Odd Grain formation - why is this happening

K

kbryson

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Hi folks.

I have some odd grain structures on a roll of Tri-X I developed recently in Rodinal 50+1 at 20C. Agitation for 30 seconds, and 2 slow inversions every minute for 13 mins. See attached.

I had the same issue with a different roll I developed with D76 but I chalked that up to old developer as the whole roll had the problem. This time it's only on a few frames and the Rodinal is brand new.

What's going on here?

Thanks,

K
 

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It does look like reticulation to me. I think you can get it with as little as a 5F difference between developer and stop/rinse. Maybe even less.
 
rfaspen said:
It does look like reticulation to me. I think you can get it with as little as a 5F difference between developer and stop/rinse. Maybe even less.
Click to expand...

No. With modern film (i.e. pretty much anything made for the consumer market after WWII) it takes some 10-30°C difference. A large ph difference may make it happen with a smaller or even no temperature drop - I remember one case of reticulation where someone had used concentrate (30% acetic acid) rather than dilute stop.
 
sevo said:
No. With modern film (i.e. pretty much anything made for the consumer market after WWII) it takes some 10-30°C difference. A large ph difference may make it happen with a smaller or even no temperature drop - I remember one case of reticulation where someone had used concentrate (30% acetic acid) rather than dilute stop.
Click to expand...

Strange it is only on a few frames. Maybe too much stop and not enough mixing ahead.
 
Developing film is cookbook, same every time. Find something that works and never change anything, water, temperature , agitation, and calibrate your thermometer.
 
kbryson said:
Strange it is only on a few frames. Maybe too much stop and not enough mixing ahead.
Click to expand...

  • Don't use stop; use a water rinse instead. Reticulation occurs more often when the temp change happens when there is also a pH change (e.g. alkali developer to acid stop).
  • Using extended developing times with weak developers (e.g. anything over 10-12 minutes) will increase the changes of reticulation.
  • Developing at elevated temperatures (e.g. over 75F) will also increase the likelihood.
Modern files are much more rugged, in this respect, compared to films from the 1940s and earlier. Still, it can happen. You should be careful that all temperatures, including the wash, are with a degree or 2 of each other. If tempering enough water for a full wash is impractical, at least temper 2 tank loads so that you can use the first for a rinse and after filling the tank with the second you bleed in untempered wash water very slowly. This makes the temp change slow and reduces the chances of either reticulation or grain clumping.
 
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