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12-10-2021, 05:09 PM   #16
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The emulsion is more delicate while negatives are still damp.
It may be damaged if handled before fully dry throughout.
I always allow my processed film to dry overnight.

My negatives from Kodak Tri-X dry with a pronounced curl.
In my experience Ilford 35mm films dry much flatter.

Chris

12-10-2021, 05:15 PM   #17
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
In my first foray into home film development, I ended up with some fairly-well-developed 120 Fomapan 200 that was challenging to digitise because it's so "curly" (I believe some folks described it as "springy"). It's not bowed across the width of the film; rather, it has retained much of its curl from when it was on the original reel. I've read that Fomapan 200 is known for this, but hadn't expected it to be quite so bad - especially since I dried it well, with a weighted clip at the bottom to keep it straight.

I've read an interesting method of reducing this curl by loading the developed and dried film onto a developing tank reel with the emulsion side facing outwards, so that it's gently bent in the opposite direction to the curl, and leaving it like that for a few days. Has anyone tried this? Is there any danger to the emulsion in doing so? Or are there better methods? I've had the negatives sleeved in my folder for a few days, and I believe they're a little bit flatter, but not much

Thanks in advance
I've tried loading Fomapan backwards, as you describe. It's not easy, but mainly just because it'll test your ability to load the reel. You may end up scratching the emulsion just because of how much of a fight it can be with curly film. You could try re-wetting your developed negatives and drying them a second time, maybe with a heavier clamp on the bottom so they hang straight?

Oddly I didn't find 200 to be too bad to handle, 400 was the film stock I had more trouble with (this was 35mm, not 120).

---------- Post added 12-10-21 at 04:16 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
The emulsion is more delicate while negatives are still damp.
It may be damaged if handled before fully dry throughout.
I always allow my processed film to dry overnight.

My negatives from Kodak Tri-X dry with a pronounced curl.
In my experience Ilford 35mm films dry much flatter.

Chris
Overnight, how do you avoid dust?!

My film usually only takes about three hours to dry fully, bear in mind I have a dehumidifier in my home to keep things at 50-55% humidity.
12-10-2021, 05:45 PM   #18
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QuoteOriginally posted by AgentL Quote
Overnight, how do you avoid dust?!

I find no difference in dust after 3 hours or 12 hours; my bathroom here is not dusty.

The final step in processing BW negatives is a bath in a wetting agent like Kodak Photo-Flo 200 or Edwal LFN.
This makes drying and dried negatives far less likely to attract dust.

When I built a darkroom in my parents basement I did have a dust control problem.
I bought a tabletop negative ion generator which solved the problem.

Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 12-10-2021 at 05:54 PM.
12-10-2021, 05:51 PM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
in my parents basement
.... a tabletop negative ion generator....

Chris
Tell me truthfully... are you a mad scientist?

12-10-2021, 06:04 PM   #20
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QuoteOriginally posted by AgentL Quote
Tell me truthfully... are you a mad scientist?

If so I can't be the only one; Amazon and eBay list dozens of models of air cleaner/purifiers with negative ion generator.

In college my parents got tired of my use of their home's only bathroom with my several times per week printing sessions.
The best and easiest solution was to frame out a darkroom in their unfinished basement, built around the existing slop sink.

Negative ion generators were not as common back in the early 1980's, but here's the model I used:



Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 12-10-2021 at 07:16 PM.
12-11-2021, 03:44 PM   #21
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
If so I can't be the only one; Amazon and eBay list dozens of models of air cleaner/purifiers with negative ion generator.

In college my parents got tired of my use of their home's only bathroom with my several times per week printing sessions.
The best and easiest solution was to frame out a darkroom in their unfinished basement, built around the existing slop sink.

Negative ion generators were not as common back in the early 1980's, but here's the model I used:



Chris
That's very cool - I might look into one of those at some point.
12-12-2021, 07:18 PM - 1 Like   #22
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For dust control, I dry my film in the bathroom, but first I run the shower on full-hot for about 5 minutes to fill the room with steam. That knocks most of the dust out of the air. Then hang the films from clips attached to coat hangers hooked onto the shower rod. Oh, and I close the heating vent so dust doesn't get blown around if the furnace kicks in. Works great, and I rarely get dust on my films

12-12-2021, 10:47 PM   #23
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QuoteOriginally posted by Viking42 Quote
For dust control, I dry my film in the bathroom, but first I run the shower on full-hot for about 5 minutes to fill the room with steam. That knocks most of the dust out of the air. Then hang the films from clips attached to coat hangers hooked onto the shower rod. Oh, and I close the heating vent so dust doesn't get blown around if the furnace kicks in. Works great, and I rarely get dust on my films
Interesting. I'd read a few recommendations on running cold water in the bathroom for dust control, but the general advice was to avoid running a hot tap as the steam allegedly slowed down drying. Knowing you've had good results with the latter, I'll try that. Thankfully, my main bathroom I used last time has very low dust compared to other rooms, and all of my heating is from radiators (no ducted air and vents).

Hanging my film was a tad more troublesome than I expected, and I resorted to using two light stands stood side-by-side, with a short line of string running between each like a clothes-line...
12-13-2021, 04:53 AM - 1 Like   #24
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Atoms for peace

A soft camel's hair brush is useful for removing dust and won't scratch negatives if used gently.


Before printing in my parents dusty basement I would use a Staticmaster brand brush like this:



Apparently these are still available but now they are very expensive.
IIRC the small model I used cost under 20 USD in the 1980's.


