Should I make inversions for the Fixer and the stop bath?

Fellipe de Paula · Sep 23, 2009

Should I make inversion for the fixer and the stop bath? Or just the developer that needs to be inverted (4 times each minute)??

RJS · Sep 23, 2009

'inversions'

Yes, it is good to agitate (the usual english term) film and or paper in both the stop bath and the fix. Agitation in film developer needs to be at regular intervals - with some developers more or less than with others - but four inversions per minute sounds like too little to me. Read the directions for the particular developer you are using, they should give you the proper amount of agitation for that developer. With the fixer you should agitate for, perhaps, one minute, then look at the film to see if it has cleared. If not, continue for twice the time it takes for the film to clear.

thebanana · Sep 23, 2009

Stop bath? I don't use it,. just rinse my film with water...several refills of the developing tank.
Fix: I agitate by inversion for 10 seconds every 30 seconds for at least 5 minutes

Fellipe de Paula · Sep 23, 2009

RJS,

The Ilford Delta 100 pdf says:

AGITATION:
intermittent agitation is recommended for use in spiral tanks and deep tanks. Continuous agitation is recommended in dishes/trays by rocking the dish/tray.
With spiral tanks, invert the tank four times during the first 10 sec, then invert the tank four times again during the first 10 sec of each further minute.

Now you got me confused!

Anscojohn · Sep 23, 2009

Fellipe de Paula said:
Should I make inversion for the fixer and the stop bath? Or just the developer that needs to be inverted (4 times each minute)??

***********

Yes.

RJS · Sep 24, 2009

I am not familiar with Ilford's directions for Delta with whichever developer they recommend. I have been using PMK for some time and Gordon Hutchings (sp?) recommends more agitation. With PMK in small tanks I invert 3X every 15 seconds. I get very nice, even development. Whether this would be too much with Delta and some other developer I have no idea. This may be more or less than required for PMK but it seems to work.

Steve Smith · Sep 24, 2009

In my opinion, it's the regularity of inversion which is important rather than the number of inversions.

The agitation is to put fresh developer around the film. If the routine is to do something like eight inversions every minute (which is what I do) most of the work has been done by the first inversion. After three, I doubt if the rest of them actually do much (I still do them though!).

Steve.

pentaxuser · Sep 24, 2009

Fellipe de Paula said:
RJS,

The Ilford Delta 100 pdf says:

AGITATION:
intermittent agitation is recommended for use in spiral tanks and deep tanks. Continuous agitation is recommended in dishes/trays by rocking the dish/tray.
With spiral tanks, invert the tank four times during the first 10 sec, then invert the tank four times again during the first 10 sec of each further minute.

Now you got me confused!

If you are using Ilford developer and I do as well then the Ilford recommendation for agitation which you have quoted is the one to use. 4 inversions is about all you can achieve anyway in 10 seconds. It's what I do and I have never experienced any problems with development.

pentaxuser

Fellipe de Paula · Sep 24, 2009

I used D76... should it be done different then?

fschifano · Sep 24, 2009

Agitation is not as critical for the stop and fix baths as it is with development since both processes are carried out to completion. The stop bath should run about 30 seconds, though it does no harm if it runs longer. I use constant agitation in a tank for that 30 seconds. Fixing can take several minutes. To keep things simple, I use the same agitation technique as I use for development. That's it. It works. No problems.

Sirius Glass · Sep 24, 2009

Agitate developer, stop bath, hypo and if you use hypo clearing agent, then that too.

Stop bath needs 30 seconds. You can let it go a little longer to help preserve the hypo.

Steve

RalphLambrecht · Sep 24, 2009

Anscojohn said:
***********

Yes.

Short and accurate! I second the 'Yes'.

Andy K · Sep 25, 2009

For fixing I agitate by inversion continuously for the entire fix time.

archer · Sep 26, 2009

I'm with Andy K;
continuous agitation in the fix whether roll film or sheet film.
Denise Libby

Should I make inversions for the Fixer and the stop bath?

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