(Mark Baylin) wrote in message ...
Hi there, I was just wondering if anyone out there has any
experience with developing 8x10 sheet film using brush
development. Shuffling the big negs in trays has proven
disasterous, and processing in a tube almost as bad. I have no
problem with the extra time it takes to process one sheet at a
time, but I'm hving a bad time finding a method that produces
even reasonably even negs without scratches... I've heard that
this type of development technique works quite well and just
before I give it a try, I was wondering if anyone has any tips.

I will be using Rollo Pyro as a developer if that makes any
difference...

Thanks for any help!!

Take care all!

Mark

I have been doing brush development for many years, I currently do
8x10 and 12x20. When done correctly ( and really there is not much you
can mess up) it is one of the techniques that produces the most even
negatives possible. It used to be the technique used by astronomers to
develop glass plates.

So here goes. Get a hake brush, these are camel hair brushes attached
to a wodden handle by string and many times metal ferrules (dont worry
if it is metal, the "no metal" warning with pyro is a myth, I have
done it with PMK, Pyrocat and ABC). I use a 5 inch brush. Place the
8x10 film on an 8x10 tray with developer. Push the film all the way to
the bottom with your left hand and with your right hand start
brushing. I prefer to brush up and down so I place the tray
vertically, but you can do it sidewise, or a mixture, whatever is more
comfortable for you. The one absolute thing you have to watch out for,
is that you brush with the SIDE of the bristles, not the tips, if you
use the tips, you will scratch the negative. So in order to avoid
this, make sure you start the brushing motion BEFORE the film edge and
that you end the motion AFTER the opposite edge. If you do this you
will have flawless negatives.