Filmwasters
Which Board? => Main Forum => : choppert October 23, 2008, 08:43:54 AM
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Eyup,
The clown strikes again, with two questions this time:
1) Will drying marks on my neg (doh!) cause any damage in the sort term (what about the long term)?
2) How would you recommend someone re-wash negs cut into strips of six?
Thanks for any help,
Chops
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Eyup,
The clown strikes again, with two questions this time:
1) Will drying marks on my neg (doh!) cause any damage in the sort term (what about the long term)?
2) How would you recommend someone re-wash negs cut into strips of six?
Thanks for any help,
Chops
(http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v122/92/63/801774427/n801774427_206577_8588.jpg)
from one clown to another -
1. I dont know about long term damage, it all depends on what is in the water to make the marks .....
2. - The obvious answer is very carefully. However - if you do things to minimise the risk of getting them in the first place, things should be much easier for you - get some distilled water for your final rinse, or some people find boiled and cooled water fine, or some use water put through a britta type water filter. I've got a reverse osmosis filter in my darkroom - either way, clean up the water you use for at least your final rinse. This should be much easier if you are using the ilford fill and dump wash method rather than wasting loads of constantly running tap water. Use a good wetting agent for your final dip - ilfotol or similar, leave to dry. If you're still getting marks, buy a (very) soft micro-fibre type cloth (I use a tetenal or Ilford anti-static cloth) and gently rub away the drying marks. That's what I do anyway - others may do different to achieve the same ends - diff'rent strokes and all that.
good luck
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WRT washing the neg strips: I'll get some distilled water and wetting agent, give them a dunk in it and then dry them on their side (the negs are still a bit curly)?
Sound like a plan?
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One thing to check - are you sure the drying marks are appearing on the emulsion side?
I usually use tap water with wetting agent for the final rinse, and I've noticed that while the wetting agent does a great job on the emulsion side, droplets still often form on the other side of the film because it's so shiney. While the film is drying I wipe these off with a folded, damp tissue but if I don't they will dry to leave a residue. If your drying marks are on this side of the film, removing them carefully by wiping may be possible even when the film is dry?
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One thing to check - are you sure the drying marks are appearing on the emulsion side?
Shiny side!
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yes al - that's what I do, wipe them off gently (if there are any) when the film is dry. I've never had drying marks on the emulsion side - I imagine because the emulsion is absorbent so any water on there is sucked in before it can form a blob.
Using paper tissues on wet negs isnt a great idea if you're planning to conventionally print them as tiny paper fibres glued to negatives can cause huge headaches when it come to spotting your prints. Not so much a problem for scanning and p'shop cloning spotters :) Maybe lint free absorbent cloth like a jay cloth would be better ? I'd stick to preventative measure then cleaning off once dry. I know some people swear by squeegy-ing the negs to remove the excees before drying - I've never had any success with this other than it being very good at scratching the emulsion, but I think Peter R has.
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yes al - that's what I do, wipe them off gently (if there are any) when the film is dry. I've never had drying marks on the emulsion side - I imagine because the emulsion is absorbent so any water on there is sucked in before it can form a blob.
Using paper tissues on wet negs isnt a great idea if you're planning to conventionally print them as tiny paper fibres glued to negatives can cause huge headaches when it come to spotting your prints. Not so much a problem for scanning and p'shop cloning spotters :) Maybe lint free absorbent cloth like a jay cloth would be better ? I'd stick to preventative measure then cleaning off once dry. I know some people swear by squeegy-ing the negs to remove the excees before drying - I've never had any success with this other than it being very good at scratching the emulsion, but I think Peter R has.
I got drying marks on the emulsion side before I started using wetting agent. For the tissue wiping trick, I use a good quality tissue (not kitchen or toilet paper, that is a fibre nightmare!), fold over and over to make a small pad, wet it and squeeze the water out, before wiping gently, and using a new tissue each time Fibres don't seem to be a problem doing it like that.
I've also used chamois leather which works very well but had to be good quality or bits break off it.
I haven't had a lot of success squeegying either; yeah the only time it did a good job of removing the water it did a better job at scratching the emulsion.
Another trick that works well to get rid of the bulk of the moisture is simply to run the film between two wet fingers.
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Another trick that works well to get rid of the bulk of the moisture is simply to run the film between two wet fingers.
Though for sheet film you'd have to have fingers like E.T. :)
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I remember a few months ago (last Summer) in B&W Magazine they had a set of tricks for removing water spots (and avoiding them)...
I remember one vaguely which involved photo-flo and isopropyl alcohol...
Maybe somebody has the issue and could check it out.
If not, I can always dig out a formula for film cleaner.
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Funnily had this problem today. I re-washed a neg in wetting agent and warm water [but dispensed with the scrubbing brush ] then ran it through ionised water. Seems to be much better once dried and got rid of annoying dust.
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A short cut is to have the wetting agent in a plant spray bottle of distilled water 5ml to a 1 litre. Hang the negs up and give both sides a good spray. Saves time and the litre of distilled water goes a long way.
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A short cut is to have the wetting agent in a plant spray bottle of distilled water 5ml to a 1 litre. Hang the negs up and give both sides a good spray. Saves time and the litre of distilled water goes a long way.
eddie wins the weekly Filmwasters "what a brilliant suggestion" award. excellent. ( he says digging out a spray bottle immediately)
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We should start a thread for cheapskates...
consider it done!
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Och a silly kwestyon, duss Ilfotol or wettin agent go off ?
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Och a silly kwestyon, duss Ilfotol or wettin agent go off ?
I've been using the same bottle for years, so I would say no.