How do you deal with blix contamination using drums?

igmirien · Dec 21, 2020

I started getting cyan edges on my prints, after using the same blix for more than two 8x10" prints.

I’m using a 8x10” Unicolor drum to process my prints on a rotary base.
My process is pre-wash 40” > dev 2’ > blix 2’ > rinse 4 times 1’ > continuous wash for 4’
I’m using Tetenal RA-4 Kit with Fuji Crystal Archive II paper.

The cyan cast doesn’t seem to affect the image, it just covers the edges.
When I change to new blix, it’s not there anymore.

Ben 4 · Dec 21, 2020

When I was doing this, I used all the chemistry, blix included, as one-shot.

Rudeofus · Dec 22, 2020

You could think about introducing a stop bath between color developer and BLIX step. Ideally you'd add Sodium Metabisulfite to your stop bath.

Wayne · Dec 22, 2020

I don't know about RA because i use trays, but with Cibachrome I couldn't get away with total reuse, only partial reuse with some fresh solution added. I didn't find that to my liking either so I just used it one shot.

Has it been suggested somewhere that you can get away with total reuse of RA in drums?

Rudeofus · Dec 22, 2020

Wayne said:
Has it been suggested somewhere that you can get away with total reuse of RA in drums?

I typically start an RA4 session in my dark room with 1 liter of each process liquid, and I reuse it until I run out of color developer (carry over removes some CD with each run). I use the 2500 system paper drums in a matching JOBO rotary processor, and the whole things gives good prints with good repeatability until the very end. And yes, I do use a stop bath and two tap water flushes between CD and BLIX.

Wayne · Dec 22, 2020

Rudeofus said:
I typically start an RA4 session in my dark room with 1 liter of each process liquid, and I reuse it until I run out of color developer (carry over removes some CD with each run). I use the 2500 system paper drums in a matching JOBO rotary processor, and the whole things gives good prints with good repeatability until the very end. And yes, I do use a stop bath and two tap water flushes between CD and BLIX.

What do you mean by "run out of color developer?" If you are pouring the used developer back into the bottle of fresh or partially used developer after each drum run that seems more like partial reuse...up to a point anyway. Are you saying you do that with good results until it is literally gone?

DREW WILEY · Dec 22, 2020

Everything one-shot, no re-use whatsoever (No, no, bad dog, bad, bad- whack! Yelp, yelp). Prewet, Dev, acetic acid Stop, brief plain water rinse, Blix, thorough washing.

halfaman · Dec 23, 2020

And do a complete wash inside the drum and lid after opening and dry it before next use. In rotary machines like Jobo's there is always a small carryover no matter how long you drain the tank between baths.

mshchem · Dec 23, 2020

Develop a blank sheet of paper. No lights at all see how uniform the color cast is.

Rudeofus · Dec 23, 2020

Wayne said:
What do you mean by "run out of color developer?" If you are pouring the used developer back into the bottle of fresh or partially used developer after each drum run that seems more like partial reuse...up to a point anyway. Are you saying you do that with good results until it is literally gone?

Correct. I start with 600-1000ml, and I positively need 180ml to process two 18x24cm sheets in one drum at once. I can literally keep going until carryover reduced me to about 200ml of color developer. Using RA-4 chemistry single shot sounds incredibly wasteful to me.

igmirien · Dec 23, 2020

Thanks for your answers guys!
I have a question.
I started putting the chemicals bottles in bucket of hot water. Will the water being too hot ruin the chemicals? Should I keep checking on the bath to be around 35 degrees?

Wayne · Dec 23, 2020

Rudeofus said:
Correct. I start with 600-1000ml, and I positively need 180ml to process two 18x24cm sheets in one drum at once. I can literally keep going until carryover reduced me to about 200ml of color developer. Using RA-4 chemistry single shot sounds incredibly wasteful to me.

I seem to recall us having a similar conversation about Ilfochrome years ago. You were able to make partial reuse work for your purposes and I was never satisfied because I always got a slight color shift. Fortunately, using RA-4 in trays (which I never attempted with Ilfochrome), I get the benefits and savings of partial reuse without noticeable shift between successive prints

Rudeofus · Dec 23, 2020

@Wayne : right away: I did not run my prints through any kind of calibration cycle or densitometric analysis. Since my negatives are all over the place (light temperature, development, exposure, ...), it is normal for me to color balance every negative (except if they are on the same negative strip and from the same session). I run my test strips through the same machine and process liquids, and my impression is, that the liquids are consistent over at least 3-4 dev cycles, otherwise my filtration tuning would fail. The resulting prints look a lot better than my scan results, so color crossover must be minimal.

Wayne · Dec 23, 2020

Rudeofus said:
@Wayne : right away: I did not run my prints through any kind of calibration cycle or densitometric analysis. Since my negatives are all over the place (light temperature, development, exposure, ...), it is normal for me to color balance every negative (except if they are on the same negative strip and from the same session). I run my test strips through the same machine and process liquids, and my impression is, that the liquids are consistent over at least 3-4 dev cycles, otherwise my filtration tuning would fail. The resulting prints look a lot better than my scan results, so color crossover must be minimal.

There is no right or wrong, there is only what works for each of us! Reuse in drums is certainly worth a try for anyone using drums. I wish it had worked for me because it would have saved money.

How do you deal with blix contamination using drums?

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