Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/10/12
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Jonathan Borden wrote: > Question for Ted: why do you change your solutions with the tops off in the >dark? I think if I tried that I'd end up developing my shoes and fixing my >shirt!>>>> Jonathan, I like to get the film into the developer quickly, not pouring it in through a little hole on the top and dumping the same method. Having the lid off in the dark allows me to drop all the reels in at the same time, clock going, lid on, start agitation. Then turn lights on during the develop time. The dumping is in the same manner, lights out, lid off, dump. re-fill quickly with fixer. lid on, lights on. One can do it very well in total darkness after some practice. The secret is, you place eveything exactly the same position everytime. So in your minds eye, even though in the dark, you can "see where they are!" I feel pouring the solutions in through the top hole means, the bottom reels get a different develop time than the top, simply because it takes at least 30 seconds or more to fill a 4 or 6 reel tank. In the dark with 6 reels on a rod, it's just "splooooosh!" and they're all into developer in a fraction of a second and agitation begins. Similarly when fixing. ted Ted Grant This is Our Work. The Legacy of Sir William Osler. http://www.islandnet.com/~tedgrant