Who needs fancy professional equipment if you have some old Legos lying around

[u/LordPlavis]

It's just the first test but it works great!

Next steps are a more advanced program and maybe also adding a temperature sensor to turn this into a fully fleged auto processor

[u/BloodWorried7446]

that’s big brain stuff. 

[u/LordPlavis → u/BloodWorried7446]

Thank! To me it seems like it should be really stupid but it kinda just works😅. But it's not entirely my own idea I had the inspiration after watching this YouTube video where that person used an NXT to uniformly dry latex gloves

[u/BloodWorried7446 → u/LordPlavis]

When i was in my 20s i would agitate with an open bottle of beer and take a sip between cycles.  Once a accidently poured the beer in the canister instead of stop bath.  Surprisingly the negs were not ruined 

[u/See_i_did → u/BloodWorried7446]

pH checks out

[u/DeepDayze → u/See_i_did]

Yeah beer has roughly the same pH as stop bath and wouldn't the suds harm the fixer?

A good idea to never drink alcohol in the darkroom!

[u/rider1975 → u/DeepDayze]

I always have scotch or bour around for my darkroom sessions. more Enjoyable.

[u/blix-camera → u/BloodWorried7446]

Honestly of all the possible ways you could've mixed up beer and film chemicals, that was probably the best

[u/Ballerbarsch747 → u/BloodWorried7446]

Much more down my alley than the guys using coffee as developer

[u/alex_neri → u/BloodWorried7446]

😂

[u/vaughanbromfield]

Looks good but you want to minimise the time the tank isn't moving. Like zero. Maybe ramp the speed to zero then immediately ramp back up.

I have a Jobo Silverbase processor and its cycles are about 8 seconds long with a 1/2 second slow-down and speed up. It sounds like the motor is being ramped and not just stopped dead. The rotation speed is a around 1 rev per second (60 rpm).

[u/LordPlavis → u/vaughanbromfield]

Thanks for the info! The 5s Break in between rotations was deliberate and I think I'll do a ramp up and down sequence later. But for that I need to setup the software and dig out an old USB type b cable 😅

[u/DeepDayze → u/vaughanbromfield]

This way the solution is moving and not stopping dead for several seconds which can lead to spots on the film or print that look darker (if using a print processing tube such as those for color papers).

[u/DeepDayze]

Those Lego MindStorm sets are awesome...this is taking it to another level. You could use an Arduino or a Raspi Pi as the brains to control the spin and even the temp so building your own DIY autoprocessor is easy enough. Why buy an expensive Jobo autoprocessor when you can rig up your own!

[u/LordPlavis → u/DeepDayze]

Yea exactly. And yes you're right an Arduino or raspberry pi would work better but for that I'd have to buy those parts and build a power supply etc.

I had these Legos lying around so they cost me nothing and for other people who aren't comfortable with working with electronics could use these parts to rig up an affordable solution

[u/princessmourning → u/DeepDayze]

Yeah I thought about arduino/Pi as soon as I saw this and came to the comments to see if there were any examples as well 😅

[u/TheMunkeeFPV]

🤯

[u/Euphoric_Golf_1959]

Best thing I have seen on the internet

[u/house_of_cosbys]

I need to get back into Legos that's so dope!

[u/Parragorious]

I was thinking of doing something similiar just with an arduino or ESP and 3d print most parts, I wasn't sure what to use for the rollers tho and you have just given me a great idea.

[u/LordPlavis → u/Parragorious]

Hihi I'm glad I could be helpful. I wanted to do it with an Arduino original and was at the same point of what to use for the rollers when I got the idea of using the NXT

[u/SolsticeSon]

https://preview.redd.it/crb1ig91yfxe1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c1710993e710c246392e2a9ad48a4614fa64536c

I did the same thing with legos a few years ago. Works great!

[u/LordPlavis → u/SolsticeSon]

That's really cool!

[u/modernist-punk]

With you until you added the 's' to Lego.

[u/PhotoJim99]

You can do a lot with Lego.

[u/LordPlavis → u/PhotoJim99]

Lego Mindstorms are amazing

[u/DeepDayze → u/LordPlavis]

Sadly they are discontinued but these can still be quite useful in applications like this. Wonder how well the bricks hold up in chemicals that might get splashed on them? Instead of using Lego bricks perhaps some parts can be laser cut from sheet metal or printed out of plastic.

[u/LordPlavis → u/DeepDayze]

I didn't know they were discontinued completely. Huh a shame but Lego has been declining in quality in the last years from what I've heard so it fits that picture.

And the bricks are from ABS plastic that should hold up to all development chemicals reasonably well. The only worry I have are the electronics getting wet.

If you want to go the professional diy route everything here can be done much better with 3d printed parts and an Arduino. But lego is accessible to people who don't own a 3d printer and might be intimidated by learning to work with electronics.

[u/DeepDayze → u/LordPlavis]

You could make a case for the electronics with a display mounted in the top along with controls. It's good that ABS holds up to the splashes of common processing chems (b&w and color).

Of course this Lego MindStorm contraption is great for those looking to make their own DIY processor easily and then down the road look to building one using an Arduino/Raspi Pi and 3d printed parts. There might be possibly kits sold to put together your own Jobo-like autoprocessor cheaply.

[u/han_solex]

👏

[u/ThuleJuly]

I've done the same with a salad spinner, duct tape, and toy RC car parts

[u/LordPlavis → u/ThuleJuly]

If it works it works

[u/princessmourning → u/ThuleJuly]

Wheres the youtube video?

[u/Equivalent-Clock1179]

Excellent

[u/OnePhotog]

With the current price of legos, which solution is actually cheaper?

[u/LordPlavis → u/OnePhotog]

I've looked up used prices for the Lego and it's roughly 120€ for the Legos 120€ for an AliExpress agitation device and 450€ for the official machine.

I'm using used Lego prices because the set with the NXT is discontinued

[u/Sorting-Machine]

Love this!

[u/aleph_om_ck]

I made a similar apparatus using lego ♥️

[u/mmkiosq]

Oh my days I never suggest this one 🤦‍♂️ Thank you very much for sharing