Ilford FP+ 8x10 sheetfilm in PMK Pyro rotary - help!

My normal routine for years has been to shoot Ilford DELTA 100 8x10
sheetfilm (exposed at EI 64) and develop in std. PMK Pyro in a
Unicolor drum on a unicolor motorbase for 9 min. @ 72F (dumping the
developer halfway through and adding fresh PMK Pyro) and starting the
entire process with a 5 minute water bath (with the drum rotating.)
After fixing (TF-4), I give the film a 5 minute post-soak in the used
developer (with the drum rotating.) 10 minute rinse and I'm done.
I get a decent amount of stain and the negs are nice, smooth and never
have streaking, etc.
Well, I decided that FP+ would be a better choice for better staining,
so when I ran out of Delta, I bought a box a FP+. Now I can't find my
Gordon Hutchins book.
Would someone with similar experience with these films please suggest
a starting time for me to experiment? 8x10 film is expensive and I
don't want to waste a lot of film finding my groove.
Anyone else do 4x5 or 8x10 FP+ sheet film with PMK Pyro (not Rollo) in
a Unicolor drum/motorbase?
Thanks for your help! You are time and $ savers!
-Chase

Chase Martin wrote in message . ..
My normal routine for years has been to shoot Ilford DELTA 100 8x10
sheetfilm (exposed at EI 64) and develop in std. PMK Pyro in a
Unicolor drum on a unicolor motorbase for 9 min. @ 72F (dumping the
developer halfway through and adding fresh PMK Pyro) and starting the
entire process with a 5 minute water bath (with the drum rotating.)
After fixing (TF-4), I give the film a 5 minute post-soak in the used
developer (with the drum rotating.) 10 minute rinse and I'm done.
I get a decent amount of stain and the negs are nice, smooth and never
have streaking, etc.
Well, I decided that FP+ would be a better choice for better staining,
so when I ran out of Delta, I bought a box a FP+. Now I can't find my
Gordon Hutchins book.
Would someone with similar experience with these films please suggest
a starting time for me to experiment? 8x10 film is expensive and I
don't want to waste a lot of film finding my groove.
Anyone else do 4x5 or 8x10 FP+ sheet film with PMK Pyro (not Rollo) in
a Unicolor drum/motorbase?
Thanks for your help! You are time and $ savers!
-Chase


Hi. I've started using FP4+ (4x5) with PMK. My time is between 9.5-10
minutes. The book recommends ("insists" is a better word) that the
film be turned every 15 seconds and make sure it make a twack on the
tray when you turn it. I don't use tray processing, I use the HP Combi
developing tank (just to avoid prolonged periods in the dark). Make
sure you save the chemistry after developing for a 2 minute final
stain (agitating every 30 seconds).

RON

-----------------------------------------------------
B&W Photography: http://www.ronaldgansphotography.com

Chase Martin wrote in message . ..
My normal routine for years has been to shoot Ilford DELTA 100 8x10
sheetfilm (exposed at EI 64) and develop in std. PMK Pyro in a
Unicolor drum on a unicolor motorbase for 9 min. @ 72F (dumping the
developer halfway through and adding fresh PMK Pyro) and starting the
entire process with a 5 minute water bath (with the drum rotating.)
After fixing (TF-4), I give the film a 5 minute post-soak in the used
developer (with the drum rotating.) 10 minute rinse and I'm done.
I get a decent amount of stain and the negs are nice, smooth and never
have streaking, etc.
Well, I decided that FP+ would be a better choice for better staining,
so when I ran out of Delta, I bought a box a FP+. Now I can't find my
Gordon Hutchins book.
Would someone with similar experience with these films please suggest
a starting time for me to experiment? 8x10 film is expensive and I
don't want to waste a lot of film finding my groove.
Anyone else do 4x5 or 8x10 FP+ sheet film with PMK Pyro (not Rollo) in
a Unicolor drum/motorbase?
Thanks for your help! You are time and $ savers!
-Chase


Hi. I've started using FP4+ (4x5) with PMK. My time is between 9.5-10
minutes. The book recommends ("insists" is a better word) that the
film be turned every 15 seconds and make sure it make a twack on the
tray when you turn it. I don't use tray processing, I use the HP Combi
developing tank (just to avoid prolonged periods in the dark). Make
sure you save the chemistry after developing for a 2 minute final
stain (agitating every 30 seconds).

RON

-----------------------------------------------------
B&W Photography: http://www.ronaldgansphotography.com

"Ronald" wrote in message
om...
Hi. I've started using FP4+ (4x5) with PMK. My time is between 9.5-10
minutes. The book recommends ("insists" is a better word) that the
film be turned every 15 seconds and make sure it make a twack on the
tray when you turn it. I don't use tray processing, I use the HP Combi
developing tank (just to avoid prolonged periods in the dark). Make
sure you save the chemistry after developing for a 2 minute final
stain (agitating every 30 seconds).

FP4+ in PMK is lovely. However, especially if you use an alkaline fixer and
a water stop bath, the afterbath is not required. I get great stain without
the afterbath.

Jim

"Ronald" wrote in message
om...
Hi. I've started using FP4+ (4x5) with PMK. My time is between 9.5-10
minutes. The book recommends ("insists" is a better word) that the
film be turned every 15 seconds and make sure it make a twack on the
tray when you turn it. I don't use tray processing, I use the HP Combi
developing tank (just to avoid prolonged periods in the dark). Make
sure you save the chemistry after developing for a 2 minute final
stain (agitating every 30 seconds).

FP4+ in PMK is lovely. However, especially if you use an alkaline fixer and
a water stop bath, the afterbath is not required. I get great stain without
the afterbath.

Jim

"Jim MacKenzie" wrote in message ...
"Ronald" wrote in message
om...
Hi. I've started using FP4+ (4x5) with PMK. My time is between 9.5-10
minutes. The book recommends ("insists" is a better word) that the
film be turned every 15 seconds and make sure it make a twack on the
tray when you turn it. I don't use tray processing, I use the HP Combi
developing tank (just to avoid prolonged periods in the dark). Make
sure you save the chemistry after developing for a 2 minute final
stain (agitating every 30 seconds).

FP4+ in PMK is lovely. However, especially if you use an alkaline fixer and
a water stop bath, the afterbath is not required. I get great stain without
the afterbath.

Jim

You're right about the alkaline fixer (I used to use Thornton's
stuff...how different was his stuff from PMK..do you know?) and he had
an alkaline fixer. I always use a waterbath. As for the
afterbath...it's really such a small deal and if the directions
explicitly mention it, why not?

Also: Did you read the article in Photo Techniques, comparing PMK to
D76?

RON