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  #1  
Old 12th April 2019, 05:57 PM
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GoodOldNorm GoodOldNorm is offline
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Default Paterson Orbital Processor for 4x5 sheet film

I have read the article here on FADU about using a Paterson Orbital Processor for developing 4x5 film. If you were setting up to develop 4x5 film for the first time would you go down this route or would you go for some other set up? I think that I may have an orbital processor somewhere stashed away. I have found the motor base but not the tank......yet! Also I think that I have a stainless steel tank with a heater in it for developing prints, would dip and dunk with the lights off be a good idea?
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Old 12th April 2019, 06:49 PM
mpirie mpirie is offline
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I guess it comes down to budget Norm!

If you have an Orbital, then make sure the pegs are there and you can dev up to 4 sheets of 5x4 at a time (or two sheets 5x7 or one 10x8).

It's a good option. Recently, i've been regressing and gone back to trays :-)

Mike
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Old 12th April 2019, 06:53 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Norm,
I have used a Paterson Orbital to develop sheet film for a good few years now and find it excellent. I don't have the motor. I very gently rock the processor by hand - in a random fashion - continuously, and get very even development. It is very easy to load, I do this in a light-tight cupboard under the stairs, and develop at the kitchen sink. I do 35mm and 120 film like this as well because I don't have running water in my darkroom.
Some people use a tank in which the film is held vertically, and get good results. I tried a Yankee once and found it difficult to load. But other tanks seem OK. But you have a Paterson, so why not give it a try?
You mention "dip and dunk". I have never done this but believe you need film hangers to hold the film in.

Alan
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Old 12th April 2019, 07:22 PM
mpirie mpirie is offline
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Alan,

Do you have bumps of glue or stick-on rubber pads to keep the film base off the Orbital bottom?

Last time i tried mine, i had problems getting the solutions under the film base.

Mike
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Old 12th April 2019, 08:33 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alan Clark View Post
Norm,
I do 35mm and 120 film like this as well because I don't have running water in my darkroom.

Alan
Alan or any other user of the Paterson and just out of curiosity really, how do you do 35mm and 120 roll film in a Paterson? From what I remember it resembles what looks like a flying saucer and I can imagine sheet film in it but what do you have to do for lengths of 120 and especially 35mm. Is there a means inside of unrolling the film and keeping each part separate?

Thanks

Mike
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Old 12th April 2019, 10:02 PM
alexmuir alexmuir is offline
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The orbital works well, and the motor base is a real bonus. You can use sticky silicone dots on the bottom to avoid film sticking. You don’t need the pegs. Cotton bud shafts cut to the correct size work well. You are best cutting off the fins inside the lid. There are lots of articles on this forum that explain all.
Mike, you can only do sheets in an orbital.
Alex


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Old 12th April 2019, 11:26 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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[QUOTE=alexmuir;124512]
Mike, you can only do sheets in an orbital.
Alex

I may have misread Alan's meaning. I now realise he may be referring to using the same method of using under the stairs as a darkroom for loading all types of film and not using the Paterson for roll film

Mike
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Old 13th April 2019, 08:46 AM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Mike, you got it in two!

I scored grooves in the bottom of my processor with the point of a penknife, to prevent film sticking. Then later added some rows of glue blobs. Belt and braces... I don't get film sticking . But one precaution maybe helps. Straight after pouring in the developer I grip the processor with one hand on each side and shake it quite hard from side to side, and listen for the edges of the film clicking against the side walls. when I hear this I know the film isn't sticking, and proceed with very gentle agitation.
But film sticking isn't the end of the world, if you have the film emulsion side up.

Alan
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Old 13th April 2019, 10:45 AM
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Alan how much developer do you use and what is ypur agotation routine? If you are moving the tray constantly are your development times the same as those goven for rotary ( ballpark)?
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Old 13th April 2019, 12:32 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
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Good questions Norm.
1. Agitation.
When I tried agitating as you would 35mm film in a tank, i.e. 5 seconds agitation then let everything settle for 30 sec. I got extremely uneven development. Wavy marks right across the films, completely ruining them. So I would say that agitation has to be continuous. But if it is too vigorous you get more development round the outer edges, caused by surges of developer bouncing off the sides of the processer. Think about the incoming waves at Scarborough crashing against the sea wall in a North-East gale. So I go for gentle agitation. Just a gentle rocking by lifting up the edges slightly - in a random manner. Not enough swell to make you seasick if you are out mackerel fishing in a small boat...

2. Amount of developer.
Because agitation is gentle I like to have enough developer to cover the film sheets. This can be worked out with some old sheets of film and water; with the processer lid off. Before I applied blobs of glue to the bottom of the processer I used 300ml of developer. But when I put the glue blobs in, this raised the level of the film sheets, so 500ml was needed just to cover the film at its outer edges. So I opted for 600m. No expense spared!

3. Development time.
You mention the times for rotary development. I have never checked these. The films I use in 35mm and 120 are HP5 and FP4, developed in ID11 1+2. (It doesn't get any better than this!) I use the same times for 5x4 in the Paterson. With continuous agitation you would think that they would get more development. But my 35mm and 120 enlargers are condensers., and my home-built 5x4 enlarger is a diffuser, therefore it needs more contrast, so everything works out ok. I also use cheaper 5x4 film, Foma 200, and tested this specifically with continuous agitation. For these reasons I have never had an issue with continuous agitation.

Alan
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