Ilford wash method with multiple films in the tank?

[marcmarc]

Hi everyone,
Just a quick question regarding the Ilford wash method for films which is a agitation and diffusion method. If I want to develop three or four rolls in a tank when it comes time to wash after I rinse out the tank and begin, should I make any adjustments due to my having this many rolls? By that I mean if I soak the rolls for five minutes in between agitations will the residual fixer diffuse out of the top rolls and settle on the bottom of the tank and then dumped out before a refill of fresh water or does it need a longer time to soak for this to happen. I worry that residual fixer from the top rolls will adhere to the bottom rolls and thus I will not achieve a full archival wash. I am using TF-4 fixer which if I'm correct washes from film easier then hypo fix. Thanks for replies.

 

[Svenedin]

The Ilford washing method does not involve “soaking”. It is constant inversions then dump the water.

https://www.ilfordphoto.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Reducing-Wash-Water.pdf

 

[Ian Grant]

The more reels the more water you use to fill the tank, so it makes no difference, I always wash a little more than the Ilford method anyway.

Ian

 

[pthornto]

No worries for using the Ilford method with larger tanks (and corresponding larger volumes of water). There would be not "settling" of fixer....the fixer would come out of the emulsion and be a dilute solution in your wash. The concentration is thus nearly homogeneous throughout the tank and the concentration gets lower with each subsequent wash.

 

[pentaxuser]

If you invert the recommended number of times and then allow to sit for the diffusion part, you could then invert again and then pour out just to be on the safe side to make sure that none of the diffused fix remains in the bottom. As others have said the Ilford method is, strictly speaking, agitation only and consists of a 5,10,20 inversion routine only. I must admit that I too tend to add a couple of extra cycles i.e. a quick swish and dump initially then 5,10,15,20,25 inversions but that may be my "glass half empty" mentality and I have to admit that when I first started out and ignorance was bliss I just did what Ilford said. Now 13 years later none of my early 5,10,20 films seem to have suffered.

pentaxuser

 

[marcmarc]

Thanks for the replies folks.