terryroth (terryroth@earthlink.net)
Wed, 24 Mar 1999 18:23:21 -0800
Judy Seigel wrote:
>
> On Wed, 24 Mar 1999 MMagid3005@aol.com wrote:
>
> > Judy -- Would you please describe your brush method of developing.
> > Also, I think I know what a schmendrick is (at least I know one when I
> > see one), but goosey isn't in my dictionary. Your 1st two issues are
> > terrific. Marty Magid
>
> Ah, Marty, flattery will get you everywhere... And hi Mac + lith lovers
> everywhere...
>
> Maybe I spelled it wrong -- does "goose-y" ring a bell? Meaning touchy,
> quick to jump, as after a vulgarism, perhaps not universal... But the lith
> film is so quick to go into extreme density that agitating with the brush
> is a great help... especially in the matter of EDGE BUILD-UP.
>
> If you rock the tray, even alternating directions, you'll still get extra
> density at the edges, where the developer hits the film, unless you leave
> a wide margin, and I'm not one to waste silver... I like to expose edge to
> edge, to get all possible size as well.
>
> Rocking is also a problem if you want a lot of solution, as for Dave
> Soemarko's low contrast interpos... Too full to rock. (so, hum a few bars
> & I'll sing along!) Mac asks what size is "big"... I'd say that depends on
> your particular methods, but surely the brush is much easier for 8x10 or
> larger..
>
> As for method -- notice that *I* asked what the fella used for a brush, &
> that answer is not yet at hand, but I used a big painters brush, a very
> wide bristle brush, and variations of Blanchard brush. I've also used a
> wide out-of-date Staticmaster, and so forth, it almost doesn't seem to
> matter -- most will shed pretty soon & fall apart after a while, so you
> don't want something "good." Students use foam applicators, which also
> seem to be fine. You'd think it would scratch the film but doesn't seem
> to, even if it touches, which it doesn't have to -- just the motion upsets
> the laminar layer enough to agitate, it seems.
>
> The important point in choice of brush I think is for it to be wide, about
> 3 inches (7-8 cm) I'd say. I have a particular "blanchard brush" on the
> drawing board, so to speak, but haven't done it yet. I'm sure there are
> some better ideas out there.... My original by the way, was a very wide &
> cheap bristle brush left from acrylic painting. It wasn't being used any
> more & so was expendable...
>
> I just hold it upright in the developer, slightly above the film
> supposedly, but that doesn't seem critical, work my way back & forth in
> one direction (top to bottom of tray) then the other (left to right of
> tray), varying speed according to desired density.
>
> Be sure to rinse a bit & shake out after each, so you don't get too much
> dead developer in the tray....
>
> Improvements, variations, etc., would be welcome...
>
> Judy
***********************************
wELL, yes. "The fella" (fellahin??) has been hors-de-combat due to a
nasty fall at work, but I have tried several brushes: Japanese "hake"
brush, which sheds terribly (unless you work some epoxy down into the
bristle roots); regular paintbrush in 4" width, nice but $$; cheap foam
brush, can deep-six after a few uses, no it does not scratch, and yes,
you can even (should) touch the emulsion surface. Remember, PMK is a
tanning developer, it toughens the emusion surface. There is indeed a
laminar layer within a thousandth-inch of the film surface which is hard
to disturb with conventional inversion agitiation, but the brush wil
move fresh developer into this boundary layer.
I recommend a 4" brush for 5x7, and a 5" brush for 8x10 or larger
film. Brush in alternating up-down and side-to-side motion. I have had
good results with 8x10 films in 8x10 trays, 2 films backto-back, I only
use PMK so you will have to test with other developers. But PMK is so
good---why bother? Possible exception might be HP-5+ users who use
ID-11 or D-76 and like that nice scale. I shot a lot of Delta-400 in
Venice, developed in PMK and got the most amazing internal contrast and
delicate highlights I have yet achieved in large format (including
divided D-23, ID-11, D-76, Edwal FG-7 and Kodak's crummy suite of recent
products such as XTOL, TMAX, etc.)
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