E. Weston Dilution ABC Pyro / E. Weston development time compared to adviced time

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Can you please tell me what is the ABC Pyro Edward Weston's special dilution ratio, film development times used by Edward Weston.
What is above developer and Weston dilution advised, normal development times and What E.W. prefers , if less development time or if more development time ?

Thank you,

Umut
Istanbul

[LabRat]

The development times will be meaningless, as the thick emulsion films of the period develop very slowly... The modern dilutions/time have been well published by many users, and the older process is just a historic curiosity now... Some development/exposure tests are in order...

I experimented with this formula many years ago, but found I had a severe skin reaction to it, so stopped, and found anywhere solution had dripped/dried would leave a blood-like stain that was very hard to remove (like in a porcelain sink)...

Steve K

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

I want to learn whether Edward Weston was using or not using stand development , or may be he cut the development time half or extend two times more ??
What he was doing ?

Umut

[Merg Ross]

Edward Weston developed by inspection. Times varied.

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

Edward Weston developed by inspection. Times varied.

Thank you very much indeed. This is very interesting. How someone inspects the development like Weston ? How to see the negative in dark ?

additional later post to add here :

http://www.michaelandpaula.com/mp/devinsp.html

this site explains well

[Mark Sampson]

Development by inspection is done with a dark green safelight, only after half of the nominal developing time. The late Michael A. Smith had a good description of the method on his site michaelandpaula.com... if the site is still up following his death.
You can find more information on Edward's methods in the book "Darkroom 2", published by Lustrum Press; in it his late son Cole describes how he printed his father's negatives, with some info on Edward's techniques.

[John Layton]

Learned ABC from Cole way back when (using EW's inspection lamp!). Someplace I have a copy of EW's notes (copy given to me by Cole, in EW's hand), which I will try to dig up.

Haven't used ABC for years...but would return to it in a heartbeat - if only I could find some Super XX!

[Willie]

Visit http://www.michaelandpaula.com and check out some of the writing about the process.
Paula Chamlee still develops by inspection and is very good in teaching it.

[Michael Kadillak]

I have use ABC pyro in a slightly more diluted form than the Weston formulation with 8x10 negatives for many years and instead of the dim light for inspection during tray development, I use an infrared monocle for negative inspection. It is like watching a print come up in the developing tray and I can tell in the first 45 seconds of development (how the negative evolves) where the development will end up and if I did my job correctly with exposure. This is a modern alternative to the old process used back in the day. There is digital technology with infrared binoculars out in the market that I am in the process of testing. The challenge with this technology is the increased illumination of the viewing screen at certain levels of a control button can likely fog sheet film as it reflects off of your face. My older IR monocle does not exhibit that challenge. I feel that my testing will arrive at a workable solution I just have to complete the process. Another important suggestion. I wear a standard 3M respirator when I develop with ABC for safety issues after a conversation I had with Paula on this issue some time ago. Just made it a standard part of my darkroom routine.