Topic: Polaroid 665: Possible to clear later?

[seekingfocus]

Hi All-

So, I have a shoot in the field coming up in a couple days and was thinking that some 665 would be quite perfect to play with a bit... only problem is the messy and nearly impossible task of clearing the negatives on location- urban, street stuff, a few different locations.

So, I was wondering if it's possible just to put them in water for a few hours until I got home to properly clear and wash them? Will they be harmed if they are in contact with one another in the water bath? Any other options other than lugging around sodium sulfite and a proper clearing tank?

Thanks,
Jason

[moominsean]

yeah you can keep them in water for a long time. the water will be black and nasty, but they store fine. doesn't matter if they touch, as they are all slimy. you don't even really need to use a 'clearing agent'. water works just fine, just a little slower, unless you leave them soaking for a long time. all the sulfite does is make it happen faster.
you can even let them dry out and if you soak them all that stuff will still come off fine. some people say the film degrades, but i've left mine for hours before rinsing them and it always works out fine.

[seekingfocus]

So, should I even bother with storing them in water then? Honestly, I'd rather not as it will be quite a pain as it is to store them will walking around and carrying that with me... Can I just shoot and peel after development and then clear after a few hours? That would be fabulous.

Thanks for the quick reply by the way!

-Jason

[corduroysurf]

Hi , I've even used sea water to store them ( watch out for sand , it scratches them like hell!) , water is fine although i did once leave one in water for over 2 weeks & the emulsion slid off the base !

[db]

So, should I even bother with storing them in water then? Honestly, I'd rather not as it will be quite a pain as it is to store them will walking around and carrying that with me... Can I just shoot and peel after development and then clear after a few hours? That would be fabulous.

-Jason

Yes I'd say you should. You don't want the goop to dry on the negs. Pol negs are very soft and scratch if you just mutter the word 'sand' under your breath, let alone get actual dust on them. And how else would you carry them around all damp and goopy?

Water seems to lubricate them instead of having them rub up next to each other, and they'll clean up easily after. I often use Hypo-Clear solution if I don't have sulphite handy. Carry an appropriate sized plastic kitchen storage container- one with a good watertight seal on the lid. I find they pack-pack pretty well. Leave the negs in that soup till you get back to the darkroom.

[seekingfocus]

Thanks all! Very helpful info.

-Jason

[gothamtomato]

A really great brand of kitchen container is called 'Snapware'. The top won't pop off. It will stay put, watertight.