Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/08/12

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Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - B&W negative developing info. in general
From: Dante Stella <dante@umich.edu>
Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2003 22:34:47 -0400

What I like to do with Xtol is come home from a trip with 20 rolls of 
120 film, mix up five liters of fresh Xtol, run a test roll, then do 
the 20 five at a time, recycling the used developer back into the 
bottle (i.e., mixing it with the unused developer), afterwards pitching 
it most of the time.

2.5 liters is more than enough to do 5 220 rolls in a big Paterson 
tank, so 5 liters is easily enough for 20 120 rolls.  After 20 rolls, I 
usually start upping the development time by 10%.  Likewise, 5L of Xtol 
should be enough to do 16 rolls of 35mm film.

What they never seem to tell you with these chemicals is that there is 
a disconnect between the physical capacity required to submerge the 
negs in developer (i.e., 17 oz for a 120 or 220 on a plastic reel) 
versus the actual amount of developer solution required to develop a 
certain number of square inches of film (which seems to be a lot less).


On Tuesday, August 12, 2003, at 10:42  AM, Mark Rabiner wrote:

> Steve Unsworth wrote:
>>
>> I agree, I'd just pour it out of the 5 litre bottle as required and 
>> then
>> make up another 5 litres when it was empty.
>>
>> Steve
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us] On Behalf Of Dante 
>> Stella
>> Sent: 12 August 2003 02:59
>> To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
>> Subject: Re: [Leica] OT - B&W negative developing info. in general
>>
>> It actually lasts 3 months in a half-full 5 liter bottle, too.
>>
> Steve IF you go on the Darkroom Newsgroup you'll hear billions and
> billions of people who've done that and been sorry. Darn sorry.
> But then again you'll hear tens and tens who claim theirs was full to
> the top when it happened.
> But then you email them off list and finally pull the info out of them
> (IS IT SAFE???) that they were using cheap plastic containers, non
> filtered or distilled water, marbles to fill the liquid  to the top and
> more weirdness I'm sure. OR "maybe it wasn't filled to the very top 
> last
> time." Its often a one strike and you're out deal.  Run one for the
> Gipper!  I don't trust the  anarchic air that you pump into the bottles
> to replace the regular air. I think air should have supervision! ("A"
> something I can't find the word)
>
> But boy if you are handling Xtol just like D76 like you say you are in
> for trouble soon, son;
> Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your 
> life.
> And that's with a capital P. Which rhymes with T. Which stands for
> erratic rapid oxidation of ascorbates when exposed to the smallest
> amount of air. Which is very old news to the chemistry people.
>
> But I hear it's OK on Tuesdays
>
>
> Mark Rabiner
> Portland, Oregon USA
> http://www.rabinergroup.com
> --
> To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html
>
>
____________
Dante Stella
http://www.dantestella.com

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Replies: Reply from Mark Rabiner <mark@rabinergroup.com> (Re: [Leica] OT - B&W negative developing info. in general)