Patterson tanks...

menthel

menthel

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Are they always leaky as hell? Have been using a jobo for 35mm but the Paterson reels are easier to load with 120. However the Paterson tank leaks much more than the jobo, is this usual? Or is it just that mine is an older design? It's a series 4, 2 reel tank.
 
My Super System 4 tanks, universal size, leak almost nothing. I probably lose about 10mL after 4 uses of 500mL of developer - a lot of that due to liquid staying on the film, on the reel and on the tank walls rather than leaks.
 
I suspect mine is getting a little old. It does have a label on the box stating £5 new cost! I think it might be time to splash out on a new tank and a couple of reels and rehome my old jobo and go all Paterson.
 
I too am tempted to buy new... but a multi-reel 3, which seem to be in sparse supply used. One roll of 120 at a time gets boring!
 
freecom2 said:
I too am tempted to buy new... but a multi-reel 3, which seem to be in sparse supply used. One roll of 120 at a time gets boring!
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Good point but it does mean developing in 1l batches of chemicals if I am correct. Not good for 35mm where I tend to do 2 at a time. I wouldn't want to wait until I had 4 rolls- I would develop every 3 months!
 
menthel said:
Good point but it does mean developing in 1l batches of chemicals if I am correct. Not good for 35mm where I tend to do 2 at a time. I wouldn't want to wait until I had 4 rolls- I would develop every 3 months!
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Indeed, was just a comment about what I was doing. The universal tank is perfect for 2 rolls of 35mm. Multi-Reel 3 is overkill for that.
 
freecom2 said:
Indeed, was just a comment about what I was doing. The universal tank is perfect for 2 rolls of 35mm. Multi-Reel 3 is overkill for that.
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Although my last two developments have been 120! ;) I think a new universal tank is necessary!
 
Yup, the Supersystem 4 is brilliant - no leakage. I think Paterson had so many complaints about previous tanks that they finally got this one right.
 
Apparently the lids do lose a bit of their effectiveness over time, but both of mine were used (albeit very lightly) and are absolutely fine. I always make up slightly more than 500mL to counter any loss.
 
I think the Paterson Super System 4 Tanks are the best currently available and provided that when you put the lid on you exert some pressure in the middle to create a slight negative pressure they will not leak, but the Jobo spirals beat the Paterson ones into a cocked hat, no balls to lock up and can take 2 rolls of 120 seperated on a single spiral. Personally I find them much easier to load than the Paterson spirals.

The problem is that under normal circumstances the Jobo reels will not fit the Paterson tanks as the Paterson centre columns are thicker, fortunately for me my next door neighbour is a toolmaker and he has skimmed the Paterson centre columns down to the same diameter as the Jobo ones for me.

I have a 35mm, 2x Universal and a Multi 5 Super System 4 Tanks which will do a single roll of 35mm, 2x Rolls of 35mm (2x 120) or 5x rolls of 35mm (6x Rolls of 120 {3x spirals}).
 
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I have some quite nice Universal Photax tanks that are available if anyone would like one.
 
Thanks all. I think I will treat myself to some new Paterson tanks though- might be nice to pass the others onto some of our beginner film enthusiasts. I have now tried both jobo and Paterson reels for 120 and found the Paterson more robust and easier to load.

Again, thanks all.
 
Cover the postage and one will be yours.
 
Is it a Super System 4 or just a System 4? The original System 4 was not sealed sufficiently for inversion agitation (my dads one leaks a bit as well) and Paterson recommended either uisng the little tool to rotate the spiral or move the tank back or forth over a 40cm distance (Kodak recommend this method as well for non-invertible tanks)
 
Just a standard system 4. I think a super system 4 tank and using the current one for wetting agent wash should work nicely! I will pass on the jobo once organised.
 
Got several Sytem 4 and 1 Super System 4. When I get the lid on right I don't think any of them leak more than the others and I invert them all but I do think it's easier to not quite have the Super lid on quite right. I also slightly prefer the older non-super System 4 tanks as the lid is easier to get off when you need to dump the dev out.
 
Strappy said:
That's very generous, thank you, Ed. Send me a PM with the postage amount and how you'd like to be paid and I'll make the payment as soon as. :thumbs:
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Send me your address by PM and I'll post it off to you, we can worry about the postage when we know how much it is.
 
brianwar said:
Got several Sytem 4 and 1 Super System 4. When I get the lid on right I don't think any of them leak more than the others and I invert them all but I do think it's easier to not quite have the Super lid on quite right. I also slightly prefer the older non-super System 4 tanks as the lid is easier to get off when you need to dump the dev out.
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I think I might have a couple of the older System 4 tanks too if anyone would prefer one of them.
 
menthel said:
Are they always leaky as hell? Have been using a jobo for 35mm but the Paterson reels are easier to load with 120. However the Paterson tank leaks much more than the jobo, is this usual? Or is it just that mine is an older design? It's a series 4, 2 reel tank.
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I had one huge leak last year when I dropped one on the floor full of dev!! but no I can't say I've suffered leakage under "normal" use.
 
menthel said:
I suspect mine is getting a little old. It does have a label on the box stating £5 new cost! I think it might be time to splash out on a new tank and a couple of reels and rehome my old jobo and go all Paterson.
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Not sure age has much to do with it, i stole my dad's that he said he hadn't used since before he got married, which is (god damnit, i don't know :p) around a bit over 20 years ago... maybe? Works perfectly.
 
My trick is to put the little grey lid in a bowl of warm water so it expands. Pour your Dev into the tank and put the lid on with an easy sliding fit. By the time the first inversion is due, the lid has cooled down and contracted enough to seal tightly. Then you can use the warm water as a bath to keep your tank up to temp. Always worked for me.

PS. You are using the grey sealing ring under the screw on lid aren't you? Its not unknown for folk to loose or forget that.
 
Grabbed a new super system 4 universal from silverprint today- much, much better! Need to get used to loading 35mm into it but no leaks at all.
 
freecom2 said:
My Super System 4 tanks, universal size, leak almost nothing.
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I've got the same dev tank & haven't found any leaks thus far :} I usually dev two 35mm on reels at once. Ooh, I'm pleased to hear that you're pleased with the new tank!
 
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IamAshlyRose said:
I've got the same dev tank & haven't found any leaks thus far :} I usually dev two 35mm on reels at once. Ooh, I'm pleased to hear that you're pleased with the new tank!
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Thanks. I inaugurated it with a pair of acros which seem to have come out very nicely!
 
menthel said:
Thanks. I inaugurated it with a pair of acros which seem to have come out very nicely!
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Ooh interesting, I've been meaning to shoot
some Acros 100 as soon as I can afford to.
 
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