Almost there!

[jano]

All right, just about there! I shot a test roll the other day, determined to get through the developing with exact timings and process. Looks like my other post with my light leaks and residue was lost in the move, but that's okay.

Took everything slowly, checked my list twice and thrice, with results that were quite nice.

Two items left. First I wonder about "spots" -- they are slightly larger than grain size scanned at 4000ppi, show up "white" (let no light through) show up randomly in each frame. I thought they were dust spots, but a friend tells me they are possibly pieces of emulsion that weren't disolved by the fixer or washed away. Perhaps I need to fix longer and agitate harder during fixing and washing? I spent 4 minutes with the fixer (rapid, non-hardening), and followed the ilford washing method (5,10,20 inversions). See attached for 100% crop. Takes about half and hour to an hour using spot-heal brush in PS CS2 just dabbing to get rid of all those (they show up in 8x10 and larger). Some frames are affected more than others.

Number 2: residue. Because the last, poor results were excacerbated by a large amount of dust, I assembled a little home-drying thing per instructions found on the net using drain pipe and hair drier (see attached). Following the ilford wash, I dunked the reel with film into a photoflo + distilled water mix for a few seconds, then pulled it out, shook the excess liquid off, and stuck it into my drier for 10 minutes. Please see attached, I still have residue, but this time it's all concentrated, guessing the blow-drier pushed all the liquid to one place. Images scanned dust free, and I had no problems with curling.

I thank everyone for reading this, taking some time and putting up with me, jsut a little more patience, and i'll get through this properly 🙂

Jano

 

[photodog]

I can think of three potential causes of the dirt or grit on the first photo. How clean is the water that you wash the film with? Is it filtered? I used a filter on my water line. Another is the air going through that blow dryer. Your setup is like an old Senrac dryer. It had a small particle filter in the air intake to prevent dust from getting through. Thirdly, are you reusing the wetting agent or Photo-flo prior to drying? I had a problem once with residue in the wetting agent. I stopped reusing Photo-flo and the problem went away.

 

[jano]

Thanks for your input.

My tap water is not filtered, but results were same with the distilled water I bought at the store (doesn't say filtered on the jug though). Perhaps I'll get one of them filter attachments. I only reuse the fixer and do not reuse photoflo. I had same results whether using the homemade dryer or not. In reviewing scans, it appears to occur mostly in areas closest to neutral gray.

Maybe I should get new batch of chemicals and use distilled water only?

 

[jano]

Hmm, okay. I need to call my water-utility company for that, or is there a third party where I take my water to? I bet this probably varies from state to state, though.

 

[foon]

I have been getting water marks on my negs with the tap water here
now I develop it with tap water, and use distilled water and wetting agent for the final rinse
it helps a lot
I am not sure about the dust/particle thing, I recall seeing that once
but it was a while ago, it was probably due to careless handling while wet
I have been a lot more careful since then
it might be your dryer's problem though, try dry it by hanging the film up and see if that helps or not

 

[jano]

Thanks for your time, foon.

The only part where I didn't use distilled water in my last try was the original developer and fixer mixes. Otherwise, distilled or tap water leave me with same results.

I will shoot one more test roll, and this time will agitate more fiercly during the fixing stage. I've been baby-ing the agitation thus far, I'll shake it like they do in the movies. Maybe leave the fixer in longer, 5-10 minutes.

The drier was a new addition as well, hanging them to dry leaves me with dirtier negs.

Jano

 

[foon]

Thanks for your time, foon.

The only part where I didn't use distilled water in my last try was the original developer and fixer mixes. Otherwise, distilled or tap water leave me with same results.


Jano

Reading again your post again, you really shouldn't be getting those water marks on you negs. Maybe try use a bit less photoflo, all it takes is a drop or two for a tank of two rolls.

 

[f/stopblues]

I've found that force-drying negs in any manner can cause water marks, with tap water anyway. I tried something similar to your hair dryer setup and used a drying cabinet at school with a blower, both with water marks. I've resorted to doing a final dunk in photoflo for just a second or two, get some photoflo on my (clean) hands and gently squeegie with my fingers down the length of the negative to get the excess water off. Then I weight the bottom and hang them in a place with still air, in my case its the basement. I haven't seen a water spot since I've done that.

 

[jano]

Feel sort of like a broken record because, again, that's what I had done before the drier setup, and I could never squeegee all the water off, and whatever liquid was left on the negs, instead of water residue pushed all together as with the drier, I end up with randomly dispersed spots hroughout the strip, even with a dunking in photoflo. This is with both tap water and bottled distilled water. There must be something I'm doing wrong. Hanging them up to dry also left me with negs that are, well, dirty (unless I hit them with a good blast of air before scanning).

 

[djon]

Two problems: filth and suicide. 😛

Forget the goofy drying disaster machine until you get clean results, that gizmo's just confusing things and it'll electricute you sooner or later...not smart to have in a wet workspace. 🙄

Looks like you're working chemically careless. I'd bet you've got dried fix or developer on surfaces. You probably can't see it, but you might taste it. Lick your finger and wipe it across a surface, taste it. DON'T stick that finger in the electric socket, no matter how temping that may be to you (inference from the film dryer).

Mop your entire workspace and sponge off all surfaces. Then do it again. And again. Three times, dry after each, 123.

Am I guessing you're a slob? No comment. But I did have film like yours before I got my own act together (I shared the darkroom with a better photographer who had clean habits...he finally threatened my life...I'd loaned my college yearbook editor my car so he could make out with his girlfriend, so he made me a paid photographer on our college yearbook, forty years ago). :angel:

 

[jano]

Okay, I'll clean and reclean my fairly spotless work area (a big sink and small countertop space). I'll try to rewash the tank and measuring cups as well.. what's the best way to do this? Dishwasher soap and water or should I get some acetone (err.. or was it acetic acid, forget now what I used in orgo lab back in college to dry out the beakers)?

I just scanned some older b&w negs I had stored away that were developed at a lab last year before I started doing this myself. The negs seem to have those white spots like I do, but not to the same extent (much more manageable amount). Of course, their results are also squeeky clean, no residue and it's much more difficult to tell which side is the emulsion side when compared to mine.

jano