andrew_greenblatt Posted March 14, 1999 Share Posted March 14, 1999 I have just recently started developing my own film again and want to know the proper way to wash, hypo-clear, and photo-flow the film. I have been getting residue marks on my film after it has dried in a drying cabinet. I wash my film for 30 seconds after being fixed, then hypo-clear for 30 seconds, the wash in an archival washer for 10 minutes and then photo-flow the film in distilled water/photo flow mixture for 30 seconds. I then hang the film to dry in a drying cabinet and when I pull it out, there are chemical residue marks on the film where you can see the water was running down the film and where it dried, marks were left. Anyone know what is leaving this? I imagine it is the photo-flow since distilled water has no deposits in it. Am I putting to much photo flow in? I am mixing to the ratio kodak states on the bottle. Should I agitate the film in the photo flow or let it sit in unagitated? Anyone have ideas out there regarding the above or input as to how they peform this process? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary_stuebben Posted March 14, 1999 Share Posted March 14, 1999 Here's a guess: If you mix a large quantity of working solution photo flow and it sits around a while, there may be some fungus growing in it. To be safe, mix only what you need and then discard it after one use (not bad advice for any photo chemistry). If this doesn't solve the problem, try turning down the heat on the dryer -- just in case the marks you see are drying marks rather than residue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harleyman7 Posted March 15, 1999 Share Posted March 15, 1999 Andrew, try using a squeegee to wipe the excess photoflow off ofthe film before you hang it up to dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim_brown Posted March 15, 1999 Share Posted March 15, 1999 I use Photo-Flo from an eye dropper. Five drops per 35mm reel and 8 drops per 120 reel with my Patterson plastic reels and tanks with distilled water. I get no stains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene_crumpler6 Posted March 15, 1999 Share Posted March 15, 1999 Andrew: Have you tried drying the film with out the drying cabinet? I've using isopropyl alchol with photoflo as the final rinse to speed drying. After a squegee wipe, film will dry without any heat in about 20 minutes, thus minimizing the need for forced drying and reducing exposure to dust accumulation. It allows me to get to bed earlier! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan___2 Posted March 15, 1999 Share Posted March 15, 1999 I would agree with the use of a squeegy. I have found that it is the only way to stop drying marks forming. I would suggest that you only wipe down the non-emulsion surface of the film. I use a chamois leather for this. Drying marks only form on the non-emulsion side and wiping the emulsion side risks scratching the film without achieving anything. Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_hicks___ Posted March 15, 1999 Share Posted March 15, 1999 After fixing, treat the film in the HCA for about two minutes with continuous agitation. BTW, rather than buying commercial HCA you can make your own by dissolving a tablespoon of sodium sulfite in a quart of water. Then wash 20-30 minutes in continuous flow. Mix your Photo-Flo or Edwal LFN with _DISTILLED WATER_. Swish the film around in the wetting agent for a minute or so. To dry, take it off the reel, grab each end and snap it a couple of times to fling off water drops, then hang it up to dry. DO NOT SQUEEGEE OR OTHERWISE TOUCH THE FILM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d_daine Posted March 17, 1999 Share Posted March 17, 1999 Hypo, wash, agitate in photo-flo mixed with distilled water, then see-saw the film through distilled water a few times and hang to dry. The key is the last rinse through distilled water and not wiping the film. With photo-flo, I mix only enough so that if you swish the solution with your hand, bubbles appear and then quickly disappear. I rotate the film on reel through the photo-flo solution for maybe 5-10 secs. only. Without the final rinse of distilled water, I got dry marks. cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgoodwin Posted March 17, 1999 Share Posted March 17, 1999 I have never found a squeegee that does not scratch the film, either directly, or by trapping grit. Accordingly, over the years, I have evolved the following method: I use latex surgical gloves to avoid touching prints when I am mounting them. I keep the used gloves and cut off the first two fingers when I am done. When I am ready to hang film up to dry, I slide on the two latex fingers and use my hand as a squeegee (my first two fingers are just long enough to cover 120 film). Not only is this combination softer than any squeegee I have found, but I can feel grit on the film and wash it off before it gets trapped and scratches the negative. I know that it's an awkward process, but it works for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott_eaton Posted March 17, 1999 Share Posted March 17, 1999 >>I have never found a squeegee that does not scratch the film, either directly, or by trapping grit.<< Funny. I did B/W processing in a commercial lab for about 5 years with all formats of customer film (approx 100-150 rolls a week) and NEVER scratched a single frame with my trusty squeeqee. The trick is to use a single sided rubber blade, NOT a clamp or silly sponge or cloth to trap dirt. Hold the film taught by the bottom on a drying line and run the blade over each side pulling the water down. End of problem. You film will try in 1/3 the time with near zero watermarks and wont curl compared to a drier. Compared to our E-6 and C-41 lines our hand processed B/W film had a fraction the drying problems. If you have grit on your film that will cause scratches, well, you have a problem anyways and need to fix it rather than blame the squeegee. Use distilled water for a quick photo-flo bath, and quite washing your film in rivers :^) /scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gene_crumpler6 Posted March 17, 1999 Share Posted March 17, 1999 Scott: Good point. I don't put my film in anything that has not been filtered. I even filter the fix EVERY time I put it into the tank. I wash my tanks and reels with filtered water and store them inside the inverted tanks to eliminate dust, but allow draining. Saves a lot of spotting!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom_raymondson Posted March 19, 1999 Share Posted March 19, 1999 Since you're getting lots of advice, some of it conflicting, I'll add to the confusion with my 2 cents: increase your P-F dilution, don't go near a squeegee, dry slower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Bowes Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 Hello everyone. Better late than never. If the drying cabinet is "heated", you are doomed at some time to have the "spots and halos". They are spots of water/photoflo held together by surface tension during drying (this can also happen without forced drying). I used photo chamois for years until the lockness monsters started appearing. Now after all the washing, I use a final soak of .5cc Photo-flo in 450cc of DI for 4-5 minutes. Hang the films to dry and rinse them 2x on each side with a fine mister bottle (got mine at a nursery...intended for orchids) full of DI water. Top to bottom on the misting. Do not force dry or disturbed for 10-15 hours. Enjoy, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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