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Mike Cockerham
11-Mar-2005, 16:59
Can someone give me step by step directions on brush processing please?

Thanks

Jay DeFehr
11-Mar-2005, 19:11
Fill tray with developer solution (no need to use a larger size tray than the format that you're processing)

Plop the sheet of film to be processed down on the surface of the developer solution, emulsion side up, and press down to the bottom of the tray with your fingers (nitrile or latex gloves are recommended)

Brush the surface of the film with gentle overlapping strokes.

That's about it!

Good luck.

Jay

Eric Wagner
11-Mar-2005, 21:56
I started using brush agitation following a very informative article on the subject by Walter Bala that was published in the July/August, 1993 issue of View Camera. Mr. Bala used a processing plate (glass or Plexiglass) that held six sheets of 4x5 film in an 11x14 tray. I already had an 11x14 plate that held 4 sheets from another agitation experiment, so have used that.

I load the plate in a pre-soak tray. By loading the plate wet, problems with the film back sticking to the plate are avoided. I use a four inch Japanese watercolor brush, but will try a foam brush when I need a new one, as Jay has suggested. I use Tri-X in the F dilution of HC-110. Constant agitation is not needed with this combination, so I agitate at two minute intervals. Mr. Bala wrote: "Caution: Drag the brush along the emulsion as if you were applying a fine varnish. Do not jam the bristles into the emulsion at a right angle." I think that is good advice. I brush top to bottom, working my way from one side to the other, which takes 10 to 15 seconds. Two minutes later I brush side to side.

After fixing I take the films off the plate and put them into the wash tray, rinse the plate and put it back into the pre-soak tray and am ready for the next batch.