I too am a happy MOD54 user.
I have neither uneven development or abrasion marks on my film.
I agitate gently for 20 seconds in every minute - HP5 in ID11 @ 1+1.
If inversions give you a problem - have you tried using the twizzle stick instead ?
Martin
I've been watching this thread as I'm considering the Mod54. It might be helpful, when you relate your experience, to specify how many sheets you're developing at a time (as IanBarber did). I have to wonder if the number of sheets has an impact on results.
I have always only developed 6 sheets in one go as this is most efficient chemistry wise (you need 1L of solution)
I've done 4 on a number of occasions, but more recently 6, without any problem. The only issue I've encountered is with loading. This is much easier if done in a Darkroom, and the film has been removed from the holders prior to loading. I'm thinking about making some sort of device to hold the 6 sheets safely and ready to load. I would find it a big help if the sheets could be held separately, but in a way that is easy to lift one at a time for loading. It seems to me that there is great potential for scratching the film whilst trying to lift one sheet from a stack, or out of a box. Maybe it's just me?
Alex
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Thank you everyone for the recent replies. I wonder if there is a noticable quality variation in the MOD54 manufacture? Over the weekend, I used my unit just to wash a couple of films which I had developed in dishes, and even that caused some (although very subtle) scratching on the back of the sheets. On my unit, there are quite pronounced 'seam edges' running along the fingers holding the film, which I suspect are caused by the joints in the forms used to produce these inserts. I also found online a report of someone else having similar problems with scratches, hence my thought that there might be quality variations in the units.
Having said this, I don't imagine the scratches I encountered over the weekend would likely show up in scans. So using only the twizzle stick for agitation instead of any tipping, as some people have suggested here, seems well worth a try. I will give that a go the next time I am processing some test shots or something else where I don't mind taking a bit of a risk. (Currently, I would be hesitant to put anything 'precious' through my MOD54, until I have managed some better and reliable results.) I have now ordered an SP-445 set though, to see how I get on with that as an alternative.
HMG, in my own experience the number of sheets or their position hasn't made a difference so far. I have had the scratch issue independently from whether the sheets were in the inner, middle or outside position, and both when just processing two or four sheets. I have not run six sheets in one go yet through the unit, although I can't imagine that this in itself would make a difference.Originally Posted by HMG
I have to admit I am not a fan of the Mod 54. I used it for a while and hated the amount of chemicals it took. I find in cumbersome and have had some abrasions. I have since switched to th SP-445 and have not looked back!
If you are concerned that you have some mould flash on the inside edges of the fingers - a sharp surgical knife would remove the offending edge - or even light sanding from an emery board (smooth side) would overcome the problem.
Martin
i've used mine for years and been very happy. i use the spinner first and then gentle inversions every minute. i load in a bag with 6 sheets at a time, typically with pyro and for film: HP5, acros 100, tri-x. my first few attempts i would sometimes accidentally load two sheets of film together on one side, but i haven't made that error in years. any scratches i get are minimal and more likely from poor handling on my part than from the MOD54. cheers, a
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