It's OK to dip the cut negatives in stabilizer but, if it were me, I wouldn't bother. Yesterday's stabilizer contained formaldehyde. The stabilizer's job was to immobilize the dyes. They are oily droplets entwined in gelatin. Under the microscope, gelatin resembles spaghetti only the strands are transparent. Formaldehyde tacks the strands together at every point they touch each other. This is known as a peptide bond. Formaldehyde is now classified as a carcinogen-- thus now omitted from stabilizer. The film structure was changed, it is pre-hardened. Modern stabilizer is a wetting agent (photoflow) plus a mild biocide. The biocide keeps beasties away. We are talking mold, mildew and the like. Me, I would scan the film for safekeeping and store the negatives in the usual way. I would rather take my chances on beastie attack as apposed to running the risk or physically damaging by handlining.
Hi Alan, i've been reading your posts and I've learned a lot for film processing thanks to your knowledge, I just made the account to say thank you.
C41 Stabilizer
in The Wet Darkroom: Film, Paper & Chemistry
Posted
Hi Alan, i've been reading your posts and I've learned a lot for film processing thanks to your knowledge, I just made the account to say thank you.