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Thom Bennett
8-Jan-2019, 17:57
Notice the yellowish stains in the corners. Did I not fix long enough? Not enough agitation in the fix? Other issue?

186228

Drew Wiley
10-Jan-2019, 17:35
I haven't personally worked with ABC. But most pyro developers are intended to give a proportional stain. If the stain itself is uneven, something about your agitation pattern probably was too.

Thom Bennett
11-Jan-2019, 06:41
Ah, so it's more likely a development issue? I use the shuffle method and think I am consistent in rotating through the batch.

Drew Wiley
11-Jan-2019, 15:04
With big sheets like that, there's more to it than just consistent shuffling. That should be obvious from your result. It was not in fact consistent in every manner. I could say more, and maybe will later; but it would be preferable if someone else, with specific ABC experience, would chime in first.

Thom Bennett
12-Jan-2019, 06:35
Thanks Drew. I'll keep an eye on it.

Doremus Scudder
12-Jan-2019, 12:47
Just a thought here (I don't use ABC pyro either, rather PMK).

It looks like some of the negative is not stained at all (or only slightly), and other areas really stained. Oxidation may be your culprit here, or possibly the stain in the clearer areas was removed somehow.

You might try removing the stain entirely using a sodium sulfite bath or strong selenium toner bath and see if you can salvage the neg. The selenium toner will add about as much density as the stain you lose.

Best,

Doremus

Michael Kadillak
13-Jan-2019, 14:42
I use ABC regularly. Likely not sufficient agitation in the fixer. Couple of comments. I have read that regular Kodak fixer inhibits the stain whereas TF4 Formulary fixer does not. Secondly, I have the same yellow sections in a number of my ABC negatives and I don't worry about it and print through it. Does not make a lick of difference.

Drew Wiley
13-Jan-2019, 16:23
I've used TF4 alkaline fixer for every pyro formula I've ever tried (which does not include ABC).

Thom Bennett
14-Jan-2019, 08:04
Michael, thanks for info. Means a lot coming from another ABC user.


I use ABC regularly. Likely not sufficient agitation in the fixer. Couple of comments. I have read that regular Kodak fixer inhibits the stain whereas TF4 Formulary fixer does not. Secondly, I have the same yellow sections in a number of my ABC negatives and I don't worry about it and print through it. Does not make a lick of difference.

Thom Bennett
14-Jan-2019, 08:05
Drew, thanks for the info. I have read that TF4 is the best for pyro. I'll give it a try.
I've used TF4 alkaline fixer for every pyro formula I've ever tried (which does not include ABC).

Alan9940
14-Jan-2019, 08:57
Drew, thanks for the info. I have read that TF4 is the best for pyro. I'll give it a try.

FWIW, I've used several pyro developers over the years--PMK, Pyrocat-HD, WD2D (and the Plus version), ABC, 510-Pyro, Obsidian Aqua--and used TF4, TF5, and my own home brew F-24 fix and I've never seen any odd staining issue. I have developed HP5+ in ABC Pyro in trays a few times, but mostly used tanks/hangers for DBI development.

Drew Wiley
14-Jan-2019, 14:01
I wonder if, in this instance, the sheet was emulsion up or emulsion down, in the tray? (air bell risk).

Thom Bennett
14-Jan-2019, 16:10
I typically process emulsion down but, once in the fix, I flip them as I'm looking at them and leave them face up. In this instance, I did not agitate for the full time and, probably as important, I didn't use my typical fixer (Kodak) but Ilford Rapid Fix. I'm getting the sense this is probably a combination of a few factors. I think the most important is proper agitation in the fix.

Drew Wiley
14-Jan-2019, 17:40
Well, at least Sherlock Holmes is getting close to catching the suspect. That's good news. Since pyro tans or hardens the emulsion, it can be easy for areas to be unsaturated with fixer if the neg if basically floating face up. The relation of fixer to the staining effect of various pyro formulas has been a bit controversial, to say the least, on this forum. I'm not going to try to unravel it. I just agitate film in the fixer every bit as religiously and consistently as I do in developer.

Thom Bennett
15-Jan-2019, 07:40
Thanks for the insight Drew.


Well, at least Sherlock Holmes is getting close to catching the suspect. That's good news. Since pyro tans or hardens the emulsion, it can be easy for areas to be unsaturated with fixer if the neg if basically floating face up. The relation of fixer to the staining effect of various pyro formulas has been a bit controversial, to say the least, on this forum. I'm not going to try to unravel it. I just agitate film in the fixer every bit as religiously and consistently as I do in developer.