Paterson Orbital users - some questions

[P C Headland]

I've recently acquired a Paterson Orbital with the manual hand base for processing my 4x5" film. I've processed a test sheet which seemed to come out evenly developed. I've also layed some ridges along the bottom as suggested in several threads.

Having read through the many threads here and other sites, I still have some questions:

1. If you process just one 4x5 sheet, do you use one of the four corners, or do you use the centre bit (so your sheet would be held by all four pegs). The sheet does fit, just, but with a very slight bow. I'm just curious as to what other users do.

2. What quantity of developer solution do you use. The minimum quoted is 60ml, but I read others use more. I'm going to be using Rodinal or PC-TEA at 1+50 dilutions, so I'll probably aim for 150ml (I know from experience that 3ml will do a roll of 35mm or 120). I may use Rodinal 1+100 for stand development, in which case I'll obviously need to use a bit more than 60ml!

3. Do you always use the orbital's base, or do you ever use it without the base and use it like a light-proof tray? I'm thinking that the latter method may be best for stand developing.

Thanks

 

[Steve Smith]

I have only ever done two or four negatives at a time with mine. It would make sense to do just one in the middle but I would test it once with a scrap negative and a measured amount of water with the lid off to check that it covers o.k.

The recommended quantity of 60ml seems tiny and again, I needed to test it with the lid off to prove to myself that it was enough. 100ml would be more than sufficient and would probably easily compensate for the slight bow if you put the negative in the middle instead of one of the corners.

I always use the manual base as I don't have the motorised base. I have read that you can float this in a bath of water to maintain temperature. I have not done this but it sounds like a good idea for stand development.



Steve.

 

[Dave Miller]

I have several of these, and have used them for 5x4 film development. I started off using the motorised base (still do for paper) but found that on negs with plain areas it was sometimes possible to get streaking around the peg positions. I therefore resorted to the manual base, and made sure I gave uneven rotation, reversing direction as well. Development times need shortening by about 15% to allow for the continuous agitation. 60ml is sufficient to develop 4 sheets of 5x4 at once, but I usually put in 100ml simply because that is what my measures are marked at. That's with Rodinal 1:50 and Ilford. Placing a single negative in a corner is ok since the fluid will wash over the whole bottom surface. As Steve said, check it out with water and an old negative. If you want to use intermittent or semi-stand development then you will need more fluid to ensure that the whole of the base remains covered when stationary, again check this with the lid off, I cannot remember how much is required in this mode, possibly 200ml, but I still used it on the manual base. Like every thing else with this game it is worth testing your procedure with some unimportant negative. Very occasionally the lids have hair cracks which don't effect paper developing but will negative, that's another good reason for testing them.

 

[P C Headland]

Thanks for the feedback. I know my own testing is the important bit, but I do like to know what others are doing. Helps stop the head hurting too much, especially when things go wrong.

I developed two test sheets of Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1+50 tonight. The sheets are drying now, but they look really good. No marks or scratches that I can see, and the development looks very even. I'll know for sure tomorrow when they're dry and I've had a closer look.

I used 150ml at 1+50, so 3ml Rodinal. I took the advice to reverse the rotation too, as tests with the lid off showed it was possible to get a bit of a regular swirl if the rotation speed was just right (or wrong).

 

[Dave Miller]

Sharing information is what APUG is all about, at least for me.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I use one of the four corners, and increasingly, I use it without the base at all to remove the risk of streaking (which I've only seen with 8x10). About 150 ml is the most I'd use; any more is no use, and adds to the risk of spillage. Generally I use 100-150 ml depending on what's a convenient dilution. At that level, one-shot won't bankrupt me.

But constant agitation is all but essential in my experience: 'semi stand' is doing it the hard way, to no advantage.

 

[Peter Black]

Effectively the same as Roger, although generally 100 ml seems to work out best for me on measurements/dilutions. If I'm doing 2 sheets I would place them diagonally opposite, but I'm not entirely sure why! Afraid I'm the lazy one who uses the motor base, but also because I feel (rightly or wrongly) that it is giving me some consistency/repeatability in processing. It also allows me to take the lid off for washing the film and just stand and watch the motion of the water as the orbital moves round, one of the simpler pleasures in life!

 

[P C Headland]

Thanks for the feedback.

I developed another two test sheets tonight in PC-TEA 1+50, using 150ml of developing solution. Once sheet in opposite corners. Once again, nice, even, well developed negatives.

Now to see if 9x12cm negatives work in there as well.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Thanks for the feedback.

I developed another two test sheets tonight in PC-TEA 1+50, using 150ml of developing solution. Once sheet in opposite corners. Once again, nice, even, well developed negatives.

Now to see if 9x12cm negatives work in there as well.

Part of the reason 4x5/9x12 work so well is that they move around more between the pegs during agitation, even on auto. Like Peter, I'm another that does two diagonally opposite, likewise for no well-thought-out reason. But I've done 1, 2, 3 and 4.

And I fully take Peter's point about watching 'em wash.