RA4 Processing with a Nova Quad and Kodak Chemicals

I have done a thorough search and very helpful it was too and have read the Kodak publication but I have a couple of questions to which I couldn't find answers

1. The kit I have is the 4x 5L one from AgPhotographic, here in the U.K. Is it better to make up 1L for the Nova and retain under gas the remaining concentrates, making up another 1L as required or to make up 5L of working solution, decant into winebags which prevent air entering as the solution is drawn off and replenish according to print usage?

2. To those who do their RA4 processing with a Nova Quad, how long do find the solution to last in the slots? It may take me quite a few days or a week or more to do many prints and while I'd definitely need to replenish some of the solution each time I had a printing session as per the Kodak replenishment rate, a lot of it would be getting older in the slot?

I find with B&W Ilford MG dev that with replenishment that it deteriorates hardly at all but I have no experience of RA4 slot processing.

Each slot as users will know is covered by a tube which effectively reduces the surface area of the chemical to a very small surface. Would it help to give a quick squirt of gas and hold that on the surface with a cling film wrap or is that not required?

Thanks

pentaxuser

i did the following: mix the 5L dev into a 5L container and pour out what you need to use into a smaller container for use or wherever you need it. squirt any innert gas of your choice (mine being compressed air refrigiant) into the big container after pouring what you need, then screw the cap on. you have the container ready with working solution when you need it bulk juice 5L containers (the half opaque pet ones) are good for the purpose. as for the blix, i just mixed half the concerntrates into a 2.5L container (as once bleach is mixed with the fix, oxidation begins), then squirted innert gas into the two halves. you also have the other three too
hope this helps, it saves alot of faff, and with the 5L container, take as much as you want or as little. also, careful with butane if you use that, your better off using the refrigant compressed air sprays, mine says on its container only 7% of the contents by mass are flammable, much safer!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane
is the chemical in the "aeroduster" brand. (well i am 100% sure it is). cut some plexi to the right shape and float it ontop of the liquid (i think from your post its a container where its filled from the top and drawn out at the bottom)? if so, the plexi should be a good idea! the only part of the concerntrates if you go down the route of preserving them that really need oxygen expelled are parts A and B of the developer, and the fix part of the blix concerntrates. a longer storage life can be had if you used the bleach (dark red half) and the fix half (clear) seperate

hope this helps

Thanks, it sounds as if my idea of mixing 5L of working dev solution and using winebags to store will achieve the same efffect as your storage in a 5L container with inert gas. The winebags make great dispensers and collopse as they are used. If you fill to the neck of the bag then there is no air in the bag and none gets in as the bag collapses as solution is drawn out. These have worked very well for B&W devs for paper and film

The blix may be a different matter if mixing reduces its life. It sounds as if I may be better to mix a litre as needed and retain the concentrates in their respective containers. That leaves the question of whether inert gas is required. I think I have read that neither fixer nor bleach need protecting from air so as long as they were kept separate until needed then gas might not be required but I don't know?

Any comments on this will be appreciated. Also there are several users here who have mentioned using Nova Quad for processing and I am still hoping to hear from them about storage life in the slots with the tubes being replaced after each session.

Thanks

pentaxuser

bleach is pretty tough, and the most expensive component of the whole set. the fixer i think needs protecting from air, which i did (innert gas) i think its quite resiliant however if there isnt much air in the container. a tip with the fixer if you dont want to use innert gas: clean the (empty) A and C bottles, well. store whats left of the fixer into them, full to the brim. then tightly cap. label them though! i find the A B and C bottles very useful for other things, so don't discard the bottles! i don't use a slot processor so i cannot comment there, sorry. i do my processing in open trays.

I use the Kodak chemicals in a heated Nova. Your questions:

1 - I now mix up all 5 litres and store the spare 4 litres in 500ml pop bottles which I squeeze to eliminate air. The chemicals have lasted 3 months like this (they may last longer, this is just how long it took me to get through the lot).

2 - In the slot, the chemistry is still good after 4 weeks (this is the longest I've gone without printing) - I normally pour out 100ml and replenish with fresh (from the pop bottles) when I start a new session and then I replenish 100ml after every ten 10"x8" prints.

Great info, Steve and the kind I was looking for. Thanks

pentaxuser

Oh, and if you need any Endura paper, Process Supplies have a few boxes of matt dated 05/11 left.

Thanks for note on Process Supplies. I know what I should have asked Steve. Is your ref to making up 5L just dev or blix as well? If you mix to make blix as 5L as opposed to keeping the bleach and fix part separate until needed for mixing then how long does this last?

Mixing 5L of blix and storing it in winebags would be more convenient but as someone has said and I have seen mentioned elsewhere, keeping the two separate and only mixing as a when needed is said to prolong the storage life.

Thanks

pentaxuser

Yes, I mix 5L of blix also and I've had no problems with it going bad in the 3 months I've stored it. If you are concerned, why not do a test and mix up 500ml blix put it in a bottle and forget about it until September, then try it.

Thanks Steve. If Ilford continue to ramp up prices then I might easily get through both dev and blix quickly as I'll need to start printing B&W on RA4 paper as the minilabs do

You have to laugh. If you didn't you might never stop crying

pentaxuser

I've been printing mostly colour now for two years so all of the price increases have passed me by. I think I've only shot one roll of B&W film this year and I haven't got round to printing it yet - even in a Nova B&W chemistry goes bad if you print once or twice per year!