I tend to stick with Ilford's recommendation of 5 min water wash, 10 min
hypoclear, 5 min. final wash and have seen no problems (although if I am
doing a number of prints I use my print washer and the final time is
probably longer; for a few prints I wash them in a tray and probably do not
exceed these times by much).  As far as I understand this recommendation it
is based on a a relatively short fixing time to avoid completely permeating
the paper with fixer.

If you google this topic, you will find multiple past postings on this
apparently age-old topic.

Sam

I wish I knew, but one thing to remember is that they probably also
recommend clinically perfect, _minimum_ stop and fix times. In my
experience, many people let prints sit in the fix too long so that with
RC, the chemicals penetrate past the RC and in fiber the paper is deeply
penetrated.

RE: cblood59@aol.com (CBlood59) wrote

 That 5 minute final wash will do for RC. IIRC my box of KHCA
recommends 10, and 20 minutes, single and double weight. Those times
are with constant agitation and water above 55 degrees F.
 There are two usuall wash methods. One uses a tray with now and then
agitation. The other uses a slot type washer wherein the water is kept
running. Slot washers are usually in operation way beyond Kodak's 10
or 20 minutes due to dead spots and bubble trouble. Those two methods
produce the 45 to 60 minute usuall wash times.
 Both methods are sometimes at work for hours, sometimes overnight.
Bruce Barnbaum uses tray washing in that way.
 I alternate between two trays and use hydrophobic separator sheets
to aid in the uniform diffusion of hypo outwardly. Once placed the
prints are left to sit. After the last fix a rinse, a HCA, a rinse
and that print is ready for the wash or, if more, a holding tray.
Three or four changes of water are needed. Little water is used.   Dan

There are several factors at work here.

1.  If there is already a product out there that has a "10 minute wash"
someone else will introduce a "5 minute wash" product.

2.  The aim point of their wash standard may be only "short term",
"industrial" or "commercial" rather than "archival".  (And various
manufacturers can not even agree on what any of those terms mean.)

3.  Their method of processing and washing may only be feasible in their
lab.

4.  Their water may be different from yours.

Having said all that, any wash aid is much better that no wash aid.  But
it's important that you do your own tests if you want an complete wash in
the least amount of time.  The procedure is quite simple and also in the
book.

David Vestal had a chapter or two in his books about wash practices (and
testing).  I would recommend both books to all darkroom workers.  The Craft
of Photography and The Art of Black and White Enlarging.  Both available
only used, alas.

--
darkroommike

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