Pyrocat HD in slosher

[Brian C. Miller]

Thanks, I meant zoom in (bigger chunk to look at) and give me chalk and charcoal. Anyways, that looks more like not enough agitation in that corner, probably a problem with initial development. I'm guessing that edge was towards the center of your slosher, and if you put the other negatives together like a jigsaw puzzle, you'd see matching areas of development patterns.

[false_Aesthetic]

Kirk,

My experience with a slosher involves Efke 25 and PMK. I was told to pre-soak for 5 minutes (which seemed overkill but I still did it). Initial agitation is done by lifting the entire tray and aggressive enough to hear the film "clack" against the sides for 1 minute. Then every 15 seconds there after I raised 1 corner of the tray going in a counter-clockwise rotation.

I was told not to raise the slosher tray itself because there's a chance of getting an air bubble under the film.

http://tftolhurst.com/Heliotrope-2007-2010 is the stuff I did with the slosher.

[Victor Loverro]

I process 4x5, 5x7 and 8x10 in Jobo drums on a Beseler motor base this way and get no scratches.
I presoak in a tray, shuffling through several times and then transfer the film to the drum filled with water. I pour the water out before attaching the lid. I put my hand over the end, but the film does not move anyway. When it is time to remove the film, I fill the drum again with water and they slide out easily. No scratches.

[Kirk Gittings]

I was told not to raise the slosher tray itself because there's a chance of getting an air bubble under the film.

Which would lift the film op to the surface. Hmmm could be. I will test it agitating your way but I am low on developer right now-more coming.

[ROL]

You haven't indicated what kind of slosher or what size film. If the uprights of the "basket" material are thick (as most homemade are), they can pull and separate developer within the resulting Von Karmann vortices as it flows behind the uprights, particularly with pyro. I use a thin SS wire basket.

I had troubles in my beloved skies, until I went to the next larger tray size and increased developer by at least 50%. This seems to cure many people's surge problems.

[Colin Graham]

You haven't indicated what kind of slosher or what size film. If the uprights of the "basket" material are thick (as most homemade are), they can pull and separate developer within the resulting Von Karmann vortices as it flows behind the uprights, particularly with pyro. I use a thin SS wire basket.

I had troubles in my beloved skies, until I went to the next larger tray size and increased developer by at least 50%. This seems to cure many people's surge problems.

Nice idea. Where did you get the stainless steel wire basket?

Mine are homemade from lexan and every time I think I have the agitation routine down, I'll get a bad batch out of the blue.

[Kirk Gittings]

ROL, I said PF slosher in my OP. Meaning Photographers Formulary. Sorry. Tell me about this SS basket?

[tgtaylor]

As an FYI: Fuji recommends continuous agitation for the first minute and then 5 seconds agitation every minute thereafter.

I shoot Acros (120 and 4x5) and develope in Jobo tanks. For hand inversion I presoak for 2 minutes and then develop using Fuji's agitation recommendations using Xtol 1:1 for 9.25 minutes @ 68F. Negatives come out beautiful every time.

Coincidentially I mixed up a fresh batch of Xtol yesterday and instead of throwing away the 350mL that was remaining in the tank I developed a roll of 120 that I had in the camera. The film was apparently misaligned on the paper as 3/4 the of first frame was missing and the other 1/4th appeared under the tape with the leading edge trailing after the 10th frame (6x7). Apparently it was reversed on the roll at the factory.

Thomas

[ROL]

Sorry, I've seen those. PF, I must have been thinking flyers.

Mine is a formed SS wire basket, 2 – (5x7), with an approximate 8x10 footprint. It was made by Gerry Butler (?), a Sacramento photographer, who made all sizes before retiring due to arthritic hands, about 10 years ago. He was selling out his remaining stock of a few unpurchased units at that time.

Specifically, I use an 11x14 (dimpled) tray with 1.5 liters of developer, after inconsistent results with only 1 liter. That size tray and solution would also be advisable for 4 - 4x5's, of an equivalent design. 6 – (4x5's??), probably closer to 11x14 footprint (I'm guessing), for which I would suggest a 16x20 tray and at least 2 liters. Smaller trays may be used with the remaining parts of the developing process. In any case, if you're having issues, you don't want the slosher anywhere near the wall of a developer tray, and using more developer is an easy fix, if it works for you.

[Kirk Gittings]

That is a sweet setup ROL with very little to cause currents near the film. Wish I had one to try-might not be too hard to make out of SS wire?

For now being short on PCHD dev. I went back to the BTZS tubes and will try again when my new stash of PCHD shows up from Photographers's Formulary.

In some ways the BTZS tubes are more efficient with just 12 oz. (6 4x5 sheets) on dev. required (one shot). I have noticed that with the slosher trying to reuse the considerable amount needed for the slosher (64 oz)-PCHD it oxidizes pretty quickly even when the tray is covered in between runs the last run impossible because the dev. has oxidized. In general I vastly prefer a one-shot method with chemicals for safety and consistency anyway.