Well, I made the leap last night. Both my packages of Ilford MGIV (One reg, One warmtone) arrived, I've bot my squeegy, my drying screens are done, and I'm anxious to try this out.
So, I get all my trays set up: developer, stop, two fixing baths, perma wash, and my print washer-no small feat to fit all these trays in my tine darkroom (Dead Link Removed). After my post the other day, I decide that I better at least test my OC safelights with this Ilford paper just in case. I've heard both opinions, that they will or will not fog the paper. So, I open the bag up and start feeling around in there. Hmm, very thick. That must be the cardboard piece like Kokak uses at the ends of their RC paper. Let's try the other end. Wow, cardstock on both ends. Cool. Ok, so I'll try the next sheet in. Hey, they are all this thick. Awesome.
Ok, let's pull one out for the safelight test. Uh oh, what side is the emulsion on? It's matt paper, and I can't really tell. Is it the concave side (since the paper has a slight curve to it, is that normal?) or the convex side. It must be the convex side. I proceed to perform the safelight test. I stand there for about 10 minutes. Now it's time to get this stuff wet. Into the developer for two minutes. Ok, I have to wait a bit longer than with RC for the magic to happen. Ok, I think it said 35 seconds. I don't see anything, which is good for a safelight test. Into the stop for 10 seconds. Into the first fix for 2 minutes. Then the second for 2 more, now I turn the lights on. Hmm. I can't see anything at all. I should see the reference exposure at the least. Hmm. Rats, Either my reference exposure was too short or I had the paper upside down.
Ok, enough testing, I'm too anxious. I have a pretty nice 4x5 neg, that I just recently printed on RC that I'd like to use so I can compare them side by side. I load it up and proceed to do some test strips. Into the developer. Hmm. Nothing. Crap, I must have the wrong side of the paper. Into the stop they go. Hey. There is an image. Wow, my exposure times must be too short. Ok, into the fix. Now let's turn the lights on. Ah ha. The image I'm seeing is backwards, thus I did have the paper upside down. The emulsion is on the concave side. Ok, start over.
Ok, you're probably getting board. I ended up making four test strips. 10 seconds seemed too light, and 15 was too dark. I haven't done drydown tests yet, but I am aware of the problem. It'd getting late so I decide to try 11 seconds. This will still probably be too light, but then I figure 12% for drydown (a guess at this point) and go for it. I made the print, and got it all squeegy'd off and onto the drying screen. Tonight I'll see how it dried. It looked good in the wash.
I am amazed at how thick that paper is. I can see where everyone was coming from with the tactile quality talk. I have some old fiber that a friend gave me, and it is single weight. What a dramatic difference. That stuff is like wet toilet paper, no pun intended.
Anyway, I need to get a tray ladder or some other sort of stacking device since my sink is so small, but it was fun making the jump. My intent is to completely switch to fiber for a year, so I can really start to get the feel. I'm not sure if it will last that long, or if I may end up hooked forever, but I'm on the way.
So, I get all my trays set up: developer, stop, two fixing baths, perma wash, and my print washer-no small feat to fit all these trays in my tine darkroom (Dead Link Removed). After my post the other day, I decide that I better at least test my OC safelights with this Ilford paper just in case. I've heard both opinions, that they will or will not fog the paper. So, I open the bag up and start feeling around in there. Hmm, very thick. That must be the cardboard piece like Kokak uses at the ends of their RC paper. Let's try the other end. Wow, cardstock on both ends. Cool. Ok, so I'll try the next sheet in. Hey, they are all this thick. Awesome.
Ok, let's pull one out for the safelight test. Uh oh, what side is the emulsion on? It's matt paper, and I can't really tell. Is it the concave side (since the paper has a slight curve to it, is that normal?) or the convex side. It must be the convex side. I proceed to perform the safelight test. I stand there for about 10 minutes. Now it's time to get this stuff wet. Into the developer for two minutes. Ok, I have to wait a bit longer than with RC for the magic to happen. Ok, I think it said 35 seconds. I don't see anything, which is good for a safelight test. Into the stop for 10 seconds. Into the first fix for 2 minutes. Then the second for 2 more, now I turn the lights on. Hmm. I can't see anything at all. I should see the reference exposure at the least. Hmm. Rats, Either my reference exposure was too short or I had the paper upside down.
Ok, enough testing, I'm too anxious. I have a pretty nice 4x5 neg, that I just recently printed on RC that I'd like to use so I can compare them side by side. I load it up and proceed to do some test strips. Into the developer. Hmm. Nothing. Crap, I must have the wrong side of the paper. Into the stop they go. Hey. There is an image. Wow, my exposure times must be too short. Ok, into the fix. Now let's turn the lights on. Ah ha. The image I'm seeing is backwards, thus I did have the paper upside down. The emulsion is on the concave side. Ok, start over.
Ok, you're probably getting board. I ended up making four test strips. 10 seconds seemed too light, and 15 was too dark. I haven't done drydown tests yet, but I am aware of the problem. It'd getting late so I decide to try 11 seconds. This will still probably be too light, but then I figure 12% for drydown (a guess at this point) and go for it. I made the print, and got it all squeegy'd off and onto the drying screen. Tonight I'll see how it dried. It looked good in the wash.
I am amazed at how thick that paper is. I can see where everyone was coming from with the tactile quality talk. I have some old fiber that a friend gave me, and it is single weight. What a dramatic difference. That stuff is like wet toilet paper, no pun intended.
Anyway, I need to get a tray ladder or some other sort of stacking device since my sink is so small, but it was fun making the jump. My intent is to completely switch to fiber for a year, so I can really start to get the feel. I'm not sure if it will last that long, or if I may end up hooked forever, but I'm on the way.
