T-Max film development

[Anausagi]

I am going to develop 8x10 T-Max 100 film (T-Max RS developer diluted at 1:9) using JOBO rotary processer. But, I don't know a solution quant ity for one sheet of 8X10 since it's diluted developer. (I will not use replenishment system.) If I use solution quantity m arked on the tank(330ml), a negative will be underdeveloped because there is not enough active developer agent in the1:9 diluted solution for a sheet of 8x10 fi lm, right? Does anyone know how to figure out right quantity of diluted solution ? On the Kodak website, I found T-Max film's useful capacity, and it says that " Tray or Tank; 16-8x10 sheets per gal(3860ml)". If I prepare 2 gallons(7720ml) of working solution at 1:9 dilution, should I use 482.5ml for one sheet? Also, how much I should add the developer if I develop 2 sheets of film at once? Should I just simply double the quantity of solution? If anybody doing film processing u sing JOBO please give me some advice. Thank you Ric

[Jeff White]

You do realize that 1:9 is figured from concentrate and not stock solution. So if you mixed 350 ml, you would have 35 ml of concentrate and 315 ml of water. This is plenty of developer for and 8x10 sheet. To work with the concentrate just add the packet B to the A bottle and work from there. For 4x5 I use 6 ml of concentrate and 54 ml of water and I get very normal looking characteristic curves.

[John H. Henderson]

Y'all are using T-Max developer for sheet films? Isn't that the developer that Kodak tells you to use for roll films only? If so, why do they tell you that? Apparently you are using T-Max developer all right with sheets.

[Jeff White]

John, it is T-Max RS which is different than T-Max.

[Doug Paramore]

John, don't use regular T-Max with sheet film unless you like negatives with a scummy-looking coating on them. The coating is very difficult to remove. T-Max RS is a different developer from regular T- Max.

[Rob Tucher]

I do both 4x5 and 8x10 TMX in my ATL2 in Tmax RS developer mixed from stock at 1:9. As someone else up there mentioned A and B are mixed together and then diluted with water at 1 part RS to 9 parts of filtered water. Your question goes beyond this, though. I use approximately 50ml of working solution per sheet of 4x5 film in the drum and approximately 200ml of working solution per sheet of 8x10. I say approximate because the JOBO only has certain gradations of ml solution that can be pumped in at a time. And I find that the amount is not quite accurate. For 10 sheets of 4x5 in a 3010 drum I put 500ml of working solution in the developer bottle and set the amount to be pumped at 470ml and run it like that. I always just about empties the bottle so the film it getting 500ml or 50ml per sheet. For 8x10 I mix 200ml of working solution per sheet, put up to 5 sheets in my 3005 drum, and run, using the ml setting closest to the tolal you want pumped but only putting in the amount I actually want. For five sheets of 8x10 I put in 1000ml of working solution and run at 1000ml. Be careful never to put in less solution than you are telling the machine to pump (if you have an auto one) because it will set off an alarm and shut down the run (and ruin film). Hope this is what you were looking for.

[Anausagi]

Thank you for your advice. I still have a couple of questions to Rob, so if you don't mind, please tell me how you do and what you think.

First of all, I've never done the method you mentioned (mixing A and B T-Max RS solution) before. What is the advantage of thismethod? Mixing two solutions makes us to use less solution(200ml as you mentioned) instead of using 500ml solution without B solution for a sheet of 8x10 film? So, according to what you've said, I should use 200ml of working solution for every 8x10 film process. Is it means that if I process 3 sheets at one time, I'll need 600ml of working solution, right? Second, should I put entire content of solution B directly into a bottle of A solution and dilute it with water in the ratio of 1:9? Or, Can I add 9 parts of water to 1 part of mixed(A+B) solution just before use? Simply, can I keep mixed solution as a stock solution, or should I mix them and make a working solution(1:9) at the same time? Finally, I'd like to know how long the mixed working solution lasts? I know you cannot answer accurately, but I just want you to tell me what you think since I have no idea at all. Also, if you don't mind, would you tell me your basic dev. time and temp. of the solution for normal process using your processor.

Your advice will be very very helpful for me.

Thank you very much,

Ric Yama

[William Leviit]

I'm not sure what Doug is referring to when he mentions a scummy looking film on the negs when developing Tmax100 Sheet film in Tmax (not RS) developer. After doing tests with both developers, I've gone from the RS to the Tmax for my 8X10" tray developing. The negs are fantastic. The density is right on for contact printing. I'll never go back to the RS again.