Twigglestick- agitation-method for diafine??

[naaldvoerder]

Can you use the "twigglestick method for agitation with diafine instead of inversion? And if so, how?

Thanks,
Jaap jan

 

[JohnFinch]

Yes. no problem at all.

You can use 'twigglestick' agitation for any developer and it does have its advantages that no bubbles are produced that can cause air-bells.

To use your stick remember to bang the developing tank a couple of times after filling to remove air bells. Then turn in the direction of the opening. (You must remember which way round you loaded the film onto the spiral). You want to twist in the direction of the opening so you force the developer through the spiral from the outside in. If you twizzle the wrong way you won't be getting good agitation.

I give the stick 3 or four twists in that direction every minute for Rodinal etc. (every 30 seconds for PMK).

 

[jim appleyard]

I always thought you should twist BOTH ways to make sure that you get thorough agitation??? I've been doing it that way for years w/o problems.

You may want to do a search here re: Diafine agitation. I've never used it so I can't say myself, but there are some who say NOT to agitate the B bath.

 

[srs5694]

See (there was a url link here which no longer exists) for a recent discussion of "twiggle" ("twirl" in that thread) stick agitation generally. If you already use this agitation method, then you probably won't get a lot out of that thread; however, if you're just starting out with that method or with developing generally, you may pick up some useful tips. My first attempt was a disaster (hence my starting that thread), but my next two attempts produced fine results. AFAIK, there's nothing special about Diafine in terms of agitation methods, but I've also never used Diafine myself.

Concerning rotation direction, my first attempt rotated only clockwise and produced poor results. My next two rolls I did more vigorously and in both directions and that worked fine. Perhaps just counter-clockwise would work, too, but I haven't tried that. I think I'll stick with the both-directions approach, since I now know that works for me.

 

[fschifano]

Back and forth, just like a washing machine. That's the ticket. But be careful with Diafine. They recommend gentle agitation, and not too much of it.

Diafine works like any other divided developer. There's nothing really fancy going on. The emulsion soaks up the developing agent in bath A, but without an accelerant very little silver reduction takes place. Agitation in bath A can be as vigorous as you like. What you're looking for here is as much saturation of the emulsion with developing agent as possible. Bath B is the activator. Agitation should be gentle at this step, or so the scuttlebutt says, to prevent washing the developing agents from the emulsion before they've had a chance to do the job. I don't know if it is physically possible to achieve that negative result, and I've never attempted to do so. It is awfully hard to get unevenly developed negatives with this brew, no matter how gently you agitate.