TMX anti-halation; double fix neg. with dev. other than pyro?

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Do you need to double fix TMX 120 with any developer other than pyro? I feel like experimenting with one emulsion only for a while, and I may as well start with one from scratch...I avoided TMX since I could not get a good stain with it, and because it was expensive cum all the fix it needed with pyro...

Also, is TMax developer at 1:7 REALLY sharp? Or what developer would you reccommend for sharpness with TMX? I could care less about grain, give or take a little...

Sorry for the beginner questions, but that's just what I is in this case (and not too far behind in any other...).

shawn

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), January 27, 2000

Answers

Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

If you're not using pyro, use an HCA. 25g sodium sulfite in a quart of water will do it. Use continuous agitation, two or three minutes, then wash etc as usual.

I don't use TMX, but that does it with TMZ.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), January 27, 2000.


Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

I don't understand John. What's an HCA? Obviously you don't mean develop the film in this stuff for 2-3 minutes it total?

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), January 28, 2000.

Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

Hypo Clearing Agent...Perma Wash, Orbit Bath, homebrew etc.

You can't use an HCA after you've developed film in pyro because it removes the stain. However, with a non-staining developer you don't need to worry about that.

I'm not too sure what you mean by double fix. I _presume_ you mean fixing the film near to forever to try to get rid of the leftover magenta sensitizing dye. If you use HCA, though, you need only fix in non-hardening rapid fix for the usual three to six minutes or so, then treat it in HCA, then wash etc as usual.

If, otoh, you're referring to the sodium metaborate after-fix treatment, that's not fixer, that's just an alkaline bath that helps make the pyro stain. That's not used with anything else.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), January 28, 2000.


Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

no no, I knew about the after bath alkalinity. By double fix I meant, as per GH's suggestion, fixing TMX normally (which for me is 2 min in rapid or 3 min in F24), then using fresh fixer for 1 minute to rid the anti-halation dye.

and HCA...duh...right...got it. I never hypo-clear negs, just prints, because of what you noted with PMK.

But I'll start doing so with whatever developer I end up using with TMX...

thanks John. shawn

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), January 29, 2000.


Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

I've been fooling around with TMX and Rodinal and am quite pleased with the results. It seems to have much better range than XTOL for this particular film. Very sharp, though has a distinct grain pattern, and the Rodinal seems to dissolve the dye, in fact it dumps out bright purple. Fixing TMX is always hard, but if you use the times published for it, it'll clear fine. It does need good agitation in fresh fixer- just letting it sit won't get the job done.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), January 29, 2000.


Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

That's a good point; I always give continuous agitation in fixer and, along with the HCA, never have any problem with insufficient fixing or leftover dye.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), January 29, 2000.

Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

My agitation with fixer is 15 seconds on/15 seconds off for 2-3 minutes depending on what kind of fixer (rapid or F24). I never use the same fix for more than 5 to 6 rolls of film, and it is always at 1:4, and mixed right before a developing session.

Do you think I should switch to constant agitation? At least with TMX?

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), January 29, 2000.


Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

...rapid is 1:4; F24 is stock...

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), January 29, 2000.

Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

Well, with T-grain (and the Ilford equivalent) films I've standardized on 3'/75F to about 5'/68F with continuous agitation, and for non T-grain films 2'/75F to 3'/68F with continuous agitation in rapid fixer. I use only ammonium thiosulfate rapid fixer for both film and paper, no standard ammonium thiosulfate fixer.

Maybe 30 years ago the first time I read the instructions for Kodak Rapid Fixer the sheet said "agitate continuously" and I've done it that way ever since. I have no idea what the instruction sheet says for Kodak or Ilford rapid fix these days.

I do find the HCA to be necessary to clear the dyes with T-grain films. The dyes actually do no harm at all; it's just annoying to have pink negs.

-- John Hicks (jbh@magicnet.net), January 29, 2000.


Response to TMX anti-halation; double fix nec. with dev. other than pyro?

I shouldn't think double fixing would be necessary with any film--I only do that for paper. I have never had hypo clearing agent reduce the stain in my PMK-developed films. I always use rapid fix (1:3) for two minutes with continuous agitation. But for T-Max 100, which has such a heavy dye layer, I use three minutes with continuous agitation. This leaves the fixer very pink, but still leaves a lot of dye on the film. Then I give the film 5 to 10 minutes in a 2% solution of Perma-Wash, with intermittent agitation. Then I wash for 10 minutes. This still doesn't get all the dye out, but enough for my purposes. T-Max 100 is the only film I have trouble getting all the dye out of, but I am still able to print these negatives with no difficulty, and the gradation is much better than T-Max 400.

-- (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), February 01, 2000.


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