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View Full Version : Tank develop sheet film on hangers in Pyro devleopers?



Gene McCluney
1-Apr-2009, 08:28
I need to process large volumes of sheet film at once. I know all Pyro based developers are "one shot" and that is OK, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience or recommendations for processing 5x7 and 8x10 sheet film on stainless film hangers in 3.5 gallon tanks with any of the Pyro based film developer formulas?

Up to now, I have been using HC-110 in various dilutions.

vinny
1-Apr-2009, 08:33
I've used pmk with 8x10 and 4x5 on hangers in tanks but not 3.5 gallon tanks. I made my own ABS tanks which hold 2 and 6 hangers and gallons less chemicals. I know that the pyro book says not to use anything stainless steel with pmk but I had to try it anyway. The book also says not to reuse pmk but I've done that too. In large quantities, it seems to be okay for a second round. I agitate once every 30 seconds.

Gene McCluney
1-Apr-2009, 08:46
I've used pmk with 8x10 and 4x5 on hangers in tanks but not 3.5 gallon tanks. I made my own ABS tanks which hold 2 and 6 hangers and gallons less chemicals. I know that the pyro book says not to use anything stainless steel with pmk but I had to try it anyway. The book also says not to reuse pmk but I've done that too. In large quantities, it seems to be okay for a second round. I agitate once every 30 seconds.


I have used WD2D to develop 35mm film on stainless-steel reels for many years. I don't see the difference between stainless steel reels and stainless steel film hangers. Same material, and if they don't affect the roll film, they shouldn't affect the sheet film.

I regularly develop up to 22 sheets of 5x7 at once on 2-up hangers (11 hangers). I need to retain this capacity if developing in a Pyro developer.

David A. Goldfarb
1-Apr-2009, 10:13
I've used ABC pyro in 5-quart 5x7" tanks. If I've got things lined up to work efficiently, I can put three batches of 12 4x5" sheets through it (1+1+1+12) in succession without adjusting development times. I don't shoot that much 5x7" (rarely more than 12 sheets at a sitting with my Press Graflex), so I haven't come close to testing the capacity of the tanks with 5x7", but 5x7" I develop for contact printing with a dilution of 1+1+1+7, so I suspect I could get three batches out of that too, if I had that much film to develop.

Michael Smith says he does two batches in sequence with ABC pyro in trays. Tanks have more developer per sheet and less surface exposed to the air, so after I'd done it a few times, I wasn't too surprised that I could get three batches out of a tank of ABC.

Lynn Jones
1-Apr-2009, 15:37
Whatever you do, WEAR RUBBER GLOVES, pyro will enter the skin and it is very toxic to the liver. It is more serious than just the dark chocolate stain that lasts for 10 days (which I used to get before I knew any better).

Lynn

Gene McCluney
2-Apr-2009, 09:59
Whatever you do, WEAR RUBBER GLOVES, pyro will enter the skin and it is very toxic to the liver. It is more serious than just the dark chocolate stain that lasts for 10 days (which I used to get before I knew any better).

Lynn


Oh yeah, I will do that for sure. I do that now for tank developing and mixing of Pyro based developers.