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Photo Forum / Film Photography / Darkroom / May 2005continuous agitation for 4x5
After trying trays and BTZS tubes, I've finally decided that I really like using an 8x10 Unicolor processing drum for 4x5 development. This is with a motor base as well. However I think the agitation of the motor base may be a bit much. Any comments on this? Any ideas on how to slow down the motor base? I doubt a dimmer switch meant for lights is a good idea. The reason I think the agitation may be a bit much is that the highlights seem to easily block up with Arista.EDU 400 film (I know...lousy film, but it was cheap). One thing I plan on doing is to stop developing with HC-110 dilution B. This combination seems to be a disaster... Use tanks and hangers, and quick screwing around with tubes and motors. > After trying trays and BTZS tubes, I've finally decided that I really like > using an 8x10 Unicolor processing drum for 4x5 development. This is with [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > it was cheap). One thing I plan on doing is to stop developing with > HC-110 dilution B. This combination seems to be a disaster... "pgg" <papaNO_SP_AMgordygrapes@yahoo.com> wrote > After trying trays and BTZS tubes, I've finally decided that I really like > using an 8x10 Unicolor processing drum for 4x5 development. This is with > a motor base as well. I use a Jobo spiral reel (2) 4x5 tank on a Unicolor base. > However I think the agitation of the motor base may be a bit much. Any > comments on this? I develop for the recommended times for rotary processing and have no problems. I develop TMX/TMY in T-Max RS and PX in D-76. > Any ideas on how to slow down the motor base? Ah, now that may be difficult (nigh impossible). Mine uses an 'induction' motor and a gear box. Small induction motors are not given to easy speed control. A dimmer, as you surmised, is not the thing to use. For a 'universal' motor, such as those in electric drills, a light dimmer circuit will work. I would say we are stuck with the speed. > The reason I think the agitation may be a bit much is that the highlights > seem to easily block up with Arista.EDU 400 film (I know...lousy film, but > it was cheap). One thing I plan on doing is to stop developing with > HC-110 dilution B. This combination seems to be a disaster... The obvious answer is to reduce the developing time. And scratch the HC-110. D-76 1:1 seems to work great with just about anything. If highlights are a big problem with your pics you may want to try D-23.  SignatureNicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics. To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/ I just tripped over this discussion... How about a timer to stop and start the motor - maybe something like 5 seconds on and 10 seconds off... Simple to do with a couple of 555 chips and a relay... Enlist the help of some pimple faced teenager who is into electronics.... I second the notion of D-76... Or Rodinal - especially good with intermittent agitation Or Patrick Gainers recipe - Phenidone-lye-citrate denny - who has been off the group for a while... "Nicholas O. Lindan" <see@sig.com> wrote in message > I just tripped over this discussion... How about a timer to stop and start > the motor - maybe something like 5 seconds on and 10 seconds off... Simple > to do with a couple of 555 chips and a relay... Enlist the help of some > pimple faced teenager who is into electronics.... Not worth the trouble. Just do continuous agitation, but calibrate first. I use a Jobo that reverses every two revolutions. (That happens to be a mechanical gizmo, not electronic). Signature.~. Jean-David Beyer Registered Linux User 85642. /V\ PGP-Key: 9A2FC99A Registered Machine 241939. /( )\ Shrewsbury, New Jersey http://counter.li.org ^^-^^ 09:05:00 up 10 days, 2:42, 4 users, load average: 3.17, 3.26, 3.37 > After trying trays and BTZS tubes, I've finally decided that I really like > using an 8x10 Unicolor processing drum for 4x5 development. This is with > a motor base as well. About time...;=) > However I think the agitation of the motor base may be a bit much. Any > comments on this? Any ideas on how to slow down the motor base? I doubt > a dimmer switch meant for lights is a good idea. I do regular times (less percentage for film rating and contrast changes), and love using the Unicolor tubes. Way less than the Jobo systems, and beautiful results. I have many tubes which you can load up to 4 sheets each. Very easy for ZS stuff too. You need to remove the tube from the wheel every minute or so, and give it a side to side agitation as well. That will prevent the bromide drag problem. Who wants to play bobbing for tubes?!?!? Not me! I think those motors have about a millenium's half life too. > The reason I think the agitation may be a bit much is that the highlights > seem to easily block up with Arista.EDU 400 film (I know...lousy film, but > it was cheap). One thing I plan on doing is to stop developing with > HC-110 dilution B. This combination seems to be a disaster... I don't know that film, but I love HC-110, either at dil B, or half that (dil D???). Just develop accordingly (after testing). HP5 works great with HC-110. So do many other films--for me. And in many formats. > After trying trays and BTZS tubes, I've finally decided that I really like > using an 8x10 Unicolor processing drum for 4x5 development. This is with [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > it was cheap). One thing I plan on doing is to stop developing with > HC-110 dilution B. This combination seems to be a disaster... I've been down this road before myself. I'm using a Jobo CPP-2 and the 3010 tank to develop 4x5 Tri-X. I started out with HC-110B, but just couldn't control it. I ended up with HC-110H, 20C, 5.0 minutes, and the Jobo at the slowest rotation rate (about 30 RPM). This gave me an EI of 250, but the highlights were still too dense. I then switched to XTOL 1:3. Much better. The smallest touch sharper, the smallest touch better grain, the smallest touch lower micro-contrast. Basically, I wouldn't give you a quarter for the difference in the negatives, but XTOL is much easier to work with if you are doing continuous agitation. AND... I've got an EI of 400. What's not to like? |
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