B&W film dev. questions

"Frank Pittel" wrote in message
...
In rec.photo.equipment.35mm Alan Browne
wrote:

: 1. Is it better to use

: a) Photo Flo and let dry,

: b) Squeegee (no photo flo)

: c) Both?

: Is there a risk of scratches with the squeegee?

I use photo-flo and run the film through two fingers instead of a squegee
If you use a squeegee make sur ethat it's clean and wet the rubber before
using it.

I'm surprised people are so unenthused/nervous about squeegees: using a
squeegee seems a better idea than fingers or nothing, and I never had any
problems scratching film in the 10 or so years I did B&W. Oh: this is cross
posted. That may explain it: it's probably easier to have problems with
uneven remaining water on 120/220, and squeegeeing over the sprocket holes
in 35mm probably doesn't remove the water.

Anyway, with 120/220, IMHO, a special film squeegee (that's wide enough) is
probably a good idea.

David J. Littleboy
Tokyo, Japan

"David J. Littleboy" wrote:
...
Anyway, with 120/220, IMHO, a special film squeegee (that's wide enough) is
probably a good idea.

My favourite trick is to use a paper pad to wipe the film from both
sides. The pad is originally meant to clean computer CRTs. It has
several rip-off sheets that can be discarded when they look untidy.

It works well, because the paper doesn't leave lint. The pad cost
nothing. It was left over, when I switched to a laptop :-)

-- Lassi

Ive noticed that any type of device used to physicaly touch the
surface of wet film is bound to lead to trouble. A wetting agent or
even a little hand soap diluted in water works best. I once opened a
brand new squeeg from B&H and rinsed it under water to clean any dust
off. Happened to have a small partical stuck to it that gave me a nice
long scratch.
~Justin

There's one point that hasn't been mentioned yet, and that is reticulation.
I know modern films are supposed to be resistant to reticulation, but I've
seen it happen all the same. You can get it by not having your solutions at
the same temperature, and that goes for the wash water as well. All your
solutions are at 65 deg F or 20 deg C, and then the wash water out of the
tap is at 12 or 15 C - and you've got crinkled emulsion, specially if you
haven't used a hardening fixer.

Colin D.

C J D wrote:

There's one point that hasn't been mentioned yet, and that is reticulation.
I know modern films are supposed to be resistant to reticulation, but I've
seen it happen all the same. You can get it by not having your solutions at
the same temperature, and that goes for the wash water as well. All your
solutions are at 65 deg F or 20 deg C, and then the wash water out of the
tap is at 12 or 15 C - and you've got crinkled emulsion,

That's how I develop and wash my negatives during the winter time....
and nothing ever happens.
Wash watter is around 13-14 C and I had never had problem with
reticulation.
Emulsions we Agfa APX 100, Kodak T-Max, Tri-X, Fuji Neopan 400, Efke
KB50, KB100
And yes I'm using hardening fixer, but even before fixing (after
developing) I wash emulsion with tap water.

Tell me more about your experience with reticulation.
How did you achieve it?

kind regards

Kardum
http://www.kardum.com/