Agitation and HC-110

[Commonman]

I've been using Kodak HC-110 developer in a small tank for film processing. For the last 2 sessions, I was using T-Max 400. One session produced negatives that had a purplish tint (which I don't think is right). The other session produced more normal looking negs (black, grey, clear).

I've looked over the "J" sheet for HC-110 and I don't see anything about agitaion.

I think when I used other develpers, I was told to agitate for the first 30 seconds and then 5 seconds every 30 seconds.

However, during the first session I may have forgotten the pattern and only agitated for the first 5 or 10 seconds and then every 30 seconds for 5 seconds.

Does anyone have any recommendations for an agitation pattern using this developer in a small canister?

 

[doobs]

I agitate as such. First 30 seconds after poured in, and 10 seconds every minute. Don't forget to tap the tank on a hard surface to make the air bubbles rise away from the film. Basically the same thing.

About purple, I was told Kodak films clear to purple after the stop bath(?) and before the fixer has completed it's job. If you did not fix the film, this is why it could be purple. (I am probably wrong, I'm not sure if I remembered correctly)

 

[Hertz van Rental]

The purple in T-Max is a dye which normally comes out during processing and in the wash. It doesn't always but as far as I know residual dye does not affect printing or quality.

Recommended agitation for small tanks is:
Continuous for the first 30 seconds.
Then a sharp rap to dislodge air bells.
Then agitate 5 seconds every 30 seconds.

Agitation should be vigorous enough to stir the developer in the tank but must NOT set up a rotational flow (like the way your coffee moves around in the cup when you stir it).
If the developer starts rotating then flow patterns develop and you can get bands of exhausted developer forming. These cause bands of varying density to develop on the neg (with no cure).
An agitation method that causes random movement in the liquid is to be preferred.
The Kodak 'figure of eight' is the best.
Keep the tank flat on the table and slide it around in a small figure of eight, one cycle taking 1 to 2 seconds.
The change in direction every cycle stops the liquid rotating but is vigorous enough to mix the liquid.
Agitation of 10 seconds every 60 seconds is recommended for large tanks but will work OK in small tanks.
Any agitation timing will work as long as you are consistent.

 

[Commonman]

Thanks! It may be that my fixer had gone bad and so, as you say, it really did not get fixed. However, I rinsed the negs pretty well with water.

It's good to know that it won't effect the printing. Upon the initial inspection of the negatives on the light box with a loupe, the quality of the negatives appears to be good, so I'm feeling good that the purple tint does not mean a complete failure.

 

[Commonman]

Last night, I processed a roll of T-Max 400. I followed the agitation procedure and the finished negs look good throgh the loup on the light box. However, I am not that great at evaluating negatives - it is something that I am really working on.

One thing - upon close inspection, I noticed some specks in the area of the film where the holes are located. I was just wondering what this means. Is this indicative of a problem?

 

[Helen B]

What kind of specks? Light, dark, fuzzy, sharp...?

Dyes are used for sensitising the silver halide beyong its natural speed and spectral sensitivity, and for decreasing halation. The purple dye in T-Max films is mostly sensitizing dye.

For fixing T-Max the recommendation is to fix for three times the clearing time of dry film. You stick the tongue into the fix, wiggle it about and see how long it takes to clear, then triple that. Clearing is the removal of the milkiness, not the removal of the dye.

T-Max takes longer to fix because it has more silver iodide than most films, and silver iodide is slower to remove (simplified answer). It also exhausts the fixer more rapidly.

One way of testing fixer exhaustion is to keep a record of the clearing time of dry film - when it is twice that of fresh fixer, discard it. Many of us use two-bath fixing, which has been around since the late 1800s. Long story simplified: it reduces fixer consumption while ensuring complete fixing. More info if you ask.

The clearing time of dry film does not equal that of wet film, but it can be used as a benchmark if done in a consistent manner. (As an aside, a very misleading conclusion was drawn from some famous tests on fixer concentration vs time to fix because they were carried out on dry film. When they were repeated years later with wet film, the conclusions were changed dramatically. More info if you ask.)

The presence of the purple dye in the washed film is not, in itself, a bad thing. If it is very deep, then it may be that you have underfixed. Re-fixing and re-washing can be done. The dye will fade in indirect sunlight quite quickly, but underfixed film will darken. Properly processed silver-image B&W negs can stand a bit of sunlight without harm.

Good luck,
Helen

 

[Commonman]

Helen,

The specks are light, small, dot-like and appear only to be on the edges of the 35 mm film not in the frame itself.

This is the first I have heard of film described as "dry" or "wet." Maybe I am missing the point completely but, I usually pour the the fixer into my
tank right after the stop bath. I am using a "rapid fix" formula (Kodak or Ilford) and so, I thought having the film submerged in the fixer and agitated from time to time was all that was needed. So, in my pea brain, the film is always "wet" during this process.

I don't think I have thoroughly "processed" all the info you have provided so I will not comment further at this time - but thanks much!

 

[ann]

dry film referes to film that has not been processed; i.e. the leader of the film for instance.

You need to agitate the fixer in the same manner you agitate the developer and stop bath.

If negatives are not fixed properly, they will break down in time and be unprintable.

 

[Commonman]

Yes, the specks are around the sprocket holes of the film.
Regarding dry/wet film, okay, I get it. You cut off a piece of the film before you put it in the tank. You dip this peice of film in the fixer and observe the clearing and use as a reference. Does it matter if you do this fixer test in the light or in the dark?

 

[Commonman]

The negatives to which I was referring in my first note - the ones that had the purplish tint - are no good. I found this out when I tried to print them. When I first looked at them on the light box, they looked good.
To get any print out of them what so ever, I had to use an extraordianry amount of time/light and even then, the images were all blurry. I guess I should re-examine the negatives under the light box and see if there has been some degredation since I first examined them. I suppose this is possible if the fixer was bad and did not "fix" the emulsion. I think...