Nova Monochrome Slot Processor; long-lived Developer

Good to see you back Ryuji.

Ryuji said:

I did use DS-14 in Nova for a long time. The main problem was the inner surface of the developer slot building up something either from the oxidation products of the developing agents or something released from the paper, affecting the development action. This effect is usually not very visible to the naked eye until you try to tone the print. This gave me a major headache for some time. I just used a thin brush with a long handle to scrub inside the developer slot (with DS-14 in place) at the beginning of each session. Taking the solutions out into temporary holding vessels and then washing inside is the best but if you have to do so often, it diminishes the value of a slot processor...

Click to expand...

I have had a similar experience. I use ID-78 (Ilford warm tone formula, not very warm to my eye, but lasts quite well). I noticed a textured irregularity on prints but only after toning, the pattern clearly being related to the texture of the Nova slots. The long handled laboratory bottle brush sold by Nova needs to be used regularly even during a session. Moving the print during development is mandatory (and stop and fix also worth doing).

And also from me: good to hear from you again Ryuji!

Talking of room.....I switched to one tray developing and I would never go back to a three tray system ever again, I use very small amounts of chemicals and bin the 10-15ml of paper developer used in a1+9 mix after my evening session of around 4-6 8x10 prints.

I am going to try Ilford Bromophen next time simply because of shipping weight but if you think developers do not last long try using Rodinal as a paper developer.

Hi Svenedin,

I too have a (heated) three slot nova, in which I develop etc mostly RC but the occasional FB (but beginning to do more FB of late).

I've used Ilford multigrade developer for years at 1+9 @ 20C and I top up / replenish after each printing session and have used the chemicals up to about 3 months with no problem, but by then I replace them as a matter of course. Also putting a squirt from one of these gas cylinders sold for the purpose into the concentrate after each use extends the stock almost indefinitely, with no browning right to the bottom of the bottle. If your tank liquids are oxidizing, then maybe a squirt of this gas in at the end of a session might help as well, although I have never had the need.

Hope this is of some help to you.

Terry S

Harry Stevens said:

I use very small amounts of chemicals and bin the 10-15ml of paper developer used in a1+9 mix after my evening session of around 4-6 8x10 prints.

Click to expand...

Harry I have yet to try tray developing as I started off with a Nova but I had always thought that in trays big enough for 8x10 prints you would have needed a lot more than 150mls of working solution to give enough depth.

That is really economical

pentaxuser

Harry Stevens said:

Talking of room.....I switched to one tray developing and I would never go back to a three tray system ever again, I use very small amounts of chemicals and bin the 10-15ml of paper developer used in a1+9 mix after my evening session of around 4-6 8x10 prints...........

Click to expand...

For some comments about single tray processing have a look at a couple of articles on this (oldish) site:

http://heylloyd.com/technicl/technicl.html

I use a Nova, and I would use single tray processing if I wanted to do a print bigger than my max Nova size (12"x16").