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Tray processing cut film
"PGG" ???
newsan.2004.09.29.04.39.14.715000@NO_SP_A_Myahoo .com ???... I've gone through my first 25-sheet pack of film. I've figured out how to operate my view camera just fine. I can take a decent picture-- exposing and focusing properly. But I had no idea how difficult developing it is...I thought that would be the easy part first 5 sheets I fumbled around with a color processing tube that didn't work out due to the film not staying flat against the tube next 3-5 sheets I tried using my own PVC tubes. They leaked all over the place and I got uneven development next 10 sheets I tray developed. At least these were evenly developed but all scratched up. Plus I fumbled around in the dark spilling crap all over the floor. My most recent attempts have been with 2 BZTS tubes bought on eBay. The best so far. But I realized that 3 of my favorite shots are messed up because, for about 10-20 seconds, the tubes were not moving. Yep...uneven development even though total time was 8 minutes. Sigh.... Frustrated but I haven't quite given up yet. (I can't find this guy's OP. Could someone direct me to it? Thanks, John) Dear PPG Any of the various methods presented in different postings here can work, even deep tanks & hangers (in fact they can work very well). The task for you is to figure out which is best for you, & then learn it. Each one has little techniques or, "tricks" if you will. Such as w/ hangers, they have to be absolutely clean & dry before use. (No hypo or phtoflo. Can't empathize dry & clean enough) Can't hurt to mediated or pray first, to relax & clear ones mind. (Seriously!) Perhaps most important is to have, on the dry flat space where you load hangers, a horizontally ribbed linoleum (or some sort of plastic or rubbery material) to keep the hangers from sliding, & upright, leaning slightly against the wall or other vertical surface. Or have arms extending from the wall to hang them from. Something, any thing to keep the unloaded hangers straight, & the loaded hangers straight, organized, & separate from the unloaded ones. There are many other little tricks & I mention these for hanger processing simply as an example of ways to work around the problems of any technique. Everything in this world is an engineering compromise. But, by far the most importing is to practice w/ the lights on w/ useless film. Doesn't matter if it's been processed before, what does matter is to use developer mixed to the dilution you will use because it's very slimmy on film. It won't hurt to practice w/ stop bath & fixer. Go to a professional or a darkroom that processes LF, in your area & ask for any cut film of your size that he may not want, or buy outdated film, cheap. Anything to get film to practice with. And practice, practice, practice! Below is some advice that I posted to some one else looking for help for tray processing it's not nearly as exact & in depth as other posts, but it still has some good points. Practice, practice, practice, John -from an earlier post- "One trick to tray development is finding the correct brand / style rubber gloves, that will grip the film. Some work some don't. IIRC it's the ones w/ medium bumples, about like a medium sand paper. Not super fine, not real course. Most are too course. Buy different gloves & test in developer diluted to working strength in the daylight w/ 4 or so sheets of old film. Also practice this way. Unless U like to live dangerously, always practice w/ @ least as many sheets as U are going to process. Don't skimp on the developer. Using bare fingers doesn't work as well. Emery board hang nails & nails first. Use both hands in the "soup" (as we used to call it in the good ol' days) to be assured of turning all finger tips & nails evenly brown-black. This saves one the expense of weekly visits to the nail saloon for the ever fashionable black polish look. Using both hands has the further advantage of doubling the amount of toxic chemicals absorbed. Don't laugh; I didn't use gloves in my youth. Maybe that's... Maybe that's... Maybe that's... Maybe that's why I'm so dingy today. John" PS PPG I just realized that you said that you are developing color film. Is that correct? If so you have taken on a project of at least one magnitude more difficult than B&W. You can make life & expen$e$ a whole lot ezer if you start w/ B&W. |
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John McGraw wrote:
I just realized that you said that you are developing color film. Is that correct? If so you have taken on a project of at least one magnitude more difficult than B&W. You can make life & expen$e$ a whole lot ezer if you start w/ B&W. That wasn't how I read it, John -- I saw it as PPG using processing tubes originally made for color prints, so he could load the tubes in the dark, but do all the chemical handling in the light. I use homemade ABS daylight tubes (made from drain pipe and caps) and get great results, and could probably use them for color with a tempering bath and a lot of patience (and a little equipment refinement; one of my 9x12 cm size leaks a bit from the inversion cap). I really can't picture handling sheet film in the dark through a C-41 process with sub-four-minute color dev time and the smelly, oxidation prone and relatively toxic chemicals; I'm not at all sure C-41 color dev or bleach would last long enough in trays to finish a run. -- I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz! -- E. J. Fudd, 1954 Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth and don't expect them to be perfect. |
#3
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Donald Qualls wrote in message .com...
John McGraw wrote: I just realized that you said that you are developing color film. Is that correct? If so you have taken on a project of at least one magnitude more difficult than B&W. You can make life & expen$e$ a whole lot ezer if you start w/ B&W. That wasn't how I read it, John -- I saw it as PPG using processing tubes originally made for color prints, so he could load the tubes in the dark, but do all the chemical handling in the light. I use homemade ABS daylight tubes (made from drain pipe and caps) and get great results, and could probably use them for color with a tempering bath and a lot of patience (and a little equipment refinement; one of my 9x12 cm size leaks a bit from the inversion cap). I really can't picture handling sheet film in the dark through a C-41 process with sub-four-minute color dev time and the smelly, oxidation prone and relatively toxic chemicals; I'm not at all sure C-41 color dev or bleach would last long enough in trays to finish a run. -- I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz! -- E. J. Fudd, 1954 Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth and don't expect them to be perfect. Yeah, Donald, I think you are correct. That's why I left it a question @ the end. Thanks, John |
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