Colour processing equipment

[John King]

I have given up colour printing because I now find it exceedingly boring. I am sticking with B&W, where I have to think about what I am doing.

So I have 2 x 12x16 NOVA processors. (1 x 2 bath and 1 x 4 bath but 4th slot out of use). Both are scruffy having been in use since 1992, but work as well as ever. Included are 8 paper clips as well.

There are also a spare single heating tube for the 2 bath and a twin tube for the 4 bath.

I also have a home made, light tight, RA4 paper dispenser which takes 12" wide rolls of either Kodak or Fuji paper. (Paper is shed loads cheaper that way.) At present it contains about 1/2 a roll of 12" wide Glossy Kodak RA4 left over from a 60 meter roll. There are som pre cut 12x16 sheets from this roll. It is well in date

I also have 20 ltr (undiluted) of Kodak RA4 Blix. Also a one or two accessories to throw in.

If you want it, come and get it! It is too heavy and bulky to post, or send by courier, so it is pick up only. OR meet somewhere near half way and I will hand it over. I live in North Durham so work it out if it is within reach.


Oh yes I forgot to say I will be giving it away! I will be glad to have the room.

Nor do I want to split it up and want to get rid of it as a job lot.

The only colour processing item I am keeping is my DUKA safe light which is worth it's weight in gold for B&W as well.

Either PM via this site me or 'phone 07833 705652 and ask for John

[Quendil]

Wow very generous offer wish I lived nearer

David

[skellum]

Hi John-
Does this mean you plan to tray process your black and white? Are the Novas unsuited to B&W for some reason? I've never used one.

[John King]

I have never liked deep tank processing for B&W for a number of reasons. I have almost always used a tray - the proper way to do it.

One, possibly the biggest kick out of B&W, is the feeling of success is when you see a print emerge out of the developer into to the stop and then the fixer and finaly examine a lovely print which does the negative true justice.

Two, I do a bit of local enhancement whilst the print is still in the developer. If I see the highlights are not as detailed as I want them, I can do two things. Partially remove the print and brush neat developer onto the area which will in some cases solve the problem, or alternatively dip my finger into neat developer and apply it direct and actually rub the paper with the neat developer which can have the same effect.

Three. If one part of the print, usually the shadows is becoming too dark, to quickly, I can partially remove the print exposing the dark area,then with a brush, (1/2" paintbrush) rinse plain water over the site and this will slow down or even stop the development on that part. That saves using Farmers Reducer and all the palaver that entails later.

All in all, B&W paper processing is a very flexible medium and I have never had any adverse effects by doing these little tricks. You would find it hard, nay impossible, to do them in a NOVA. The neat developer trick does work best with fibre based paper though.

Conversely, If you tried to dish process RA4 and do what I sometimes do with B&W as described above, you will start to get colour imbalances and possibly fogging from even a DUKA safe light. Besides the standard 45 seconds development is not long enough to be able to do them properly.

[JimW]

or alternatively dip my finger into neat developer and apply it direct and actually rub the paper with the neat developer which can have the same effect.

Each to their own, but I was always taught to keep my fingers out of the chemicals. To re-state, each to their own, but this is done at owner's risk, yes?
And yes, it's a very generous offer.

[John King]

Originally Posted by JimW

Each to their own, but I was always taught to keep my fingers out of the chemicals. To re-state, each to their own, but this is done at owner's risk, yes?

The risk is so low that it can be discounted otherwise after 50+ years doing it, I think it would have caused some sort of problem.

Now, stop bath and fixer are a different matter. I learned at an early stage that they both cause the skin to dry out and cause 'keens' (small cuts) to form on the finger tips and they are painful. So for them I always use tongs.

[Richard Gould]

I have and still do the same as John when printing, I was taught this at an early stage in my photography life, and have continued for nearly 60 years, with no ill effects, developer is fairly mild as long as you suffer no allergy to the ingridients, as some do and need latex gloves, but as John says, with stop and fix, also Hypo clear, different story, tongs and keep fingers out as much as possible, and if skin is cantainemated then use moisteriser when session is finished
Richard

[skellum]

What an interesting discussion this has become.
I develop all my print face down. Fibre papers I give at least 2 minutes, usually closer to 3. I picked up the habit to stop me 'pulling' prints which I thought were heading for being too dark. Fine highlights often take a little while to fully develop, so snatching a print gives a muddy look. I hope I'm a more disciplined printer now than I was in my early days, but the habit of developing face down has stayed with me.
John, I'd love to watch you printing. You sound as if you have a style completely different to me. It had never occurred to me to tinker with the development process through diluting out or adding neat dev- I try to get all my tonal control in through dodging and burning, with a bottle of Farmers tucked away for occasional use.
I use tongs to move prints from tray to tray, not because I'm worried about contact with developer (I'd have to go some to match Edward Weston's black fingernails) but I feel like I get fewer marks and stains if I use them.

[John King]

I have to confess that during my early impecunious days I could not afford tongs (buying film was more important) My regular developer was Kodak D163 and Bromesko chlorobromide paper. Incidentally that was a wonderful combination.

After I had been 'playing' for a few months with my new darkroom, I got a right old rollicking from my dad because the stain from the developer was exactly the same as his nicotine stained fingers. Never mind that he smoked, I was only 15 and buying fags then when under age was almost a hanging offence!

[John King]

Originally Posted by Richard Gould

I have and still do the same as John when printing, I was taught this at an early stage in my photography life, and have continued for nearly 60 years, with no ill effects, developer is fairly mild as long as you suffer no allergy to the ingridients, as some do and need latex gloves, but as John says, with stop and fix, also Hypo clear, different story, tongs and keep fingers out as much as possible, and if skin is cantainemated then use moisteriser when session is finished
Richard

Another reason, although not the prime one, for getting rid of my colour processing kit is I have in the past suffered from an allergy I think it was to do with the bleach bath. I have been clear of it for around 18 months or possibly a little more and I don't want the symptoms or effects to come back.