Home BW Development Issue

[ARL002]

Need some help here, still fairly new to home development. Developed 2 rolls yesterday in a 2 roll tank with 2 Hughes metal rolls. One of the rolls consistently came out with a under (or over?) developed stripe at the top.

My thought is that perhaps I didn't fill the developer up to the brim? I've attached a sample here. Thoughts?

Details: Kodak Tri-X film, Kodak D-76 1:1, Push 2 stops

 

[Bill Clark]

perhaps I didn't fill the developer up to the brim?

You're on your way!

Looks like what you said maybe true.

Also consider agitation you use. I use the Ilford recommendation.

Try again using more developer!

Hope this helps you.

Keep at it.

 

[t6un]

The bright stripe on the right is definitely overdeveloped compared to the rest of image. But this could be the normally developed part, and the rest could be underdeveloped.
You can test the amount of developer needed with empty reels in plain water.

 

[alienmeatsack]

I always try to overfill it myself. I do this to avoid this kind of issue and to also avoid any foamy/bubbly bits that may happen when agitating as they tend to do (cool looking but) undesirable things to the film.

I agree with the above posts. Put the reel(s) in empty and fill it with water to a point that you are happy with the amount of developer, then measure that amount and shoot for that for each following use of it.

And welcome to the easy and very satisfying world of developing your own film! 😀

 

[Dwig]

Need some help here, still fairly new to home development. Developed 2 rolls yesterday in a 2 roll tank with 2 Hughes metal rolls. One of the rolls consistently came out with a under (or over?) developed stripe at the top.

My thought is that perhaps I didn't fill the developer up to the brim?...

Underfilling is quite obviously not the cause. One, because this is extra density on the negative and, two, because the edge between the overly "dense" portion of the neg (light on the positive image shown) and the "normal" portion is too soft and gradual to likely be from omitted chemicals.

What these images display looks much more like fogging than a chemical coverage issue. The fogging could occur in camera, in handling the film before or after exposure, in loading the tank, or in handling the loaded tank. Seeing the whole negative strip and knowing the (secret?) film size would aid in further diagnosis.

 

[Haigh]

I beleive Kodak reccomends 100ml of D-76 per roll of film if that helps you. Also use more liquid so as to cover yor reels. I process 3 rolls at a time in Rodinal with one empty reel above that so as to minimise surging.