[Leica] Spiratone Stabilizer Processor

[mccluney at sbcglobal.net (Gene E. McCluney)]

>On Jun 22, 2005, at 6:28 PM, Afterswift@aol.com wrote:
>
>>Re traditional darkroom, has anyone had experience using the Spiratone
>>Processor, a machine that mass produced RC prints up to about 11x16?
>
>

The Spiratone Stabilization processor was intended for single weight 
fibre based developer incorporated paper.  I used one extensively in 
the 1970's at the advertising agency where I worked.  The prints were 
sort of stable and came out somewhat damp but servicable.  (Good 
enough to take to the newspaper for the next days bank ad). You could 
put them in fixer and then wash and dry them like any single weight 
fibre paper.  We used a Prinz  motor driven rotary ferrotype dryer 
for a glossy finish.


I think that later on, Spiratone marketed this machine for developer 
incorporated RC paper, but the end result was not a "stabilized" 
print, rather the processor only did the developing and not the 
stabilizing, and you had to put the RC paper in fix and then wash and 
dry.  So the only advantage is that you got standardized developing 
times.   If I am correct in my memory,  with RC paper, both "troughs" 
in the processor held the developer/activator  I think this info is 
correct.

Kodak introduced the stabilized print concept, made the paper, 
chemicals, and also made quite a nice processor, much more expensive 
than the Spiratone one.

The two chemicals used were called "activator" and "stabilizer".  The 
prints were just that, "stabilized" and not fixed.  They would be 
good for a few weeks or maybe months, but would eventually fade, as 
the image was not "fixed" and washed.

On both the Kodak and the Spiratone machine the "troughs" were 
self-replenishing, as the bottles were inverted higher than the 
troughs and any chemistry absorbed by the paper would be replaced, 
just like a pet watering jar.  The chemicals were quite caustic, and 
if you chipped any paint on the chassis of the machine, it would 
quickly rust.  These were roller transport processors.  The 
transports could be lifted out for cleaning.  If you didn't use the 
machine every day, it was prudent to drain it to preserve the 
chemistry and the machine.

Gene McCluney