How to use a washing paper equipement

[Fermat]

Hi all
I am about to buy a Nova washmaster eco 40x30 and wandering for the best use.

Could anyone share how to use it? After the fix treatment (90 sec in tray) what do you do?
5min washing and then wash Aid in the dedicated slot?
Then 30min in the washing slot? Before that do you empty all the water in the washmaster?

Thanks fo anyone who would like to provide the best way to process.

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[Pieter]

I fix for longer than that—about 3 minutes. Then 5 minutes in hypo-wash, followed by 45 minutes in an archival washer. This is for fiber-based paper. RC doesn’t’ t need wash aid and a much shorter wash time.

[jim_jm]

The print washer should be your last step before hanging the print to dry. Use the times that are recommended by the manufacturer of your paper. Not all papers and chemicals will recommend the same times, so follow the specific instructions based on your dilutions and chemical temperatures.

For a common paper like Ilford MG FB Classic, using Ilford chemistry I do the following:
- Fix for 1 minute in Ilford Rapid Fixer, mixed 1+4
- First wash in an open tray of running water for about 5 mins
- Place in tray of Ilford Washaid, mixed 1+4, for about 10 minutes with intermittent agitation
- Final wash in your Nova Washmaster for 20-30 mins. Only use water, don't pour any chemicals in the Nova. Also you shouldn't need to dump out the water in the Nova as it's constantly replenishing the water while it's running.

For most RC papers, you don't need to use Washaid and the final wash times are shorter, only 3-5 minutes. I just use an open tray with a Kodak siphon for washing RC paper, since the wash times are so short.

[Fermat]

The print washer should be your last step before hanging the print to dry. Use the times that are recommended by the manufacturer of your paper. Not all papers and chemicals will recommend the same times, so follow the specific instructions based on your dilutions and chemical temperatures.

For a common paper like Ilford MG FB Classic, using Ilford chemistry I do the following:
- Fix for 1 minute in Ilford Rapid Fixer, mixed 1+4
- First wash in an open tray of running water for about 5 mins
- Place in tray of Ilford Washaid, mixed 1+4, for about 10 minutes with intermittent agitation
- Final wash in your Nova Washmaster for 20-30 mins. Only use water, don't pour any chemicals in the Nova. Also you shouldn't need to dump out the water in the Nova as it's constantly replenishing the water while it's running.

For most RC papers, you don't need to use Washaid and the final wash times are shorter, only 3-5 minutes. I just use an open tray with a Kodak siphon for washing RC paper, since the wash times are so short.

Thanks for your indications.

I understood the NOVA has a specific slot dedicated to wash Aid. You suggested not to poor any chemical in the NOVA...
Not even in the Wash Aid slot?

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[jim_jm]

Sorry, I assumed the Nova was similar to other upright print washers, but if yours has a dedicated slot for Wash Aid, I would follow their instructions. Most other print washers just have dividers for the prints but the wash water circulates across all the sheets at the same time.
The Nova manual is available online and indicates that you do a short first rinse in the wash slot, then transfer it to the Wash Aid (Hypo Clear) slot for the recommended time, then return it back to the wash slot for the final wash.
One benefit I can see is this eliminates the need for a separate tray for the first rinse and another for the Wash Aid.

[ic-racer]

I have a 20x24 Nova for 20 years.

I have yet to use it for 20x24, but with the smaller sheets I have water going through it pretty slow. Mostly diffusion of the fixer into the large volume of water for 30 min. produces 'washed' prints by residual fixer testing and up to 20 year 'real life' testing.

I do rinse the prints first in a water holding bath to make sure no surface fixer gets into the water. Sometimes the prints are in the water holding bath (tray with Kodak siphon) for hours during a printing session before they go into the Nova washer. That may also contribute to the success of this low circulating volume approach to using the Nova washer.