Pyrocat HD - One shot?

[CarlRadford]

Is Pyrocat HD strictly one shot? I tray dev 5x4, 5x7 and 10x8 but always throw the dev away after use. I tend to dev 2-4 sheets at a time in at least 1 litre of pyrocat. I have been told that I should re-use the dev as their is plenty of life left in it but have always used fresd. Can't find anywhere that states one way or the other?

Thanks, Carl

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

I use it as a one-shot developer with 4x5, 5x7, 8x10 and rollfilm - no reason not to - it is very inexpensive.

Sandy King has written that he designed Pyrocat as a one-shot.

 

[KenM]

Once A and B are mixed together, the clock's running - wait too long, and the developer will 'go bad'.

In a rubber tank with 1700ml of mixed developer, there should be enough developer to run through *at least* 10 sheets of 4x5. For me, that would equate to about two batches of film through one tank.

When I was using tubes, I would mix up 3+3+300 ml of developer, and split it across 4 tubes - 75ml per tube. Extrapolate that out, and 1700ml of developer will process about 22 sheets of film - however, I'm sure that the developer will start to exhaust at some point....you may have to compensate for the exhaustion, which is something I don't like to do.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Pyro developers oxidize VERY rapidly. I once tried to re-use some Pyro developer I had mixed in an 8x10 deep tank (3 1/2 gallons, or 14000ml) that I had put 15 sheets through the first time. I had the floating lid on the tank, so I figured that would be enough to prevent chemistry exhaustion. No. A day later, I went back and souped six more sheets of 8x10, and it was like I was using quarter-strength soup. Best to just go one-shot and be done with it.

 

[CarlRadford]

Thanks folks...

I'm sure I've read its one shot somewhere hence why I do it - but a little concerned when someone said I was just wasting dev - I appreciate it pennies, more an environmental thing!

Cheers, Carl

 

[MikeSeb]

penny wise....

Developer's dirt cheap compared to the value of your time and effort. All developers should be used as one-shot.

 

[Scott Peters]

How many sheets of 8 x 10 per liter of HD in trays? I mean can you have too many sheets going at one time?

 

[jgjbowen]

I use 1.5 lilters 2:2:100 for 8 sheets 8x10.

Sandy has mentioned the amount to use somewhere on the net.....probably on the Azo forum. That is how I came up with my amount of developer to use.

Hope this helps.

 

[CarlRadford]

Two sheets of 10x8...

is all I care to attempt at a time. If I had a total of 8 sheets to do I'd mix up another batch for the next 2 sheets. My assumption is that whilst there maybe enough left to put another 6 sheets through it there must be some difference in the activity of the developer so I just mix up a new batch. I use plenty of dev to make sure there is plenty of volume in the 12x10 trays!

Carl

 

[sanking]

is all I care to attempt at a time. If I had a total of 8 sheets to do I'd mix up another batch for the next 2 sheets. My assumption is that whilst there maybe enough left to put another 6 sheets through it there must be some difference in the activity of the developer so I just mix up a new batch. I use plenty of dev to make sure there is plenty of volume in the 12x10 trays!

Carl

Pyrocat-HD was definitely designed to be used as a one-shot and discard developer, and was normalized for printing on graded silver papers based on the 1:1:100 dilution with slow rotary processing, using about 65 ml of developer per 4X5" sheet of film. That works out to be about a minimum of 250 ml of solution per sheet of 8X10 film, or 2 liters for eight sheets of film. The developer will work with more dilute solutions, but times will be longer.

If you use the 2:2:100 dilution it is possible to use slightly less solution, perhaps around 50 ml for a sheet of 4X5 film.

As a general rule I would not recommend running a second or third batch of film through used developer. However, if you are developing in a large tray, tank or tube that contains 2-3 liters of developer, and only develop 4-5 sheets of 4X5" film at a time, you could get away with running two or more batches of film through the solution, provided you do so within a window of about three hours. However, you should expect a slight decrease in contrast and a slight increase in B+F with the second and third batch so for consistent results I always recommend one-shot and discard.

Sandy King

 

[MarkS]

Remember that in tray processing, be sure to use a sufficient volume of solution to ensure even development. I use 2 liters of developer in an 8x10 tray, to process up to 12 sheets of 4x5 at a time. This has been my practice for at least 15 years. Strangely enough I've gotten streaks and unevenness on some negs this summer; the only change has been from PMK to Pyrocat-HD. I'm assuming the unevenness is a result of some mistake I made (there have been plenty of those) and not the developer.

 

[CarlRadford]

Thanks Sandy...

fresh it is then

Pyrocat-HD was definitely designed to be used as a one-shot and discard developer, and was normalized for printing on graded silver papers based on the 1:1:100 dilution with slow rotary processing, using about 65 ml of developer per 4X5" sheet of film. That works out to be about a minimum of 250 ml of solution per sheet of 8X10 film, or 2 liters for eight sheets of film. The developer will work with more dilute solutions, but times will be longer.

If you use the 2:2:100 dilution it is possible to use slightly less solution, perhaps around 50 ml for a sheet of 4X5 film.

As a general rule I would not recommend running a second or third batch of film through used developer. However, if you are developing in a large tray, tank or tube that contains 2-3 liters of developer, and only develop 4-5 sheets of 4X5" film at a time, you could get away with running two or more batches of film through the solution, provided you do so within a window of about three hours. However, you should expect a slight decrease in contrast and a slight increase in B+F with the second and third batch so for consistent results I always recommend one-shot and discard.

Sandy King

 

[Jerzy]

Pyrocat-HD was definitely designed to be used as a one-shot and discard developer, and was normalized for printing on graded silver papers based on the 1:1:100 dilution with slow rotary processing,

Hi Sandy,
How slow is slow. I was able to get my Beseler base down to 16 rotations per minute. Is it slow enough? I can get slower with a variac, however have impression that then rotation of Jobo 3010 is not constant. Also, is the dilution 1:1:100 OK for VC papers, or 2:2:100 would be better. I am using Pyrocat-M version.
Greetings, Jerzy

 

[sanking]

Hi Sandy,
How slow is slow. I was able to get my Beseler base down to 16 rotations per minute. Is it slow enough? I can get slower with a variac, however have impression that then rotation of Jobo 3010 is not constant. Also, is the dilution 1:1:100 OK for VC papers, or 2:2:100 would be better. I am using Pyrocat-M version.
Greetings, Jerzy

Anything below 20 RPM is ok. In fact, any RPM is ok if you are developing for silver printing. The concern for slow rotation is primarily for alternative processes, where long and fast rotation can cause more B+F stain than slow rotation, or tray development.

Either dilution works for VC papers. You just need to calibrate for your enlarger and choose the dilution that requires the most appropriate time for your conditions.

Sandy King

 

[Jerzy]

Thanks Sandy for the reply. Jerzy