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Thread: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

  1. #11

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pere Casals View Post
    I also consider tray development the straightest way, for that I use xtol 1:1 so it covers well the sheets without wasting developer (and one shot usage), I do development in darkness, then I move sheets to another tray with stop bath. Once sheets are in the stop bath for some 15 seconds you can open lights because development is stopped and later you can also fix also with lights open. By viewing the time fixer takes to clear the sheet you know how fresh fixer remains...

    You can do that with 4x5 sized trays or use a 8x10 able tray to process 4 sheets at a time, in that case just use hot glue to place some sticks working as separators .


    Attachment 172622


    Of course if you want you can develop each of the 4 sheets with different time by dipping each particular sheet soon or later.

    This would give you time to explore what daylight tank system you want (SP-445 looks nice), still that tray development is very flexible because you can process one sheet with N time and another one with N-2 time, because that I often use it, this is amazing ! Also you can process a TMX sheet at same time than an HP5 sheet because you may take off each sheet at the right time.

    A problem with that is controlling times without throwing light on the sheets, I was using an old watch with phosphorescent clock hands.

    A big improvement is using a "Doran" like "paper safe" as a tray, you can also glue the separator sticks there, and when you close the door you can open lights if you want.
    I used a tray with dividers like this for a number of years. My dividers were plastic rawlplugs. I didn't find it necessary to transfer the film to a different tray for stop bath and fixing. The sheets of film stick to the bottom of the tray by suction when you tip the tray up to pour the developer out. The stop bath is then poured into the same tray - in the dark of course - then this is poured out and the fixer poured in. Then, with the light on the fixer is poured out and the film is washed in the same tray. Before you start the whole process you prepare everything by having the developer, stop bath and fixer set out in three different containers. Three different sized jugs helps, so each can be distinguished in the dark. And it helps that each sheet of film is placed one at a time into a dry tray prior to the developer being poured in.

    Alan

  2. #12

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by consummate_fritterer View Post
    ................. Find a way to darken the room.
    ..............as in completely black-out the room. Sticky tape and heavy duty black contractor trash bags can be used.

  3. #13

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by aclark View Post
    I used a tray with dividers like this for a number of years. My dividers were plastic rawlplugs. I didn't find it necessary to transfer the film to a different tray for stop bath and fixing. The sheets of film stick to the bottom of the tray by suction when you tip the tray up to pour the developer out. The stop bath is then poured into the same tray - in the dark of course - then this is poured out and the fixer poured in. Then, with the light on the fixer is poured out and the film is washed in the same tray. Before you start the whole process you prepare everything by having the developer, stop bath and fixer set out in three different containers. Three different sized jugs helps, so each can be distinguished in the dark. And it helps that each sheet of film is placed one at a time into a dry tray prior to the developer being poured in.

    Alan
    It is true, not necessary at all to transfer the film. Anyway lights can be openned after few seconds of stop bath. Normally I dip all four sheets in the tray with developer at near the same time, then I transfer each individual sheet to the stop tray after its particular time is over, and when all sheets are in the stop bath I opne lights, never have seen additional fog because openning light, and this removes the need to manipulate liquids in the dark, just for convenience and for preventing spills. Your way is also good, but I prefer fixing lights open as I can realize the remaining fixer strength, and I can realize the necessary fixing time from the time it takes the sheet be cleared.

  4. #14

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pere Casals View Post
    It is true, not necessary at all to transfer the film. Anyway lights can be openned after few seconds of stop bath. Normally I dip all four sheets in the tray with developer at near the same time, then I transfer each individual sheet to the stop tray after its particular time is over, and when all sheets are in the stop bath I opne lights, never have seen additional fog because openning light, and this removes the need to manipulate liquids in the dark, just for convenience and for preventing spills. Your way is also good, but I prefer fixing lights open as I can realize the remaining fixer strength, and I can realize the necessary fixing time from the time it takes the sheet be cleared.
    Pere, yes, I see the advantage of your method of working. I didn't know you could subject the film to light before fixing...

