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  #21  
Old 9th June 2021, 11:48 AM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Despite insulating my log cabin darkroom at the end of the garden, with some clever silver stuff, I can't change the cabin's site, so it sits in full sun all day. The insulation works to an extent, but when I was in there a few days ago, it was about 25C. I'd dread to imagine what it would be like without the insulation, but I do remember it being a lot hotter before I put it in. To keep me cool in my small darkroom area in a corner of the cabin, I have a small electric fan directed at my face, which helps no end.

But since I've been trying out some lith developers recently, the ambient temperature has helped, along with a tray warmer, as I've been using the developer at 30C to 35C. And like Nat suggested -
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nat Polton View Post
As to the 27c temperature in the room I have been pondering on the dress style of The Naked Photographer on Youtube.
I have occasionally had to go all the way, if I was to stay in the sauna of a darkroom, with only an apron to cover my modesty, but at that temperature, it wasn't long before I could take no more. The things we do for our 'art', eh?

I'm currently thinking about how to put in an air-conditioning unit, without letting light in...? To start with, I'm thinking of just using it to chill the darkroom down a bit and then remove the unit and close the blackouts. A lot will depend a lot on how quickly it all heats up again.

Terry S
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  #22  
Old 9th June 2021, 11:54 AM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Originally Posted by Martin Aislabie View Post
Nat, just as a matter of interest - how does a warm developer affect your prints ?

I know about the effects of warm developer on film but I'm unclear how warm developer affects prints, as we tend to develop prints to finality (or at least I do).

Thanks

Martin
I've found that with warmer developer, the prints just come up and finalise quicker. I thought that they might be slightly warmer, but I have NOT found this to be the case with either Ilford MG or home mixed D72 developer. BUT as long as your test-strips are also done at the higher temperature, and you use the same development time for both, your prints should come out fine.

Just remember, if you keep notes, to write down that the exposures done were with the developer at a higher temperature than the usual 20C, that we aim for.

Terry S
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  #23  
Old 9th June 2021, 08:29 PM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
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I read a long time ago that metol and hydroquinone, if both are used in the print developer together can struggle with each other if the recommended temperature is increased.
Even if used on their own, when the temperature is increased from the recommended then you can get softer prints.

I shall have a look through the few books I kept after taking a break from the darkroom for a few years. I gave most away.

I tried all sorts of recommendations to get consistent quality prints. Some of it was absolute rubbish. Some of it I kept to.

I shall have a look.

Cheers.
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  #24  
Old 9th June 2021, 08:39 PM
Molli Molli is offline
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Being in Australia, I deal with an overheated darkroom for about a third of the year. I keep yoghurt tubs or the like in the freezer filled with water. It's a simple matter to pop one in each tray until the temperature comes down.
As for clothing, I'm sure you'd all look fetching in a bikini! I've resorted to that on many an occasion.

Tonight's printing session was at the other end of the thermometer. Out of sheer desperation (i.e I couldn't wait for Winter to end to print these particular photos) I used a small fan heater to take the chill off (it was 9°C inside) and warmed the chemicals up in the kitchen sink whilst still in their bottles.

I always make note of both my darkroom's temperature and if I've heated or cooled the chemicals to get to 20°C. There's inevitably a drift by the end of my printing session.
I usually don't print in Winter because aside from the open fire place at the other end of the house, that small electric heater is it and it's just too expensive to run.
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  #25  
Old 10th June 2021, 01:37 PM
Nat Polton Nat Polton is offline
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Just had look at Ilford Harman info. sheets.
B&W PAPER DEVELOPERS July 2010.

For Ilford Multigrade Developer, PQ Universal and Bromophen, they say,

"....designed for use at ambient room temperature, nominally 20c/68f.
We do not recommend its use for high temperature or machine processing."

also....

"High temperature will reduce the effective solution life considerably and may give very short developing times that can lead to uneven processing being seen."


They do not include time and temperature charts, just the 20c recommendation.




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  #26  
Old 10th June 2021, 02:06 PM
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Uwe Pilz Uwe Pilz is offline
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> may give very short developing times that can lead to uneven processing being seen."

That may be possible for baryta paper. And even with that, I don't believe in that. Prints should be developed until they reach a point of stabilization. Then nearly nothing happens anymore. PE papers have this effect very clearly. Baryta papers get darker with longish times, but slowly.

Problems arise, if you overexpose your prints and try to rescue them with short developing times. This nevers gives a fine print.

I would use the lab with the 27°C.
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