Denser sides w 4x5 hangers

Hello,

 

As some of you might remember, I'm in search of a method for deving 4x5 that

works consistently and can be done w DBI. So I'm trying tanks and hangers, and

keep getting one or two sheets in every batch with higher density along the

sides, in the shape of the hanger rails, very straight lines. In one case, I

got a denser bottom rail. I've been using Rodinal at 1:50 and 1:100 w pre-

soaking and agitation for 15 secs once a minute. I'm guessing the problem is w

the agitation. So far, I've followed Bruce Barnbaum's instructions in is book,

of lifting out of the tank, tilting to one side without stopping at the end,

neither slowly nor fast.

If any of you have dealt w this problem successfully, tell me what worked for

you. Thanks, and at least I'm not getting scratches in the middle of every

shot as I was w shuffling!

 

GB

GB: In my experience, 15 seconds every minute is just too much agitation with Rodinal at such dilutions, and 5 seconds of vigorous agitation can be as bad.

 

But still, it's a bit of a mystery to me why you are getting such a profound effect. Are the hangars by any chance plated with some plating eroded away, rusted, stained? (Shouldn't be, but who knows?)

 

And you are certain it's not from light leaks in holders, right?

Rodinal isn't suitable for deep tank use, because once diluted it only has a short working life. My guess is that the developer is oxidising on the surface of the tank, and your agitation method is just dragging part of that oxidised developer down the centre of the tank, giving you lower density than the sides.

 

IME the only developers that work well, and are economical to use in a deep tank, are those with a high sulphite content: D-76; Microphen; Perceptol; etc. Like them or not.

 

Your agitation method sounds OK, but you need to be fairly vigorous with the lifting, since that's what does the agitation. The tilting and draining business has very little effect, apart from giving a rhythm to your agitation timing, and helping to relieve the boredom!

 

However, as the previous poster said, your problem could be due to contaminated hangers or tanks. Stainless hangers should be reliable, but enamel tanks can cause chaos if the enamel is chipped or cracked.

When I do 4x5 I use the one agitation cycle per minute with good results. An agitation cycle is up and tilt 90 degrees to the right back down and up and tilt 90 degrees to the left and back. No agitation marks on the film have happened when I follow this routine, so far....

If 6/8 initial inversion cycles does not cure it, then look for other causes. I cured my problem. Twice in and out does not work.

 

Nikor 4x5 tanks also work well. But like all stainless tanks, drop the loaded reel into a prefilled tank. Pull out- replace and initial agitation is over. Cover and invert for balance of time.

It's not light leaks, and the hangers are stainless, tanks plastic. It might be that some of my hangers are Carr, nt Kodak, and have much less holes in them, so I'll try it w just the kodak hangers.

If rodinal were the culprit, why would it only show up on some of the sheets and not all?

I had a similar issue. Where I first developed my film the hangers, some had holes on the face

of the hangers and others had the holes on the side/ends of the hangers. What i found was

tha the hangers with the holes on the face of the hangers would give odd agitation issues.

When I switched to the side only holes the issues went away. The hangers with the side holes

were made by Kodak, but I am sure their are others.

Holes in hangers? I'm trying to imagine this, and failing. Sorry, but could someone show a picture of these, or point a link at a picture?

 

The only stainless hangers that I've regularly used are the old wire frame type, with little spring clips at each corner to hold the film. Nothing comes closer than half-an-inch from the film with these, so there's no obstruction to agitation at all, and I never had any hint of uneven development with them.

Here is a link to someone who is selling some hangers on ebay that have have holes on the

hangers.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Kodak-Film-processing-hangers-8-for-4x5-sheet-

film_W0QQitemZ260044926511QQihZ016QQcategoryZ29993QQcmdZViewItem