color drum problems!

I feel embarrassed for asking this:

I acquired a Cibachrome Mark II Color Processing Drum to try room temp.
RA-4 printing. The drum has 2 end caps. One appears to be the bottom one
and it has 4 holes. The top cap appears to be the funnel to pour liquids
in. There is a disk that says "This Side Up", and finally a cup with
gears on the lip.

How do I use this? I've messed around with it, but if I pour water into
it, it just drains out the bottom. Either I don't have a complete
processing drum or I'm doing something seriously wrong.

Your drum should contain 5 pieces: one end cap to which the cup will attach;
the cup; the drum section; the disk; and other end piece to which the disk
will attach.

The disk goes on the end with the holes to form a light trap. This is the
end out of which you pour the spent chemicals.

The cup goes in the other end. You install the empty cup on this end and
pour the chemicals into the cup but not into the drum. Upon tilting the
drum to let the chemicals out of the cup into the drum you start the time.
You start the process time upon tilting the chemicals out of the cup into
the drum. Upon completion of the process time hold the drum straight up and
down, pouring the chemical out the opposite end (the end holes and the light
trap disk) into a sink, beaker, or pail.

You do not have the 5 pieces mentioned in the first sentence you better go
to eBay.


"Mike" wrote in message
news | I feel embarrassed for asking this:
|
| I acquired a Cibachrome Mark II Color Processing Drum to try room temp.
| RA-4 printing. The drum has 2 end caps. One appears to be the bottom one
| and it has 4 holes. The top cap appears to be the funnel to pour liquids
| in. There is a disk that says "This Side Up", and finally a cup with
| gears on the lip.
|
| How do I use this? I've messed around with it, but if I pour water into
| it, it just drains out the bottom. Either I don't have a complete
| processing drum or I'm doing something seriously wrong.
|
|

"Mike" wrote

Beginners luck...on subsequent prints, I think I had problems with
agitation has I had some spots of discoloring. I was just rolling the
drum across the floor. ... I may try using trays next as I'm not sold
on the drum.

Get a motor base, $10 - $30 on ebay, and I think you will be sold on drums.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

In article ,
Mike wrote:

Thanks Glenn. I knew it was a stupid question and it didn't occur to me
that once I tilt the drum, that I shouldn't tilt it vertical until I'm
done and wish to drain the chemicals!

I made my first RA-4 print last night using the Tetenal Mono room temp
chemicals. I nailed it on my second sheet of paper. After doing a single
test strip, I picked my exposure and added yellow. Second print came out
perfect to my eye!

Beginners luck...on subsequent prints, I think I had problems with
agitation has I had some spots of discoloring. I was just rolling the
drum across the floor.

I may try using trays next as I'm not sold on the drum.


By all means, if you're using a room-temperature kit, try using trays.
The only thing you have to do in total darkness is development and
moving the print to the stop bath. After twenty seconds in stop, you
can turn on the lights. As you have already discovered, development
goes to completion with this thin-emulsion paper, so that small amounts
of over-development are not detectable. Just check the temperature of
the developer and make sure that you don't under-develop for the given
temperature.

Working with trays (if you're not afraid of the dark :-) ) is so much
faster than messing with a drum that there is really no comparison.

Herb

--
To send me email, replace deadspam.com by acm.org

Mike wrote:


Working with trays (if you're not afraid of the dark :-) ) is so much
faster than messing with a drum that there is really no comparison.



I tried trays...but I like the drum and motor-base method. I've got 2
drums so one can dry while I'm working with another. I'm not concerned
about throughput. I take my time and its sort of like a zen for me.




Wipe the drums dry. Only takes a few seconds.

Nick