    Alan

  5. #15

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by Pere Casals View Post
    It is true, not necessary at all to transfer the film. Anyway lights can be openned after few seconds of stop bath. Normally I dip all four sheets in the tray with developer at near the same time, then I transfer each individual sheet to the stop tray after its particular time is over, and when all sheets are in the stop bath I opne lights, never have seen additional fog because openning light, and this removes the need to manipulate liquids in the dark, just for convenience and for preventing spills. Your way is also good, but I prefer fixing lights open as I can realize the remaining fixer strength, and I can realize the necessary fixing time from the time it takes the sheet be cleared.
    Or course we can also dip each particular sheet sheet with some particular delay to obtain different development times and then using your way.

    With trays I see too good things, one is that we can process sheets with different times easily, the other is that trays are less sensitive to bromide drags with low agitation patterns, as gravity does not help the drag. If using thanks we need two tanks. But with a 8x10 with 4 separations we can even use 4 different times... Once I did a N-1, a N-0, a N+2 and another sheet of a different film... but one has to be careful not to make mistakes...

  6. #16

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by Havoc View Post
    . I choose to go with a Jobo 2509n because it only uses 260ml of chemistry for 6 sheets IF you use a roller..
    Agreed I use a Jobo 2500 tank that with 2502 and 2509 reels I can process anything from 35mm to 4x5. I use a roller base onto which the tank rests and is then hand rolled.
    I process 4 sheets of 4x5 to remove the possibility of any touching if I insert six sheets. Loading the 4x5 sheets can be a bit fiddly - especially if you and/or your hands are in the dark (no pun intended).

    Daylight processing means that accidental liquid spillage is minimized- whereas with tray development you are moving and handling containers of liquids into and out of your 'darkroom' and in addition possible sloshing the liquids out of their trays.

    regards

    Tony

  7. #17

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    I tray develop my own 4x5 film, but one tank option no one has mentioned yet is the MOD54 unit which fits inside a Patterson 3-reel tank. I normally develop 6 sheets at a time in trays with one liter of working developer (usually a highly diluted developer such as PMK or Pyrocat). I don't know how much more is needed in the Patterson tank, but with any high-dilution developer as those above mentioned, or Kodak HC-110, it will still be inexpensive. B&H sell the tank and MOD54 as a kit.

  8. #18

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by aclark View Post
    Pere, yes, I see the advantage of your method of working. I didn't know you could subject the film to light before fixing...

    Alan
    There is no problem, some say that if fixing with lights open it can take a little more to fix, but I find it takes the same time.

    Once in the stop bath developer action stops completely, no hallide reacts any more to metallic. And the remaining (not developed) hallide is cleared by fixer in the same way.

    Even if you open lights just before moving the sheet it is possible you see no additional fog because the newly exposed grains do not develop inmediately because necessary "induction time" before the new development starts. I made personal tests to be sure that no fog is induced by openning lights after 15s in the stop bath, I saw no additional fog after measuring with a precision densitometer...

  9. #19

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Pere, it is interesting how we independently thought of the same idea - to separate each sheet with a series of "fence posts". I did it because when I started doing 5x4 I was using 5x7 film that someone gave me. I cut it down to 5x4 but when I tray developed with the shuffle method, the cut edges scratched the film. So I hit on the idea of keeping each sheet separate.

    Alan

  10. #20

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    Re: Developing B&W sheet film at home for a total beginner!

    Quote Originally Posted by aclark View Post
    Pere, it is interesting how we independently thought of the same idea - to separate each sheet with a series of "fence posts". I did it because when I started doing 5x4 I was using 5x7 film that someone gave me. I cut it down to 5x4 but when I tray developed with the shuffle method, the cut edges scratched the film. So I hit on the idea of keeping each sheet separate.

    Alan
    In my case I copied the idea, but I don't remember the source, perhaps it was you speaking about it because I think rawlplugs were used, but I don't remember it well...

    Later I saw a Photographers' Formulary tray divider:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    also this one for 6 sheets... http://www.summitek.com/cradle.html

    And at the end I also saw in a youtube video that was doing that in a paper safe.

    But in your case having had the idea is a good thing... Having the things done with common materials is not a very Pro way it is something amazing for amateurs like me.

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