ABC pyro questions

[sly]

A while ago, wanting to try out a pyro developer, I called B&S, and they sent me Rollo Pyro. It's meant for a rotary processor, which I haven't got, so I've been tray processing with constant agitation.
I'm at the end of it now, and have the ingredients, and a recipe for ABC pyro. I've got a few questions.
Do I do the same sodium metaborate presoak, and post-fix soak as with Rollo?
I'm assuming I should do intermittent agitation and lengthen my developing time as a starting point?
No stop, water rinse, and single use fix?
Anything else I ought to know?

Thanks

 

[payral]

I develop all my 8x10 films with ABC Pyro for years now in tray with almost constant agitation, moving the last film to the top (I develop between 6 to 8 films at a time).
No sodium metaborate presoak just plain water presoak to avoid sticking between films and no post fix soak too.
It's a wonderful developer !

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I do the same as payral.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

An advantage to using Rollo is that it's rate of oxidation is slower. Classic ABC pyro can often be rather exhausted by the end of the development time; extending developing time, as for N+1, often only gives more general stain and there is no increase in image density or contrast.

 

[sly]

Hmmm, that's a possible problem. I typically overdevelop a bit for higher contrast negs for alt printing. I've got the raw chemicals for ABC already. I don't really want to order the liquid Rollo stock from B&S again, as shipping to Canada is pricey. Any other recipes I could be looking at? Ways to tweak ABC? would higher temps just lead to faster exhaustion?

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

With tray development shuffling constantly from the bottom of the stack to the top, I find I can do two batches in succession, +1 development time no problem. Michael Smith & Paula Chamlee also say they do two batches in succession the same way, but they develop by inspection, so potentially the time can be longer. For +2, I only use it once.

 

[sly]

I've got other things, though only the ABC ones specifically for pyro. I've got chems for gum and carbon printing, cyanotype and palladium Na2, bleaching and thiocarbamide toning. I've never bothered to mix developer from scratch. I don't have recipes for a bunch of different pyro developers, so I don't know what else I might need.

 

[sly]

What about the fix? I've been dumping it after single use with Rollo, as per instructions. Can I re-use it, say for same day batches? I can understand not using it for film developed in non-pyro dev. Can I use a larger amount, and put 10 or 12 8x10 sheets through before dumping?

 

[nworth]

ABC Pyro is a single developing agent (pyro only) developer using sodium carbonate as an accelerator. It was used for many, many years as the standard film developer, until D-76 came along. It is still a standby for many today. It is famous for its intense staining. But it also has a reputation for short tray life and inconsistent results. (I know, it doesn't happen with everyone. But check Hutching's "Book of Pyro.") PMK, Rollo Pyro, and the related Kodak D-7 have two developing agents, metol and pyro. They also have better keeping properties, are easier to mix, and have good reputations for consistency (except D-7, which many place with ABC in that regard). The stain is a bit less, but it is still effective and is quite consistent. Rollo pyro was designed for good stability with rotary processors, which expose the developer to more air than others.

No, you don't generally use a metaborate prewet with ABC pyro.

 

[c6h6o3]

Lately I've been getting little or no stain with HP5+ developed in ABC 1:1:1:10. I dilute it more than the traditional 1:1:1:7 in order to lengthen the development time so that I can develop it longer than 7 minutes or so for a normal negative. Anything shorter than that produces uneven development and mottling. ABC has always produced excellent image stain for me with very little general stain. The excessive general stain obtained with PMK is why I stopped using it. ABC is also more acute than any developer with metol in it.

As to the life of stock solutions: Solution A, when stored in an amber glass jar will last at least 6 months. Solution C, the carbonate, can be left to your heirs in your will. I always mix Solution B, the sulfite, from the powder for each use so that's not an issue. It's only solution A where you need to watch how often you mix up new.