Negative Washing Ideas?

[bruce_pollock1]

What's the most efficient way to wash negs? I usually process my 4x5 negs using hangers and deep tanks and have been able to get pretty consistent processing results. When it comes time to wash though, I'm worried about washing the negs while still in the hangers - can you wash all the way out to the edges properly?

 

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Don't tell St. Ansel, but I've tried putting the negs in a tray and using a Kodak Tray Siphon to wash. Generally no problems with scratching, but I'd like to find a safer method.

 

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Has anyone devised any home made gadgets to wash negs while still in the hangers? I've looked at the Zone VI film washers that fit inside the print washers, but they're pretty expensive.

 

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Any other suggestions for safe, efficient washing of negatives?

[jeffrey_scott]

Washing them in the hangers are just fine. Just make sure you use

Permawash or Orbitbath first for 2 minutes and then wash the film for

ten minutes and they will be washed properly.

[doug_paramore]

Bruce: I have washed mine in the hangers for years and have not had

any problems. Since swithing over to drum development, I still remove

them from the drum and wash them in the hangers. Use either a film

tnak and dump the water to remove the settled fixer, or use a siphon

to remove water from the bottom of the tank. For 8x10, I have an

extra tank with a hose attached through a hole next to the bottom and

held just above the level of the film with a wire.

 

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Regards,

[dave_schneider]

I wash 4x5 negs in a Yankee tank with a home made rack. The rack was

made from styrene tubes and sheet that I bought at the hobby store. I

cut two pieces of sheet so they would fit vertically into the tank. I

glued 1/8 inch tubes between these two vertical sheets to form slots.

The negs are held up off the bottom of the tank maybe a half inch.

Underneath the negs is a piece of tubing with holes cut that carries

the water to the bottom of the tanl and disperses. Water flows over

the top with the contraption sitting in the sink. It solves the

problem of negs sticking together, prevents them from moving around

and getting scratched and seems to provide good water flow and

thorough washing.

[richard_boulware]

There is a simple, easy and fast way to test your film washing

process.

1. Take a few hangers and some old, worthless negatives, place them

in SS hangers and place them in your wash tank with ink, or some

other die that will be absorbed into the film emulsion.

2. Fill the tank with water, wait 30 seconds and empty the entire

tank.

3. Repeat this process three or four times. this procedure should

remove 90% of the die (read chemicals). And saves water.

4. Proceed to use a slower circulating wash system.

5. Use test solution to check negatives for hypo or other chemical

contamination.

 

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It's kind of like of like what happened in 1957, when one of my Navy

pilots buddies got drunk at threw a dye marker into the swimming pool

of the Princess Kiulani Hotel, in Waikiki... swimming pool. Ugh! It

was ugly. The hotel tried to pump fresh water in, and drain the

yellow/green die water out. Without disclosing who I was, I just

talked to the pool supervisor and told him to drain the entire pool,

and then pump in new water. Worked like a champ and the pool was new

and fresh in two hours. Works the same way for film. Try the test. IT

WORKS!

[wayne_crider4]

Buy one of those very small waterfall/aquarium pumps for like $20 and

stick it to the side of your tank (they have rubber suction feet).

Works great for film in hangers. I do change the water tho a couple or

three times.