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  #1  
Old 7th April 2011, 09:49 AM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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Default Nova Slot Processor and developer

I have been using a Nova Slot Processor for over ten years now. Up until recently I have used Ilford Multigrade developer (1+9) and have changed the developer every two months as well as refilling as necessary, quite happily.
More recently I have switched to using Kentmere VC Selectplus (I have liberated quite a lot with the flight to *ital!!). This turns brown (at 1+4 and 1+9) much more quickly than the Multigrade. There is also a loss of contrast in the Selectplusthat I have not previously noticed with the Multigrade at what I take to be full development. Does anyone have any experiences of the keeping property of particularily developer in a 'toaster'?
Mike
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Old 7th April 2011, 01:32 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Just so I have understood you correctly, Mike. Selectplus is a paper developer made by or commissioned by Kentmere for its paper that has poorer keeping qualities than Ilford MG dev in terms of producing the correct contrast?

I have never heard of this dev I must admit. Now that Ilford owns Kentmere you'd wonder how much longer it will survive especially if it is an inferior quality dev.

Mike
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Old 7th April 2011, 05:55 PM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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Mike:
You got it right. I hadn't heard of it until I liberated it.
It certainly dates from before the takeover - I have a fair amount of it and don't want to waste it, and wondered what other people have experienced with developers in toasters.
Mike
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Old 7th April 2011, 05:59 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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It may be that the dev is very old. Where did you liberate it from? What's its history? Presumably even unopened dev eventually goes off?

Unless Kentmere when it was in Kendall has its own chemical manufacturing dept and I think this doubtful if a bigger outfit like Ilford doesn't have one then it will have been commissioned and maybe the spec wasn't up to top standard.

I just don't know but it sounds as if it is on its way out. Still if it is OK for a few days and needs more frequent dumping than its Ilford equivalent then unless it cost you about what you'd pay for Ilford or Agfa chems then more frequent dumping may not be too high a price to pay.

Mike
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Old 7th April 2011, 07:03 PM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike O'Pray View Post
then more frequent dumping may not be too high a price to pay.
Mike
Thats the conclusion I have come to. I don't think I paid much for it, if anything, as my liberation activity (ransacking of D/Rs) was from more than one source and the developer was probably with other things including paper and equipment. I can't bear to see these things being binned if there is any possibility of use.

I am still curious about other peoples' experience as I am stingy and tend to push things to avoid paying on 'consumables'.

Mike
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Old 7th April 2011, 07:40 PM
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MartyNL MartyNL is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeHeller View Post
Thats the conclusion I have come to. I don't think I paid much for it, if anything, as my liberation activity (ransacking of D/Rs) was from more than one source and the developer was probably with other things including paper and equipment. I can't bear to see these things being binned if there is any possibility of use.

I am still curious about other peoples' experience as I am stingy and tend to push things to avoid paying on 'consumables'.

Mike
The problem is, the pennies you might be saving on print developer may be losing you pounds on photo paper...
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Old 8th April 2011, 05:24 PM
MikeHeller MikeHeller is offline
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The problem is, the pennies you might be saving on print developer may be losing you pounds on photo paper...
How true. Now that I have identified a possible problem, I will have to make sure to be more careful and critical about how and when I use it. Sharpens up the critical faculties, I suppose
Mike
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Old 8th April 2011, 07:22 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Mike I even googled this dev and found the odd reference to it but no stockists. I suspect that maybe no-one here has any and it looks as if the dev died with Kentmere's takeover.

Mike
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Old 9th April 2011, 01:12 AM
Leigh Y Leigh Y is offline
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May or may not be relevant but I'm currently using up some Agfa Neutol WA paper developer (from before Agfa's demise) on Kentmere VC RC paper. I'm also using a Nova slot tank.
The developer goes off after about 3-4 days having turned a dark yellow/brown colour. A 50% replenishment in the slot lasted only a couple of days.
I'd say that your developer is similarly old and that's the cause of your problem.
Options seem to be -
(1) Get new developer and throw out the old stuff.
(2) make up a fresh batch each time you print, and if working for more than 3 days, use 100% fresh developer anyway every 3-4 days.
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Old 9th April 2011, 10:17 AM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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This gets interesting if deviating a little from the original thread but we seem to have discovered two paper devs which have short lives in a Nova unlike Ilford which, credit where credit is due, last a long time in my experience.

I am a bit surprised about Agfa exhibiting the same short life problems.

Leigh is this the current Agfa Neutol dev in terms of its ingredients? I think you are saying that what you have is very old Agfa dev and this is the problem. I hope so.

I had often wondered about trying Agfa Neutol but this has got me nervous about it.

How old is your Agfa and when was it first opened?

Mike
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