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Book of Pyro

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wilfbiffherb

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Does anyone know where in the UK I can get a copy of the book of pyro? Or does anyone have a pdf copy they could send me?
 
Hello , If there is a pdf to be sent , I want it also.

Thank you,
Umut
 
£50 on UK Amazon !!

I would do some online research first, that book, good as it is, was published in 1992 and a lot of work in this field has been shared since then. I would look here first: pyrocat-hd.com
 
Chris Livsey said:
£50 on UK Amazon !!

I would do some online research first, that book, good as it is, was published in 1992 and a lot of work in this field has been shared since then. I would look here first: pyrocat-hd.com
Click to expand...

I think that this is good advice. Note that at www.pyrocat-hd.com there is some lack of clarity in mixing pyrocat-MC. The error relates to the absence of either TEA or glycerine in the list of ingredients. See

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

about half way down. Read the whole thread to get the picture. The error is that you need TEA for the original formula, or as an alternative, something else to get the metol to dissolve.

I'm using the original -MC version very happily.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The book of pyro only tells you about PMK, which in the opinion of many is an inferior formula. Most photographers using pyrogallol or pyrocatechin based developers today use some variant of Sandy King's Pyrocat developers. Everything you need to know is right here. I wouldn't give you 50 pence for the Book of Pyro, much less 50 pounds. Save your money for the chemicals.
 
The book does not cover using Pyro as developing until completion [or exhaustion of solution A] which can be done with Rollo Pyro. Developing to completion means that the length of time and temperature do not have to be accurately handled as long as enough time has been allowed.
 
c6h6o3 said:
The book of pyro only tells you about PMK, which in the opinion of many is an inferior formula. Most photographers using pyrogallol or pyrocatechin based developers today use some variant of Sandy King's Pyrocat developers. Everything you need to know is right here. I wouldn't give you 50 pence for the Book of Pyro, much less 50 pounds. Save your money for the chemicals.
Click to expand...

It turns out that there are a lot of opinions in photography. Just like not everyone thinks staining developers are best, not all that do think that Pyrocat is best. Different strokes for different folks.
 
I was told/read that PMK must be agitated every 15 seconds. By experimenting, I now use it for semi-stand. I agitate for 30 seconds, then once at 15 minutes and dump at 30 minutes. It works perfectly (for my eyes) with Foma 200.
 
Indeed, Hutchings recommends frequent agitation verging on constant. Semi-stand seems to go against its prescribed advice that it must be used immediately. All I can say is that if left to sit in a tray (sheet) in the as brief as practical time it takes from mixing (one shot) through presoak (at least +2.5 minutes) to immersion, the solution begins to separate, no matter how well mixed. I agitate the developer even before I drop the sheets in, thence every 5 seconds to constant for consistent results.

To the OP, I think if pragmatism is your goal, you're better served to search out the many posts for empirical use of PMK. Even though I have a signed and dedicated book, which I'm not selling, I have found its approach to be fairly didactic and thesis like, its main use being introductory use of the developer.
 
damonff said:
Semi-stand, PMK Pyro, 30 minutes:
Click to expand...

As an experiment I developed a roll of 35mm in 250mL of standard PMK in a tank without much air (air or at least oxygen is part of the chemistry of PMK which is one reason why results seem to vary) for i think my standard 12min, not much agitation. Good negs as usual. Then I used the same used developer immediately on another exposed waste roll and got nothing, not the faintest density, not edge numbers, absolutely nothing even viewed very carefully. I concluded that my 12min or so was close to development to exhaustion, at least for this quantity and a full roll.

I concluded that a larger quantity of developer would be required for longer development than around 12min.
 
I think the tannin effect is the most important issue with this developer ... think rhubarb... you will find the clue.
 
PMK is still my favorite go-to developer for all kinds of film, and I've both tried and have formulated numerous pyro tweaks from both categories
of "pyro". I don't recommend PMK for rotary drum dev, but for manual tanks and trays it's extremely reliable and predictable. I basically invert tanks or shuffle tray film once per 30 sec. I'm not suggesting that the other pyro formulas aren't excellent too. The Book of Pyro is worth it, even if you can easily get the same tech info elsewhere.
 
Forgot one thing ... PMK might not be your best choice for long stand dev either. Although the A&B concentrates seem to last forever, once
mixed, you need to use the developer immediately, and it might not stay predictable for as long as half an hour. Fifteen minutes certainly.
 
Really you don't recommend rotary process for PMK.. I have only done PMK in my company for 18 years, I may owe a lot of people a lot of money for that screw up.

DREW WILEY said:
PMK is still my favorite go-to developer for all kinds of film, and I've both tried and have formulated numerous pyro tweaks from both categories
of "pyro". I don't recommend PMK for rotary drum dev, but for manual tanks and trays it's extremely reliable and predictable. I basically invert tanks or shuffle tray film once per 30 sec. I'm not suggesting that the other pyro formulas aren't excellent too. The Book of Pyro is worth it, even if you can easily get the same tech info elsewhere.
Click to expand...
 
john_s said:
As an experiment I developed a roll of 35mm in 250mL of standard PMK in a tank without much air (air or at least oxygen is part of the chemistry of PMK which is one reason why results seem to vary) for i think my standard 12min, not much agitation. Good negs as usual. Then I used the same used developer immediately on another exposed waste roll and got nothing, not the faintest density, not edge numbers, absolutely nothing even viewed very carefully. I concluded that my 12min or so was close to development to exhaustion, at least for this quantity and a full roll.

I concluded that a larger quantity of developer would be required for longer development than around 12min.
Click to expand...

Don't reuse it!
 
DREW WILEY said:
Forgot one thing ... PMK might not be your best choice for long stand dev either. Although the A&B concentrates seem to last forever, once
mixed, you need to use the developer immediately, and it might not stay predictable for as long as half an hour. Fifteen minutes certainly.
Click to expand...

As someone who uses PMK Pyro all the time for 30 minutes, semi-stand, I recommend it. It works beautifully. Just don't try to reuse it. One use only.

Another example with Foma 200:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-...57RTR4/s1600/foma200%20%2814%20of%2019%29.jpg
 
Didn't quite get that one, Bob... do you, or do you not use it rotary? I found that even at low RPM's, PMK had too much aerial oxidation for
rotary and led to excess fog, or worse, potentially excess edge dev which thicker emulsions. You could print thru it generally, but it certainly
isn't desirable. That's why Hutchings recommended argon gas for rotary, and why tweaks like Rollo-pyro came along. My drum processors are
capable of running a lot slower and more gently than the Jobo, and I'd never go back to using them for PMK.
 
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