Different sizes of developing tanks?

[daryl_jorud1]

Recently I acquired the all black Minox developing tank. Mine has the Minox mouse logo. The tank piece by itself is 96 mm high. It came with a spacer 17 mm high. My understanding is that over the years, these tanks came in different heights, to accommodate the differing film lengths; 50, 36, and 15 exposures. I'm still not sure that the combination I have is correct together. Some kits came with one spacer, while others came with two. What length spacers came standard with which height of tank(s)?

[MTC Photography]

<p> 36 exposure film <font size=2>M</font><font

size=4>I</font><font size=5>N</font><font size=4>O</font><font

size=2>X</font></font> tank dimensions:

 

<UL>

<li> Height, bottom to cover 10 cm

<li> Height, bottom to top of spiral 11.1 cm

 

<li> Spiral height 10.55 cm

<li> spacer ring diameter 42 mm

<li> height 25mm

<li> thickness 3.6mm

</ul><p> The 50 exp load version of <font size=2> M</font><font size=4>I</font><font size=5>N</font><font size=4>O</font><font size=2>X</font></font> tank is taller, and has two spacer rings.

[daryl_jorud1]

What are the heights of each of the two spacers that came with the

taller tank? How tall is the tank on the 50 exposure model? Is it

possible that I have the shorter spacer from the taller tank (17mm

spacer) as an incorrect part of the shorter tank (96mm) of the 36

exposure kit?

[MTC Photography]

The 50 load tank came with two spacers: a 17 mm one for 36 exp film

and additinal 25mm ring for 15 exp.

17mm ring deducts 15 exp, 25mm ring deducts 21 exp.

You have a short ring, with it you can develop 26-15= 21 exp film.

But don't worry, you don't need any ring to develop short film.

All you have to do is when you wind the spiral coil down, do it slowly, the moment you feel some tension, stop right there.

[warren__]

I do think it is worth mentioning that the spacer ring is helpful in

filling the space left when loading short rolls, this reduces the

volume need in chemistry.

[ken__2]

I have an old Minox Developing tank that will develope a roll of 50

exposures. The tank itself is 96mm high. It has 2 spacers with it,

one is 17mm high and the other one is 42mm high. When you are

processing 36 exposures you use the 17mm spacer and when you process

15 exposures you use the 42mm spacer. You use the same amount of

developing agent either way. My instructions say 53cc. Also the 42mm

spacer has the number 15 molded into the edge of it. I hope this info

helps.

[uwe__]

I recently bought an older 50exp version of the Minox daylight

developing tank. When screwing out the spiral that the film is

spooled on to, I noticed that there is no groove under the place

where the film goes. I have never seen a drum like this. Might this

be an even older version? Wouldn't this make a problem for the

chemicals to be around the film on both sides?

[MTC Photography]

Uwe, if you meant the spool's film groove goes all the way to the bottom, I have a similar one.

I think it was not that old. I saw an old version with tall tank ( ie, taller than current tank by 15 to 25mm) with two spacers.

<p> I regret did not grab that one.

<p> The old 50 exp tank had a longer than current model spool, and the spiral did not go all the way to bottom.

<p> I think after Minox came up with a shorter version (ie, current version ),

they saw off the longer 50exp spool, leaving the groove seeming going all the way to bottom. This saw off 50exp spool then packed with a short tank as

50exp tank.

<p> I may be wrong, because I write this from memory, I don;t have one at hand.

[gerald__]

There where two Riga developing tanks for which I do not know the

dimensions.

 

<p>

 

All Minox tanks ARE the same size. I have 6 generations of tanks from

the early 1950s. The outside of the tank is identical on all. The

sprial and parts interchange on all.

 

<p>

 

The early 50s and 60s tanks are 50 exposure length. Two rings were

included in the late 60s, one larger one for 15 expouse and a smaller

one for 36. In the 70s with no more 50 exposure film the mould for

the spiral had a ring placed on the bottom of the spiral fixing the

tank to 36 exposure and a small ring spacer for 15 exposure film was

enclosed.

 

<p>

 

In 2002 Minox reported that only 50 tanks are sold per annum and that

as the mould is defective no more Minox tanks will be made. At this

stage it is not known if an alternative developing tank tool will be

made or not.