Over, back (hitting hard in your palm to dislodge bubbles), twist, over, back (hitting hard in your palm), twist, set the tank down and don't disturb it. On the next cycle, the twists are in the opposite direction. The twist is always after the tank is 'back' sitting upright (vertical) in your palm.
Pour in developer, do over/back/hit/twist four times before setting down tank. Do again thirty seconds later. From then on, at the next scheduled agitation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 min or whatever) two over/back/hit/twist, set tank down, undisturbed, until the next scheduled agitation comes up.
I have a hose in my sink, running with water at the correct temperature (70 deg F for my B&W) and when the tank is sitting between agitation cycles, I let the water run over the tank to keep everything at the proper temperature. The water is running slow so as not to cause the tank to move.
One important note, DO NOT have any more than a few millimeters between the top of the top reel and the top of the tank. The vertical sliding of the reels can cause uneven development. Sprocket hole marks on 35mm film for sure.
I always use reels that fill the tank(s), filling with empty reels if necessary - 6cm, 35mm, and Minox - whatever necessary to take up the slack. And I fill the tank completely with developer. The vertical sloshing of developer and/or the sliding of reels will definitely cause uneven development.
The over and back part of the agitation moves things just a little bit vertically, the twist moves things horizontally. With judicious and careful filling of tanks, and agitation procedures, all parts of the film get washed in new developer but no part gets over washed, or under washed.
You could use a paint shaker and probably get no streaks since the developer is always moving in all directions. Oxidation might be a problem however. Likewise JOBOs, agitate continuously rapidly longitudinally, in both directions, thus avoiding eddy currents around reel parts.
I'm sure that there are many many alternate scenarios. But this works, and has worked for me, for many decades.
:-) Jim At 02:09 PM 10/4/2007 -0700, Jeff Kelley wrote:
OK Jim, what's the magical mystery agitation method learned in 1952? Or is that a secret? ;>)Jeff
--- Rollei List - Post to rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx- Subscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'subscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org
- Unsubscribe at rollei_list-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the subject field OR by logging into www.freelists.org
- Online, searchable archives are available at //www.freelists.org/archives/rollei_list
