Agfapan APX400 135 curling problem

[timothy_mills1]

I am having a problem with APX400 135 curling. It is to the point of

the sprocket holes coming around almost to touch each other. It has

occured with all 20 rolls I have done.

 

I do not have this problem with either of the T-MAX, TRI-X, PLUS-X,

HP-5, or FP-4 films. I also don't have this occur with APX100.

 

I am using XTOL at 68F with a water stop, Kodak hardening fixer, and

Kodak Photo-flo.

 

Is anyone else seeing this?

 

Any ideas?

[jimvanson]

Timothy -- are you drying the hanging negs with a weight attached to the bottom? Why are you using hardening fix?<P>My APX 400 negs have a bit of a bow (no hardening fix, weighted during drying). Actually, they have enough of a bow that they attempted to force open and eventually broke the neg carrier I have for my scanner.<P>So I agree the base is stiff and thick and slightly bowed but to get rid of most of the problem I just place the dried negs in their PrintFiles and then cover them overnight with a stack of books.<P>But back to the hardening fix -- I wonder if it is affecting the emulsion that sits on one side to the APX 400's thick, stiff, bowed base. The Hardening Fix would swell the emulsion causing a slight bow to truly get out of hand. Then as the harden emulsion dries it just sets everything into a mess of curls.<P>Well, thats my theory (and it could very well be wrong).

[jim kerr]

You aren't using some heatsourse like maybe a hair dryer to speed up the drying by any chance are you?

[al_kaplan1]

If you're using a dryer that uses heat to dry on the reels try taking the film out as soon as possible, even with the bottom edge still a bit damp, then put it back on the reel emulsion side out and zap it another 10 or 15 minutes in the dryer.

[timothy_mills1]

I am not heat drying, just air. I don't weight the bottom. Interestingly the APX400 negs have less curl from the bottom than other emulsions I use; perhaps the thicker emulsion Jim mentioned?

 

It is interesting that the bowing would be so severe, but the curl along the length is not.

 

I like the theory about the hardening fixer.

 

I am using a hardening fixer ( The Kodak powder fixer ) just because it is considerably cheaper than the two part Kodak liquid.

 

I will pick up some non-hardening fixer today and give it a go.

 

If that doesn't work, would heat be more or less likely to cause the bowing?

 

P.S. after reading my original post I realize that my description could have sounded like curl along the length. I hadn't thought of calling it "bowing."

 

Thanks

[bill_clark___minnetonka_mi]

Try putting weight on the bottom. I use an identical clip on the bottom as I use to fasten it on the top. I put the top stainless steel clip onto a metal coat hanger then turn the u shaped top sideways and I hang my film on my shower curtain rod. To get the clip on the coat hanger I carefully take it apart up at the top where it's wound together, slip on the clip and re-fasten the hanger back together. I also take a rubber band and slip it through the same hole on the clip that the hanger goes through and wrap it around the top loop. This keeps the clip on the center of the hanger.

 

The reason film curls when drying is because the non-emulsion side drys first and then after a little more time the emulsion side drys. If you wait to take it off until the emulsion side drys you will find, because of the weight on the bottom, that it will curl and then straighten out after both sides are dry.

 

As photographers we learn how to improvise. Hope this helps you.

[peter_schauss1]

I have found that I get less curl if my wash water is close in temperature to that of developer, stop, and fixer.

[barb_yamazaki]

I used to work at a black & white lab and the APX 100 and 400 would always curl as you have described. They have a dip and dunk machine and use weighted clips for the film. The cause must be what everyone else is saying about the thick base etc. Usually the bow was less in the morning (having processed the film the night before) for the first run of contacts but otherwise we could never do contacts through printfiles right after APX came out of the machine. The bowing was too strong and resulted in unsharp contacts. I would also suggest flattening them overnight under books.