Surge Marks With JOBO Silverbase Processing

[paddycook]

@paddycook
When I ran into unevenness problems with 120 film in Jobo 1520 tanks, I introduced a pre-soak. For me, this solved the problem. It's worth a try. Fill the tank with its normal processing volume of water, at normal process temperature, and let it rotate 2-3 minutes. I never found it to be necessary with 135. Only with 120 and also 4x5 in a 2500 tank.

Thank you yes I’ll try this. I always pre soak on my C41 and will try this for B&W.

 

[paddycook]

I've got both the 1500 and 2500 series tanks. I gravitate towards the 1500 series simply because the reels seem easier for me to load (I used Paterson reels and tanks forever, I'm used to the size). I haven't noticed any issues with either size. I have a CPP3 machine I use for color and bigger jobs, expert tanks etc. I really like the little Silverbase so quick and easy for a couple, 3 or 4 rolls of black and white.
They're expensive no doubt.

That’s funny that’s how I divide it up too - I use CPP3 for E6 and C41 although I have done C41 in the SilverBase with good results. Before I got the SilverBase I always did B&W by hand as CPP3 seems like overkill.

 

[pentaxuser]

The only other developer I’ve used with the JOBO SilverBase process is Adox’s Silvermax with Fomapan 100, Kentmere 400, Rollei Superpan 200 and Delta 400. Didn’t see the issue with any of these films. Silvermax does tend to have a longer development times though. With Rodinal at 1+25 I’ve seen it both with TriX and Acros II, both with sub 10 minute dev times. I’ve not seen it at 1+50 dilutions.

Thanks for the reply Can I ask what time do you use with Rodinal at 1+25? Unless it is very short then I'd have thought a rotary processor would be fine In fact thinking about it,isn't the problem with very short times is in fact the short times themselves in terms of evenness of development and if anything because you normally reduce dev times for rotary v inversion, doesn't that indicate that in terms of very short times a rotary might prove to be less problematical rather than more?

I just cannot see the link between sub 10 min times and this problem. Maybe someone can explain it but just hasn't done so yet

I am not implying that the problem you see in the negs is not there in the examples you mention but there may be another or other factors at work in those sub 10 minute times

The seemingly obvious but logically flawed way to prove it is the rotary processor on sub 10 min dev times is to revert to inversion instead and monitor the results but short of doing this by cutting each film in half and doing one half in the rotary and the other with inversion for quite a large number of occasions I have no confidence that this would prove the shorter times with the Jobo Silverbase are the problem

I am sorry as well that everything I have said appears to be negative, it's just that as I said, I cannot see why the Jobo might be the problem

What is clear is that you have a problem and I agree that a diversion as to whether the Jobo Silverbase is worth the money does nothing except distract from finding a solution


pentaxuser

 

[Sirius Glass]

Out of interest, are you using the 1500 series tanks or the 2500 series?

1500 series tanks and the 3010 Expert Drum on my Jobo CPP2

 

[paddycook]

Thanks for the reply Can I ask what time do you use with Rodinal at 1+25? Unless it is very short then I'd have thought a rotary processor would be fine In fact thinking about it,isn't the problem with very short times is in fact the short times themselves in terms of evenness of development and if anything because you normally reduce dev times for rotary v inversion, doesn't that indicate that in terms of very short times a rotary might prove to be less problematical rather than more?

I just cannot see the link between sub 10 min times and this problem. Maybe someone can explain it but just hasn't done so yet

I am not implying that the problem you see in the negs is not there in the examples you mention but there may be another or other factors at work in those sub 10 minute times

The seemingly obvious but logically flawed way to prove it is the rotary processor on sub 10 min dev times is to revert to inversion instead and monitor the results but short of doing this by cutting each film in half and doing one half in the rotary and the other with inversion for quite a large number of occasions I have no confidence that this would prove the shorter times with the Jobo Silverbase are the problem

I am sorry as well that everything I have said appears to be negative, it's just that as I said, I cannot see why the Jobo might be the problem

What is clear is that you have a problem and I agree that a diversion as to whether the Jobo Silverbase is worth the money does nothing except distract from finding a solution


pentaxuser

Thanks, appreciate the thoughts. Development times are in the 6-7 minute range because of the temperature in my basement (about 23 degrees C). I’m going to try a couple of suggestions further up the thread (i.e. pre-soak) and see if that makes a difference.