Pyrocat-HD postwashing staining phenomena

Sandy and all Pyrocat-HD afficionados:

I'm getting streaking and mottling with 8x10 FP4 developed in
Pyrocat-HD.

The procedures are :

Jobo CPP2

-5 minutes water pre-bath in distilled water
Development at 2:2:100( mixed dist. water), 73ºF, slowest rotation
possible, Expert 3005 Drum ,
  1000ml developer volume, followed by 2 water rinses.
Fixing with Ilford Rapid Fixer.
and now is were the problem is ( I suppose ) happening , at the film
washing!

Concerning Rollo and others Pyro developers the available literature
often refers to the stain that develops during the film wash. I
suppose the same applies to Pyrocat.
I notice this phenomena after washing sheet film in a Kodak N. 3F
deep tank equipped with a color print processing basket. The dividers
are made with a very soft fiber glass net. With the film dried , I
could notice very clearly the net pattern of the basket in the sky
area .

I think this happened because the emulsion side of the film sticked
to the net, not allowing a even contact with the water. Because of
that, the stain developed during the washing was more intense in the
clear areas of the net , producing this pattern in the film.

But this is not all.
Making a feedback to some mottling and streaking I had with Pyrocat, I
suppose the possible reason may be an uneven flow of water during
the washing time. That results in a stronger visible post-washing
staning in the areas in contact with a more intense flow of water.

Meanwhile I've made the following test:
After developing one FP4 8x10 with the described method , I cut it in
half and washed the two half negatives with different methods. One in
the Kodak processing basket and the other in an horizontal Kostiner
washing tank. The results were clearly differen, concerning the
mottling and streaking patterns .

Do you think the intensity of the water flow has influence in the post
staining ?
Can this explain some cases of mottling and streaking ?
What do you advise for a perfectly even film washing ?

How do you wash your 5x7 or 8x10 or larger sheet film ?
In vertical archival tanks ?
In trays with Kodak siphon ?

I look forward to know Sandy opinion and of course of other list
members.

Thank you all

Manuel Gomes Teixeira
Received on Tue May 18 23:36:40 2004