Re: Richard circular print washer
What matters is whether there is high enough flow of water in contact with the emulsion side. However, prints floating on the surface (even if face down), or print sticking to the bottom (even if face up), is probably not as efficient as complete immersion and free flow of water on both sides. When following instructions of old washers, or consulting old textbooks, you may see very long washing time, such as 30-60 minutes wash in running water. You might want to adapt more modern practice in that case. I have run some tests for residual fixer level with fiber based prints, using non-hardening rapid fixers and washing aids. I can meet and exceed the current ISO archival standard for residual thiosulfate level with much shorter washing time. Indeed, I could easily meet the standard by a few runs of fill-and-dump sequenses in a tray, using far less water than otherwise required by "archival washers." I have written a fill-and-dump washing recommentation for prints, similar to that for film washing recommended by Ilford. The instruction is for Clearfix and Clearwash, but you can use any generic sulfite-based washing aid. In fact, you can just use plain 2% sodium sulfite, if you prefer. Another advantage of washing aid is that it allows efficient washing with colder water. Although standard instruction recommends 13C or 55F or higher, in some of my tests, using Boston's cold winter water at 5C, I could easily meet and exceed the standard, and I no longer use hot water and a temperature regulator to adjust the washing water temp for prints, since hot tap water has environmental load about 30x that of cold tap water (depending on the heating system, but the factor of 30 came from a calculation using gas). Incidentally, I've seen that bottled waters have environmental load of about 500x the tap water, based on the report I used. -- Ryuji Suzuki "Strange how people who suffer together have stronger connections than people who are most content." (Bob Dylan, Brownsville Girl, 1986) From: "Robert W. Schramm" <schrammrus@hotmail.com> Subject: RE: Richard circular print washer Date: Fri, 08 Aug 2008 21:55:28 -0400 > > Bob, > > My cicular print washer is also in storage but I seem to remember that I put the > prints in face down because they tend to float to the top. Therefore the emulsion side is > has water flowing past it or at least more than if they were face up. Does that make any sense? > > Bob Schramm > > Check out my web page at: > > http://www.SchrammStudio.com > > > > > > > Date: Fri, 8 Aug 2008 18:19:39 -0400 > > From: bobkiss@caribsurf.com > > Subject: Richard circular print washer > > To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca > > > > DEAR LIST, > > Yes, yes, I have a good archival print washer but I dug out and > > set up my old Richard Circular Print Washer from my ol’ studio in NYC. I > > seem to recall that the instructions said that the prints should be washed > > face down. Does anyone have the instruction manual and know for CERTAIN > > which way the prints should lie in the wash water? > > CHEERS! > > BOB > > > > Please check my website: http://www.bobkiss.com/ > > > > "Live as if you are going to die tomorrow. Learn as if you are going to > > live forever". Mahatma Gandhi > > > >
|