Best technique for streak free found.

[anitasanger]

Okay, after many tips from you guys and many, trials and error, i think I found the best way to achieve clean, streak free negatives.


After final rinse, leave everything as is and refill the tank with tap water, just covering the top roll of film. In my case, this is usually 3.

Inject 1ml of photoflo into the water

To mix the photofolo, I slowly perform, 3 delicate inversions

Remove lid and look into tank, there should be little to no soap bubbles. If there are a few bubbles, no big deal, if there are a lot, just let it sit and walk away for 10 minutes or so.

Next, pop apart your first reel, then drop the negatives from that roll back into the tank.

Insert your hand and grab the roll by the very end of the reel (tape side)

Pull it our and look to see if the water running off of it is perfectly smooth, or if it has a few bubbly things. If it does, dunk back, pull again and inspect. After 1-3 times, it will look smooth and glassy. When it is, pull film out of water by an inch or so.

With the index finger and thumb of your non-dominant hand held in the shape of a C, grip the negative on it's edges and hold in the center of the tank. The only purpose here is to guide the film.

With dominant hand holding the end of the film's roll, begin pulling the film straight up from it's coiled, underwater resting place. Don't go real fast, but not slow either. The key is constant fluidity of movement.

When the film is completely extracted, attach a medium sized folder clip to what's left of the leader.

Immediately hang in the shower, close curtain, close door and let hang for a minimum of 2 hours.

Cut, archive and enjoy your glorious streak free negatives!

I developed about 50 rolls of tri x over the past 3 weeks and have used every tip and combination available. This has by far been the most consistent way to achieve clean, streak free, non water marked negatives! I hope this may be some help of someone at some time.

Luke

 

[kxl]

Too much work...:bang:

Easiest way I've found is: For a two-reel tank, fill with 1 ltr water, 30ml rubbing alcohol, 2.5ml Photoflo or 2-4 drops of Edwal. Let it stand for 1-2 minutes. Remove, then hang diagonally in a bathroom. No streaks, no problems.

 

[Keith]

I actually use an old glass screw top jar large enough to hold a couple of litres of distilled filtered water and photo flo. When I pull the film off the reel I just lower it slowly into the jar where it will coil naturally ... let it sit for a minute or two then attach a film clip to the end of the film and pull it out slowly. This way I'm not putting photo flo into my develping tank and the solution in the jar can be used this way for quite a while before you throw it make a fresh batch.

 

[anitasanger]

I actually use an old glass screw top jar large enough to hold a couple of litres of distilled filtered water and photo flo. When I pull the film off the reel I just lower it slowly into the jar where it will coil naturally ... let it sit for a minute or two then attach a film clip to the end of the film and pull it out slowly. This way I'm not putting photo flo into my develping tank and the solution in the jar can be used this way for quite a while before you throw it make a fresh batch.

No KXL it's not, it just seems daunting through my wall of directions. 😀 Kieth, sounds great. Basically same method I'm using, only more efficient. Nice tip with the jar.

 

[calebk]

The fundamental idea you're basically going for is similar to how film should be taken out of photo-flo, in that you have to let it sit for long enough in relatively suds-free photoflo mix, then extract it in such a way that the solution coats the entire roll evenly (i.e extracting from the end of the roll, rather than just pulling the entire reel out at a go).

But cheerios for explaining in such detail! I've been doing this myself and I can say I've gotten streak free negs too. I add only one step, that is to hang it diagonally such that the water drips to the sprockets and down the film.

 

[Matus]

I have got a bit simpler technique that seems to work 100% streak free.

1) After the washing of the film (inside Jobo drum) I mix the photo-flo with a distilled water (our tap water is very hard) and it goes inside the drum for 30 - 60 seconds. After that I pour the photo-flo out from the drum in a small tray.

2) I pull the film out and attach the holders to each end. At this stage there are still some bubbles on the film, but this gets solved in next stage.

3) I put the tray with photo-flo on a chair (135 films are long) - take each of the film holders in one hand and slowly allow the film pass the photo-flo "pool" - of course without touching the edges of the tray. This takes less than 1 minute.

4) I stretch the film in my hands (I hold the holders in my hands, not the slicky film itself ! ) and swing it once or twice (short but energetic movement) - to force the liquid to get out of the perforations - as thanks to photo-flo it tends to fill them. Not necessary with 120 film.

5) before hanging the film in a bathroom - I keep it one edge up and under angle about 45 degrees so that most of the remaining liquid runs along the bottom edge - for about 1 - 2 minutes. Than I hang the film and let it dry. If I could I would hang the film diagonally too.

____
In general the procedure works fine. It is always easier with 120 film as it is shorter and has no perforations which break partially the flow of the drying photo-flo.

 

[ChrisN]

+1 on Matus' technique. 🙂

There's a great thread in the archives on this subject.

But for the ultimate treatment of film may I recommend you read this story by Bill Mattocks.

Cheers!