o  Keeping the print from sticking to the bottom so that
  it can slide around the tray when agitated: not so
  critical when the emulsion is face up, but needed
  when the emulsion is face down.

o  Forming a channel for water to get under the print
  when the print is lifted from the tray - especially
  critical with large prints: I once found myself holding
  two jagged corners as the remainder of the print slid
  gracefully back into the tray.

I have (had) trays with:

o  Flat bottomed stamped steel with black paint.  Prints
  didn't stick, as the trays were 3x4" (?).  Came from
  a Kodak ABC photo lab kit: everything needed to make
  B&W prints in one small box.  Rusted, didn't last
  more than a few weeks.  40's vintage.

o  Hard rubber, shattered when dropped, don't remember
  the pattern.  50's vintage.

o  Sharp ridges: Ok, but the ridges can image on the
  paper or film if the emulsion lays against them too
  long.  Hard to clean, the ridges interfere with a
  cleaning sponge and accumulate gunk at the ridge
  root.  The trays I have are injection molded  and
  made by FR and Yankee (I prefer the FRs) - 60's
  vintage.

o  An embossed X, a nice smooth surfaced and rounded X:
  OK, but large prints stick to the tray at the corners,
  are hard to pull and don't let the chems circulate as
  well as they should.  Additionally, if the print sticks
  to the bottom it is hard to get a print-tong/fingernail
  under the print to lift it.  Made with vacuum forming?
  70's vintage.

o  Array of bumps: The best of the lot - the bumps are
  smooth so they don't image on a face down sheet;
  they let chemicals at the back of the sheet; the
  sheet is kept off the bottom of the tray across
  the whole surface.  Again, looks like vacuum forming.
  80's vintage. Made by 'Cesco/Photoquip'.

Another example of the evolution of everyday items, for the
Petroski fans out there.

If I were embossing my own trays I am not sure what I would
do to dimple them: blobs of RTV; glue strips of 12 ga round
plastic to the bottom; duckboard/lath; glue buttons; a few layers
of nylon screening?

I know: glue the bamboo from old print tongs to the bottom
in a sort of random grid.

            *         *           *            *

Isn't it amazing what one can write about to postpone an
unpleasant task?

2 more tray alternatives I have used:

o Pyrex glass rectangular baking dishes.  My mother
 finally gave up and compromised, splitting the
 cost of a set of hard rubber trays from Sears:
 Sears used to have a full-service photo department
 with more darkroom items than most photography
 stores carry today. The items were stamped
 "Tower".  Montgomery wards had the same,
 though they didn't have a brand name.

o Food service trays, as used in steam tables.

Neither had a textured bottom.  Visions of
embossed food service trays can be seen in my
imagining, though.

Look in the paper for announcement of closing
down institutions.  A good cheap source for
tray substitutes, and all sorts of other
dual use items.  Hospitals, go to the
'Clinical Laboratory', Pathology, Microbiology
and cafeteria sections.  I had a friend
who bought a vibration isolation table for
an analytical balance from a belly up hospital.
The top was a slab of 2ft x 3ft x 3" marble
and he needed lots of help moving it.  I think
it will become his headstone before he finds
another use for it.  So, look out - white
elephants abound.