substitue trays

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.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.

"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote in newsb5Yb.6858
:

[...]
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?
[...]

For Rubbermaid trays, heat will allow you to modify their shape. Probably a
household iron would do the trick. I would suggest starting on low heat and
experimenting with a small container first. Protecting the surface of the
iron with aluminum foil might not be a bad idea too.

For your stainless food service trays, a ball peen hammer would do the
trick!

Bob

"Matt Ashbrook" wrote in message news:haiXb.312608$na.466029@attbi_s04...
Anyone tell me if there's any reason why I couldn't use the "storage" type
of plastic boxes they sell a Kmart or Walmart for shoes and clothes to
develop prints in as opposed to buying new trays? I recently bought a larger
easel very reasonably and I'd like to keep from spending over a hundred
bucks for a set of 20 x 24 trays. So I thought I would buy a few of these
storage boxes and cut them down to trays . Then i could get buy for about
$25.00. They wouldn't have to last forever at that price - in case I finally
make the digital move.

Thanks,
Matt A.

Keep your eyes open for garage sale and thrift shop opportunities.
They often go really cheap used, given the boom of digital these days.
You'd love my darkroom sink. It's the basin from a bassinet.
Works perfectly because it already has a drain attached!
And it's long and narrow to fit where big square sinks wouldn't have fit.

Collin