When you compare the small amount of hca used with the dramatic decrease in the volume of wash water used,
the environmental impact balance is strongly in favor of hca.
- Leigh
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When you compare the small amount of hca used with the dramatic decrease in the volume of wash water used,Leigh, you are right, but then you have an extra pollutant to dispose of.
When you compare the small amount of hca used with the dramatic decrease in the volume of wash water used,
the environmental impact balance is strongly in favor of hca.
- Leigh
Sorry for reviving this old thread, but I couldn't find an answer in my searches...so:
Do you use the Ilford Method with 400TX? I did tonight and the emulsion side is still really sticky/tacky. I used D-76 @ 1:1 for 9 minutes (70F), water for a stop bath for 45 seconds, Ilford Rapid Fixer for 3 min, then Ilford Method wash (5, 10, 15, 20), then 30 sec Photo-Flo.
I'm sorry for a may be stupid question. But... Does Ilford wash method works fine for all kind of BW films? Kodak, Fuji, etc.?
I have discovered after all these years in photography that about 1 drop of photo-flo in a tankfull of water and let bathe for 5 or 10 minutes is all you need. The instructions on photo-flo are 1:200. I figure my dilution is about 1:2000, but it works just fine. Perfectly, in fact.
This does not mean I'm advocating the Rodinal crowd who stand develop for sixty years at obscene dilutions. In the case of photo-flo, as long as you see a few suds around the perimeter, it's doing its job. I've lived in the city half my life with wonderful high-quality city water, and the other half in the country with well water that would gag a fish, but the photo-flo results are the same.
NedL;
I try to do my best, but miss it sometimes. Thanks though.
You are right, trial and error is best, and the test for Silver retention is a kit which has Sodium Sulfide in it. It turns yellow, brown or black depending on the level of retained silver.
However, I point you to a thread with the subject the yellowing of prints. This person was using the Ilford method, but had prints that turned yellow quite rapidly. This was also experienced by Ctein who wrote an article on it. You see, water varies world wide, photoproducts vary in thickness and silver level and etc. Therefore it is hard to predict.
In the US we use Chlorine to treat water, but in other parts of the world, they use Ozone for purification. This greatly complicates the situation.
You should run your own quality assurance tests, and be aware that overwashing is as bad as underwashing.
PE
Testing will always help verify the quality of any wash method.
Mason's math and reasoning has shown me how careful you must be, because without proof, any error will not show up until your prints are 20+ years old. I have some of the first prints I ever made from the time I was about 12, and they looked great to me. Recently, I found some of them in an album and they were all brown and spotty.
PE
I have heard time and again that PhotoFlo works best when you err on the side of overdiluting, so I guess it is true. I used to get some "soap scum" with it. I recently switched to Tetenal Mirasol and the negs are crystal clear every time and the stuff costs the same as the Kodak stuff if not less (Mirasol is twice the concentration). So I won't be looking back.
PRINTS = very different washing (and clearing) needs from FILM...
RR
The retained Silver test kits and the retained Hypo test kits on the market in the US and Europe will verify archival washing if you follow the instructions.
PE
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