Looking for alternative daylight developing methods (in very small bathroom)

[cjbroadbent]

... Need to do well documented set of tests. One serie with different agitations and one serie with varying developer volume. Perhaps 300ml, 200ml, 150ml and 100ml would give some results.

More than 125cc in an Orbital creates what looks like bad laminar flow. See it with dummy film and the lid off.
Also, if the sheet is not clicking around, it is stuck to the bottom. So I knock the tray during a 70cc pre-wash and add in the developer on top of the wash once the film is well and truly free.
Next best in a light-leaky bathroom is stand development in a small tupperware food container, under a box, and on a tray (for agitation).

[jvuokko]

More than 125cc in an Orbital creates what looks like bad laminar flow. See it with dummy film and the lid off.
Also, if the sheet is not clicking around, it is stuck to the bottom. So I knock the tray during a 70cc pre-wash and add in the developer on top of the wash once the film is well and truly free.
Next best in a light-leaky bathroom is stand development in a small tupperware food container, under a box, and on a tray (for agitation).

That is interesting. I did dummy test and yes, 70cc is enough with constant agitation. When using Orbital like a slosher with intermittent agitation, 300cc is not enough to cover sheet(s) because of curvature of the bottom.
When using enough developer to cover film sheets, the required agitation is really small, way smaller than I have ever thought. I would say that only couple of millimeters lift from tank's corner or one edge causes more than enough developer flow. The flow is laminar, which will cause at least some degree of rebound flow when the 'wave' hits the opposite edge of the Orbital tank.

I haven't yet done developing test with really careful agitation. With a luck, the rebounding wave does not cause pronounced edge density. I am bit sceptical though.

[rince]

I am using a jobs 2520(?) and a 2509n spiral and with 4 sheets it works great, I have fairly even development, but it sure uses a lot of chemicals. Still I have to say this is a very convenient way to develop 4 sheets at a time. When I tried the max of 6sheets, the spiral can hold, I was not as happy with the results then, but with 4 it is consistent, even and tank and spiral are relatively inexpensive.

[Ed Bray]

I have used the Taco method in a Paterson Universal Tank with good success more often than not processing 4 sheets at a time although there has been the occasional mark on the negative as they are slightly too long really for that tank. To prevent this I have started to use a old Jobo tank that I had in the loft which, whilst being a 'Universal' is slightly taller than the Paterson one and the sheets of film fit just nicely, no more marks on the film since.

I have a Paterson Orbital tank and I am planning on trying to use it with Caffenol C-L semi-stand, I will stand the Orbital in a tray of tempered water (10x12 print tray on tray heater) during the 4, 8, 18 & 40 minute stand times and will take out and put it on the orbital base for the agitation cycles. I have estimated that the orbital needs about 450mls to fully cover the sheets of film when on a flat base.

I will report back later with my findings.

[Mike Wallis]

Instead of blacking out tupperware tubs, try Kelly's Cornish Icecream tubs. They're black. Hold them up to a light and they're very black. They also meet the approval of my wife, who likes the honeycomb recipe best!

I load them up in a Calumet collapsable darkroom. Pre-wash for five minutes, then Rodinol at 1:200 for 2 hours at room temp. Water stop, then Kodak hardening fix (I use AdOx so need to harden)
Results are great.
I gave up using 5x4 tanks as they took so long to fill/empty it was a large proportion of the normal development time. However using a 2 hour development, timing isn't critical any more.