The amateur should procure his trays of a size suitable for the largest plate he uses, and should have two or more on hand always for developing purposes. These dishes are also suitable for the clearing and fixing solutions; but for these solutions the upright bath dish and dipper are better for several reasons; first, because there is less evaporation; second, all sediment sinks to the bottom, and the solution is always clean; and last, but not least, they take up less room.
THE WASHING BOX.
The gelatine plate requires much and prolonged p170 washing to free it from the solutions by which it is developed and fixed, and which, if not thoroughly washed from the film, would ultimately injure and perhaps distroy it An apparatus has been devised for washing dry plates, which may be adapted to any size plate from 4×5 to 8×10.
It has a perforated false bottom, the water is received into the box beneath the bottom, passes up through the perforations and out through a pipe at the side; the plates are placed in the grooves and rest on the false bottom. The force of the water is checked in passing through the false bottom and flows evenly up through the plates. A half hour of washing in this box would be quite enough to thoroughly cleanse the film from hypo, etc.
Another and very effective model is the
ANTHONY SELF-CHANGING SHOWER WASHING BOX.
The Anthony Self-Changing Shower Washing Box for dry plate negatives is a nicely constructed and convenient apparatus. Made substantially, and well japanned inside and out, it has interior grooves in which either 5×8 or 8×10 negatives may be placed. When the negatives are introduced, the hose is attached to a faucet; the lid is now closed and locked if desired, and the water turned on.
It will be seen that the water enters the washer from above, and that the inside of the lid is made in the form of a perforated fountain, which discharges a spray over the plates. When the negatives are entirely submerged, the water is all drawn off by means of a self-acting syphon, and the process of showering is repeated.