Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "Martin Wesley" 
<mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: jmoore172002 [mailto:jeffmoore17@c...]
> > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 9:22 PM
> > To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
> > Subject: [Digital BW] Pyro Development for Negatives to be Scanned
> >
> >
> > I apologize if this post is too much off topic.
> >
> > I am interested in exploring Pyro development for my 4x5 sheet 
film
> > negatives to be scanned for Piezo printing. I shoot HP5+, process 
my
> > film in a Jobo CPP-2 rotary processor, scan on a Polaroid 
SprintScan
> > 45 Ultra, then print using PiezographyBW on an Epson 1280 and an
> > Epson 7600. I plan on using the Pyro ABC (Rollo Pyro) formulation.
> >
> > This will be my initial foray into Pyro development. I have a 
couple
> > of questions for any experienced Pyro users out there.
> >
> > 1) With respect to scanning, is the staining effect of Pyro
> > development beneficial or detrimental?
> >
> > 2) Any recommendations for starting development times for HP5+ and
> > Rollo Pyro?
> >
> > 3) In a rotary processor, should I pre-soak, and for how long?
> >
> > Any input from experienced pyro users is very much appreciated.
> > Thanks.
> >
> Jeff,
> 
> I have been using Pyro in a Jobo CPA-2 for the last 11 or so years. 
I mostly
> use  my own PBC pyro formula or occasionally PMK with the nitrogen 
blanket
> set-up as described in Gordon Hutchings "The Book of Pyro." I 
insert sheet
> film dry into the drum and use a single 5 minute presoak with tap 
water. All
> the benefits of Pyro for enlarger printing seem to carry over to 
digital
> scanning as well and I have not found any need to change my 
development. I
> shoot FP4+ and Tmax 400 in 4x5.
> 
> I also develop 35mm and 120 film in reels with Pyro on the Jobo with
> nitrogen blanketing. Works great.
> 
> I was not able to entirely eliminate mottling in the Jobo without 
the
> nitrogen purge. The Chuck Farmer method Don mentioned in his post 
sounds
> promising but rather time consuming compared to using the purge. I 
am not
> familiar with the Rollo formula.
> 
> During scanning with a Howtek D4000 I use just the blue channel for 
16-bit
> grayscale to take advantage of the yellow image stain density. 
Occasionally
> I will scan in RGB and play with the channel mixer if it is a 
problem neg.
> 
> Martin Wesley

>I have been successful with Pyro and have gotten most of my info 
>from Gordon Hutchings "The Book of Pyro". I,like Martin use a 5 
>minute pre-soak. Instead of the nitron burst, I found that two very 
>short,"1 minute and 30 second development at 80degrees" worked well 
>for me. One thing that gave me trouble was these splotches on the 
>the film after completing the process. I found them to be where 
>prewet water splashed on the film while introducing the water into 
>the drum. Everywhere a drop of water hit the dry film, even though 
>that drop didn't stay there for a fraction of a second, it caused  
>that spot to show in the dry negative. To eleminate this I would 
>take the drum with no lid in place, and push it into a 2 gallon pale 
>full of my pre-soak water. A steady, and slightly rapid sinking of 
>the entire drum flooded the film fast enough as not to allow any 
>part of the film to remain wet before all of it was wet. Then I 
>would install the lid and tap the bottom of the drum on the counter 
>to eleminate any air bubbles. This >eleminated the splotches for me. 
>I call it the Wilfred Dunk. He,He.
    Wilfred Smith.