Info here:
https://www.orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/consumer/miscellaneous/static-eliminators.html



Chris

Last edited by ChrisPlatt; 12-13-2021 at 05:36 PM.
12-13-2021, 11:17 AM - 1 Like   #25
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Canned air is a good thing to have on hand for dust as well. Only the dust that gets on the film during the drying process tends to be too stubbornly affixed to be taken off with a puff of air.
12-13-2021, 03:44 PM - 1 Like   #26
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QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Interesting. I'd read a few recommendations on running cold water in the bathroom for dust control, but the general advice was to avoid running a hot tap as the steam allegedly slowed down drying. Knowing you've had good results with the latter, I'll try that. Thankfully, my main bathroom I used last time has very low dust compared to other rooms, and all of my heating is from radiators (no ducted air and vents).

Hanging my film was a tad more troublesome than I expected, and I resorted to using two light stands stood side-by-side, with a short line of string running between each like a clothes-line...

Mike - not sure slowing down the drying is as troublesome as dealing with dust that hits the film when it's wet. The steam doesn't stick around long, and after ten minutes or so the bathroom is just a bit humid, then slowly returns to ambient like the rest of the house. You don't need to run the water so long that you have rivulets running down the walls....just enough to create some steam in the room and that's it. It really works great. I did some films a couple of weeks ago and saw not a single dust spot when scanning a bunch of negs. Maybe it takes a half-hour or so longer to dry, but that doesn't bother me in the least.

Interesting about running cold water in the shower...I'm trying to understand how that would knock the dust out of the air. With a bit of steam from hot water, the millions of tiny water aerosol droplets make contact with the dust and drop it out of the air. Pretty effectively actually. This follows the same principle as industrial dust control and the use of aerosolizing water spray nozzles (fogging nozzles). With cold water there is no aerosol generated, so I'm a bit skeptical that it would actually work.
12-13-2021, 03:54 PM   #27
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QuoteOriginally posted by Viking42 Quote
Mike - not sure slowing down the drying is as troublesome as dealing with dust that hits the film when it's wet. The steam doesn't stick around long, and after ten minutes or so the bathroom is just a bit humid, then slowly returns to ambient like the rest of the house. You don't need to run the water so long that you have rivulets running down the walls....just enough to create some steam in the room and that's it. It really works great. I did some films a couple of weeks ago and saw not a single dust spot when scanning a bunch of negs. Maybe it takes a half-hour or so longer to dry, but that doesn't bother me in the least.

Interesting about running cold water in the shower...I'm trying to understand how that would knock the dust out of the air. With a bit of steam from hot water, the millions of tiny water aerosol droplets make contact with the dust and drop it out of the air. Pretty effectively actually. This follows the same principle as industrial dust control and the use of aerosolizing water spray nozzles (fogging nozzles). With cold water there is no aerosol generated, so I'm a bit skeptical that it would actually work.
Agreed, Svend... the running cold water thing doesn't sound plausible. A little steam does, though... and I've actually used it in the past for dust control when fitting screen protectors to digital camera and tablet LCDs. My only concern (and only then from the reading I did, which was from unverified sources ) was drying... but it sounds like I needn't be concerned, so long as I'm sensible about it
12-13-2021, 03:56 PM - 1 Like   #28
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QuoteOriginally posted by ChrisPlatt Quote
A soft camel's hair brush is useful for removing dust and won't scratch negatives if used gently.


Before printing in my parents dusty basement I would use a Staticmaster brand brush like this:



Apparently these are still available but now they are very expensive.
IIRC the small model I used cost under 20 USD in the 1980's.


Info here:
https://www.orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/consumer/miscellaneous/static-eliminators.html



Chris


Good recommendation Chris. There are some anti-static and camelhair brushes available at places like B&H for reasonable money (~$15 to $20). Maybe not as good as yours, though

---------- Post added 13th Dec 2021 at 18:58 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by BigMackCam Quote
Agreed, Svend... the running cold water thing doesn't sound plausible. A little steam does, though... and I've actually used it in the past for dust control when fitting screen protectors to digital camera and tablet LCDs. My only concern (and only then from the reading I did, which was from unverified sources ) was drying... but it sounds like I needn't be concerned, so long as I'm sensible about it

For sure Mike - what's the hurry to dry? Unless that particular bathroom is a high traffic zone in your home
12-14-2021, 12:25 PM   #29
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I bought anti newton ring glass inserts to flatten old negatives.

35 mm Anti Newton Ring Glass Insert for Epson Scanners

You can either put in on the scanning insert or just sandwich two glass plates together.
12-14-2021, 12:57 PM   #30
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QuoteOriginally posted by y0chang Quote
I bought anti newton ring glass inserts to flatten old negatives.

35 mm Anti Newton Ring Glass Insert for Epson Scanners

You can either put in on the scanning insert or just sandwich two glass plates together.
It's a great idea if you're using a flatbed or dedicated film scanner, but I'm using a DSLR and copy stand to digitise, with an EFH film holder:



Here you can see it with (very flat) 35mm film in the holder:



The EFH is a good film holder, and the nicest part about it - IMHO - is that no part ever touches the exposed photos... only the edges of the film feed through the gap between the plates that hold it (reasonably) flat. Plus, it's easy to feed the film through for each frame, and that can really speed up the process of digitising each strip. But, with thin, curly 120 film stock, it's trickier to use - hence my interest in flattening the film as much as possible. I've also tried a Pixl-latr film holder, which does a better job of keeping negatives completely flat, but is a real pain when it comes to feeding them through for each successive frame, and needs much more care because the film is in full contact with the diffuser base. So long as I can get my negatives flat enough, I think I'll continue with the EFH...

Last edited by BigMackCam; 12-14-2021 at 01:22 PM.
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