70mm 5 meter roll Tri-x development: HELP!!!!

I am developing 70mm Tri-x on a stainless steel reel in a SS tank. All methods are preceded by 1 minute water soak. I've tried swirl development: 2 360 degree swirls every 45 seconds, reversing direction each time. I've tried traditional tank inversion, slowly, 1, 2 and 3 times every 30 seconds. Every method gets over developed film edges except 1 inversion, which gives uneven skies.

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Any suggestions? Anybody use aprons?

Would you be so kind to include information on developer (inc.

dilution) and your developing time.

Also choosen filmspeed.

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Regards,

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Wolfram

Sounds like the spirals of the reel are just too close together to get

good circulation of the developer. You might try less developer in the

tank, so that there's an increased air-space. That might improve the

agitation.<br>Two inversions, once per minute, are usually all that's

needed with most ss tanks and reels.<p>How bad is the unevenness in

the skies?<br>If it's easily visible, and has fairly sharply defined

edges, then it's likely that air pockets are getting trapped between

the layers of the film. Another good indication that the spiral is

just no d**ned use.

Thanks for the comments!

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Pete: As I was writing it, I was thinking that 30 second agitation IS

too much. I'll try two inversions at 1 minute intervals. However, it's

been my experience that increased air/reduced developer increases

agitation, i.e. developer movement, and makes the edge density problem

even worse. As to your last comment, if not reels, then what?

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Wolfram: TX at 50 to 100, Zonal-Pro (1-12) or D-76 (1-1) at 1/3 less

than normal time. Yes: lower contrast negs, but wonderful midrange and

shadow detail.

Along with what has already been said, make sure your reels are

ABSOLUTELY clean and free of Photoflo!!!

The reasoning behind the increased air space is exactly as you say, it

increases the agitation. However; when the tank is inverted, the air

chases the developer out from between the layers of film more

completely, so that when the tank is brought back right way up, then

less-exhausted developer can flood back in. The result should be, not

that the edges receive <i>less</i> development, but that the centre of

the film receives <i>more</i>.<br> Agitation doesn't actually increase

the developer's activity, it simply replaces exhausted developer with

fresher stuff, allowing the proper rate of development to take place.

The problem is insufficient agitation.

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Since you can't get a big air space in the inversion tank, I'd suggest you just run a tank line. Agitate by completely lifting the reel from the developer and plunging it back in, continuously for the first 30 seconds, then five seconds every 30 seconds or, probably more convenient, 10 seconds every minute.

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Tupperware-style containers will be fine for this; no need for expensive stainless steel stuff.

Thanks for all the responses. I think it's interesting and funny that

people feel I've been doing both too little AND too much agitation!

However, I will try both remedies and report back in a week or two.

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Andy

Hello Andy,

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thanks for the info. Using TX at 50-100 is a 2 to 3 stop pull, have

you tried Gamma Plus at 1:20, also with shortened times? Sorry , but

pulling is not my thing.

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regards,

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Wolfram

Eh?<br>Nobody suggested you should give less agitation. What I was

trying to say was, that 2 inversions per minute <i>should</i> be

enough; provided the tank, reel, and amount of air space allow a

sufficiently free flow of developer.<br>The amount that you shake the

tank about has got very little to do with how efficiently stale

developer is removed from the surface of the film and replaced with

less oxidised developer. That's the point of agitation, it's not about

giving the film a white-knuckle ride.