print agitation in a dilute Farmer's Reducer

pentaxuser · Sep 7, 2020

David Lyga said:
I think that you would be far better off putting the print in a HIGHLY dilute (1 + 19) FR and let it sit. The increased timing would not force you to act so quickly. i have NEVER seen blacks hurt with the increased dilution. The effect is the same: "cutting" reduction whereby all tones are affected in the same matter. In other words, the lighter tones have JUST AS MUCH silver being removed as do the dark tones. As a result, contrast is somewhat (and nicely) increased. - David Lyga

Can I take it that his is what you do now to solve the problem that you observed and it works?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Vaughn · Sep 7, 2020

A light bleach help prints to get rid of fogging due to unsafe safe lights and/or misjudged dry-down. I suppose it can be used to salvage older paper, too, that has lost its snap.
I use bleach on negatives more often (but not often)...and often follow with selenium toning to double boost the contrast of a neg for alt processes.

David Lyga · Sep 8, 2020

pentaxuser said:
Can I take it that his is what you do now to solve the problem that you observed and it works?

Thanks

pentaxuser

Basically, yes. The point I wish to emphasize is that there is no less 'cutting' action with a high FR dilution. - David Lyga

David Lyga · Sep 8, 2020

Vaughn said:
A light bleach help prints to get rid of fogging due to unsafe safe lights and/or misjudged dry-down. I suppose it can be used to salvage older paper, too, that has lost its snap.
I use bleach on negatives more often (but not often)...and often follow with selenium toning to double boost the contrast of a neg for alt processes.

Farmer's reducer is a godsend for paper that is somewhat age-fogged. Simply give a bit more exposure so that you have a rather dull print, then watch it come to life with this 'liquid gold'. I strongly advise being patient with a rather high dilution so that you will not go too far with your reduction. - David Lyga

pentaxuser · Sep 8, 2020

Thanks David

pentaxuser

nmp · Sep 8, 2020

David Lyga said:
OK, that pattern obviously favors the edges and I want to know why. This is so simple a concept that I am intrigued by not understanding it fully. Why does that pattern favor the edges and how can that result be mitigated? - David Lyga

Edges create turbulence. Corners even more so. Turbulence increases the speed of reaction because of more efficient turn-over of the reactants and products.

David Lyga · Sep 8, 2020

nmp said:
Edges create turbulence. Corners even more so. Turbulence increases the speed of reaction because of more efficient turn-over of the reactants and products.

You know, a theoretically perfect way to process such prints, while still saving solution volumes, would be with using a tube. This is so because, in that mode, there ARE no 'edges' which would be subjected to turbulence. There is no 'end' whereby the solution bunches up and over agitates. Instead, there is a seamless flow of solution and the edge of the print is treated identically to the rest of the print. - David Lyga

nmp · Sep 8, 2020

David Lyga said:
You know, a theoretically perfect way to process such prints, while still saving solution volumes, would be with using a tube. This is so because, in that mode, there ARE no 'edges' which would be subjected to turbulence. There is no 'end' whereby the solution bunches up and over agitates. Instead, there is a seamless flow of solution and the edge of the print is treated identically to the rest of the print. - David Lyga

You can get one o those rotating motor bases with a processing drum. Used one for daylight processing color prints ages ago. The problem with that is it is difficult to check and see the progress of the treatment as you would in a tray.

Vaughn · Sep 9, 2020

David Lyga said:
You know, a theoretically perfect way to process such prints, while still saving solution volumes, would be with using a tube. This is so because, in that mode, there ARE no 'edges' which would be subjected to turbulence. There is no 'end' whereby the solution bunches up and over agitates. Instead, there is a seamless flow of solution and the edge of the print is treated identically to the rest of the print. - David Lyga

I use such tubes for sheet film up to 8x10. One of the few disadvantages is increased oxidation rates compared to trays or nitrogen burst...more of an issue with pyro developers. Probably a non-issue with one-shot print processing.

MattKing · Sep 9, 2020

If you are using replenished developer, can you reduce problems with oxidation by increasing solution volume?

Vaughn · Sep 9, 2020

Drums have a max. liquid amount, but running it at max might help reduce oxidation a little...still a lot of air in the drum.

Never heard of anyone using the varients of pyro developers in a replensiment scheme. They oxidize way too fast. I do not even mix it until I am ready to pour it into the spinning Expert Drum (one of PyrocatHDs characteristics is that it is slower to oxidize, making it useful in drums, along with Rollo Pyro).

If I am worried about oxidation, I run two batches of pyro developer in the drum for one set of negatives (also if the dilution is low and I can not get enough volume in one go in the drum.)

print agitation in a dilute Farmer's Reducer

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