Agitation...Inversion....Paterson tanks

sperera

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so now I'm actually getting confused with so many people and so many opinions on youtube specially.....for me agitation is twirling the stick that comes with the Paterson tank, meaning I rotate the film spool clockwise and back anti-clockwise as it 'baths' in the chemical...and inversion is holding the tank upright then flipping it over 180 degrees and feeling how the chemicals travel down the spool inside holding the film......I do that for whatever amount of time specified in black and white and colour developing......
 
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sperera

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this person posted a useful video I think to see how the chemicals move but for this person agitating and inversion are the same thing.....basically I am wondering whether I have been doing it wrong for decades hahahahahahhhahahahahahahah
 

Arbitrarium

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The instructions for Tetenal C41 say the times are for 'rotary development', so naturally, I rotate the tank in the 38° water bath. Just bob it on the surface on its side and spin it slowly, alternating direction of spin. Constant agitation works for me.
 
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sperera

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this is exactly what I mean.....everyone says something deferent hahhaa......I appreciate your feedback dont get me wrong......but this is the first time I hear this advice......

basically I use Tetenal C-41 two-bath kit and Paterson tanks.....can someone tell me exactly what I should be doing?
 

Arbitrarium

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If you're happy with your results, then you're doing it right I guess! I just interpreted the instructions as being for a Jobo processor (hence 'rotary development') so I just manually spin it in the same fashion as a Jobo machine.
 

iakustov

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As someone was quoting Tetenal manager in one of the recent threads, C-41 process has rather high latitude for the output. When I process C-41 with Tetenal 2 bath kit (CD, BLIX) in Paterson tank I twirl the stick each 15 seconds (as I do when processing E6), have not seen a problem so far. As for the meaning "agitation" - I think this is rather general wording, i.e. both tank inversion and twirling with a stick could be used.
 

RalphLambrecht

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sounds right. I actually prefer the Job tanks for agitation by rotation and the Patterson tanks for inversion because, they seem to leak less.
 

MattKing

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The instructions for the Paterson tanks recommend that you use the twirling stick only for the initial short bit of agitation, and that any subsequent agitation be through inversion.
Yes, I did read the manual!
 

darkroommike

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Agitation is moving the developer over the film, many way to accomplish it. The old Paterson System 4 tanks leak like crazy, I used the rod for agitation with those, I put a short piece of surgical tubing on the end of the rod for better gripping. The new Super System 4 tanks with the big black "tupperware" lid seal much better and can be inverted but we got a couple at the school, new, and the plastic lids seem much less flexible and leak (sigh). The best, just my opinion, are the Kindermann tanks with the PVC lids. Nary a leak, and I bought spare lids when they were still available.
 

pentaxuser

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Maybe the phrases that would clarify matters in the case of Paterson tanks is "Inversion Agitation" and "Rotary Agitation Via Knurled Stick"

pentaxuser
 

ic-racer

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One of my first 'Professional' darkroom items was a brand-spanking new Patterson tank that I got in 1973. I followed the instructions which indicated to use the twist handle to help de-air the film and then put the lid in place and use inversion for agitation.
The SS tank was my brothers. We took divergent paths from the start. SS vs. Plastic; D-76 vs. Michrophen; TLR vs. SLR; Polycontrast vs. Kodabromide, etc.
 
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MattKing

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MattKing said:
The instructions for the Paterson tanks recommend that you use the twirling stick only for the initial short bit of agitation, and that any subsequent agitation be through inversion.
Yes, I did read the manual!
Click to expand...


Clearly, ic-racer and I come from that small subset of photographers who read the manual, remember what it says, and follow those instructions. Where is the fun with that????
 
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