Lane Plate Processing Success (sort of)

[Two23]

Having time on my hands last night, I decided to haul out my trays and stuff plus a couple of exposes 4x5 plates and just go for it. I had a few plates I've recently shot with the idea of practicing processing. So up to my bathroom I went. I put three 8x10 trays in my bath tub, turned on a red light, and went at it. I was using HC-110 at dilution B (300 ml). Gently rocked the trays side to side for 7 minutes, temp was probably about 70 or so. I pulled the plates out from time to time and checked against the red light to see how they were doing. Then took out of the HC-110 & let it drip a moment or two and placed into a stop bath of distilled water plus some 5% vinegar (maybe 3 oz vinegar to 370 ml water.) Swished around in the stop bath for about 4 minutes. Plate actually looked good. Then pulled it out, let it drain off, and put into fixer PF4. Swished it around and rocked the tray for about 8 minutes, maybe a bit more. Plate suddenly didn't look so good. There was a strip along the edge that looked great but the main part had a very, very faint image. I washed in plain water for 10 minutes and turned the lights on. Looks like most of the emulsion either dissolved or fell off.

I resolved to be more gentle with plate number two. Did the same as above except left in HC-110 for about 8 minutes, temp was probably closer to 72 or 73 by now. Kept pulling the plate out and checking it and put it in the fresh water + vinegar stop bath when it looked good. It actually looked very good (but to my horror it was a plate I really wanted and not a practice one.) After several minutes of rocking the tray and gently moving the plate with my fingers (clean hand,) I pulled it out and placed into the fixer. Plate looked good--I was encouraged! Kept in the PF4 fixer for about 10 minutes, gently rocking the tray. Removed the plate--it seemed to have faded a bit but the image was still strong. Emulsion obviously intact. Placed in plain rinse water and rocked tray, changing out water every minute or so. After ten minutes of this I added ~300 ml distilled water and about 4 drops of PhotoFlo, swished around for a couple more minutes and pulled the plate. It was actually looking pretty good.

I let the plate dry for half an hour and scanned it on my Epson v700. Looked like there might still be a few water drops on it but I wasn't sure. I actually like the scan. Let the plate dry completely and scanned again. Uh oh. Lots of water marks and "pinholes" in the emulsion. I'm not sure what caused all this? The plate was from an earlier batch, might have been #17. The dried plate didn't look as good as the slightly damp plate.

So, did I not wash well enough? If that's the case couldn't I just rinse it some more in distilled water? Was it processed too long? The Photoshop histogram showed it skewed to the right but I easily brought it back to center. Any ideas here? I plan to try processing a couple more practice plates yet tonight. My second attempt went much better than my first for sure.


Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

First thing I would do it stop using acid stop bath for 8 minutes

Use plain water for 30 seconds

Fix twice as long as the emulsion clearing time, no more

Then wash very gently, no direct stream on plate for 5 minutes

In fact all steps need to very gentle and quit taking it out and looking.

I use a teflon spatula to lift plates in and out very gently

[Two23]

Thanks!


Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

you bet

[Two23]

Managed to talk to Randy, the "Guru of Glass" on the phone and got some tips. They worked! Followed the instructions on the box more closely this time and processed a 5x7 plate using my 8x10 trays. HC-110 for x4 minutes with gentle agitation every minute for 15 seconds, followed by x30 seconds water bath with gentle agitation. Then x5 minutes in PF4 with constant gentle agitation (rocking the tray slowly.) Placed in a clean tray with tap water, agitation and dump water every 30 seconds and then placed under the faucet of my bath tub with water running gently into tray (not hitting plate) for x30 minutes. Emptied water, drained well, replaced with distilled water and 4 drops PhotoFlo. Gentle agitation for a couple of minutes, then removed plate, dried on edge (I need to get a rack.) The result--looks GREAT! I call it a success on my third try. These 5x7 plates look damned impressive too! There was a casualty. I knocked my safe light off the edge of the bath tub and the bulb filament broke plunging me into darkness. Luckily this happened during final rinse. The light is a Patterson dome, and the bulb looks to be an odd screw size. Hope I can find one in my small city. Anyway, thank you Randy! I'm on the right path now.

Shot is of an 1868 cabin, taken with 1925 Gundlach Korona with a late 1920s Velostigmat 12 in. f4.5 in Betax 5.

Kent in SD

[Tin Can]

Looks great!

I still think you are fixing a little too long. Learn how to watch for 'clearing' and then double that time. The time will increase with aging/exhausting fix

And washing longer than necessary

J Lane Plates resemble X-Ray film is some ways.

Watch this youtube. https://youtu.be/G1OIw-8-Zs4

But the goal was undamaged emulsion and you did it!

[Nodda Duma]

Looking good, Kent! Glad you are having fun and working out your developing process. Onward and upward!

[Two23]

I processed another 5x7 plate last night using the same "recipe." It came out well! The images on glass look fainter than those on film, but I think that's just the way they are. They scan nicely. This one is of rail sidings in Aurora, South Dakota. I used a c.1840s pillbox lens ~425mm mounted to my c.1925 Korona 5x7. I just ordered more 5x7 plates from Freestyle, along with a wooden drying rack. I'm going to practice more over the next several weeks so I can do a good job at an upcoming Civil War re-enactors meet in June. I think I'm getting this down now, and will try a couple more tonight.


Kent in SD

[LabRat]

For one thing, the PF is way too strong, and that can lead to watermarks upon drying...

Dilute PF stock solution to 1:2 with distilled water, put this in a dropper bottle, and use 1 drop per liter in your final dip for 30 seconds...

Steve K

[Two23]

For one thing, the PF is way too strong, and that can lead to watermarks upon drying...

Dilute PF stock solution to 1:2 with distilled water, put this in a dropper bottle, and use 1 drop per liter in your final dip for 30 seconds...

Steve K

So do my tray develop with PF4 for 4 minutes, then have a second batch PF4 that's been cut by half. Add a drop or two to my initial tray rinse? I then rinse under lightly running faucet for ~20 minutes, and do a final rinse in distilled water + 3 drops PhotoFlo. Remember I've just started with plates and trays.


Never mind--figured out you were talking about PhotoFlo. And yes, probably too much.

Kent in SD