Does my equipment list look OK?

[Bosk]

I am soon to take the plunge into developing my own 35mm B&W film at home and have made up a list of equipment to buy, the idea being that I keep it as short as possible to minimise initial costs.

So does my list of stuff look like it will do the job? Cheers.



Ilford End cap remover

Paterson Chemical mixer

Jobo 600 ml bottle black

Jobo 600 ml bottle white

Paterson 300 ml graduate

Photolab Thermomoter 15cm glass rod

Paterson Film Clip Set

Paterson Changing Bag

Paterson Tray 10x12in 25.4x30.5cm (white)
Paterson Tray 10x12in 25.4x30.5cm (red)

Paterson Universal tank & reel

Kodak HC 110 developer >7.6lt
Ilford Rapid fixer 1 ltr

 

[markinlondon]

No problems there. Sounds like all you need. Can you explain HC110 >7.6lt, please?

 

[kully]

I'd add a 50ml measure as well.

What's a Paterson Chemical Mixer?

You know those spindles of CD/DVDs you can buy? The top bit makes an excellent mixing thingy, I have three one for dev, one for stop and one for fixer - they're cool because they let you heat up the chemicals quite easily if need be by putting them in a sink with some warm water in.

I don't see a stop bath in there. You might want to get a bottle to store that in for future uses as well.

 

[Fred]

Second the use of the stop., certainly for printing anyway.

Have fun and good luck!

 

[markinlondon]

I did miss something, actually. You may find a syringe or a pipette useful for HC110. It's too thick to pour into a measure easily and accurately.

 

[Xmas]

Bosk

I submit some changes for your kind consideration, done all these things myself

Ilford End cap remover or swiss army knife or similar style can opener, steal kitchen tool...

band aids - in case, suture set if you are in outback, cassettes are like tiger snakes but not toxic

Paterson Chemical mixer or glass rod or omit unless you are to mix solid chemicals, see hypo suggestion

Jobo 600 ml bottle black

Jobo 600 ml bottle white

Paterson 30 to 100 ml graduate - use a normal kitchen poly jug for temporary store, dont move it back to kitchen use, I have a 10ml measure, but babies feeding syringe is probably better

Photolab Thermomoter 15cm glass rod

Paterson Film Clip Set, nice but plastic/stainless steel cloths pins (or pegs) will do with care until they rust, then return to owner

Paterson Changing Bag, it easier using an understair or other large store area or toilet or any interior enclosure without windows, you will need somewhere to dry film, relatively dust free.

the trays are useful if you have a contact strip printer (e.g. Patterson) or a FSU (or other) enlarger, or if you intend to strip cameras. For AgBrs you need three trays the middle tray for stop bath, as recommended earlier by Kully, to avoid stains...
Paterson Tray 10x12in 25.4x30.5cm (white)
Paterson Tray 10x12in 25.4x30.5cm (red)
Paterson Tray 10x12in 25.4x30.5cm (another)

Paterson Universal tank & reel (and extra reel, to double throughput - I have 2x 5 at a time, and ten spirals)

Kodak HC 110 developer >7.6lt (or Rodinal 500 mls it keeps better - decades, & since you one shot it you need one less storage container)

Ilford Rapid fixer 1 ltr (or plain sodium hypo if you can get cool wash water, the two bottles can be used for fresh and partly used hypo to keep running costs down, you dont need a stop bath for film a 68F water bath rinse will do.)

film squigee, if you water is hard you wont be able to do without this, I TRIED FOR YEARS

Photoflow or similar detergent, with hard water x2 recommended dosage

Bulk loader, buying 30m reel of film saves, many of the cameras take custom non scratch cassettes, which last for ever or until you drop them...

If I can do it it is easy... good luck

Noel

 

[mwooten]

Back in the day when I developed my own film in the bathroom... makes me sound like a geezer, but it was only a couple of years ago... I used Ilfotec HC. It's a thick syrupy fluid, and I used small (around 1oz) plastic cups that I found in the hobby shop. They are intended to be used for mixing epoxy. The cups are graduated with markings from oz's and drams to cc's. I would first pour the developer into the little cup then into my larger graduate. Then water would be added to the little cup, poured into the larger graduate, and so on until all of the Ilfotec was out of the little and into the larger graduate.

Have fun developing,
Michael

 

[Bosk]

No problems there. Sounds like all you need. Can you explain HC110 >7.6lt, please?

I'm not sure myself, I just copy pasted it from the website of my local darkroom supplier!

 

[Bosk]

I'd add a 50ml measure as well.

What's a Paterson Chemical Mixer?

Basically a stirring paddle I think.

You know those spindles of CD/DVDs you can buy? The top bit makes an excellent mixing thingy, I have three one for dev, one for stop and one for fixer - they're cool because they let you heat up the chemicals quite easily if need be by putting them in a sink with some warm water in.

I don't see a stop bath in there. You might want to get a bottle to store that in for future uses as well.

Great suggestion! I might give the CD spindle things a go. 😀

 

[Bosk]

THANKS very much for the suggestions guys they were just what I needed. 🙂


I've got a couple of questions though.

- Do I really need a stop bath or will water at the right temperature do OK instead?

- Do I actually need a cap remover for the film canisters, or would a film extractor be OK instead?
I'm not sure if it's totally necessary to remove the cap of the film canister, or if you can retrieve the film (to wind it onto the reel) without having to take the cap off.

- What do I actually need the trays for? I put them on the list because I was under the impression I need them for some reason but I'm still not sure why. 😕

- Xmas mentioned buying two reels so I can develop two rolls at the same time.
Is it much trickier doing two simultaneously? Does it use up more chemicals?

- Is Ilford Rapid Fixer the best choice? I want something as easy to use as possible but I'm not if all Fixers are pretty much 'created equal'.


Once again thanks very much for your help. 🙂

 

[FrankS]

- Do I really need a stop bath or will water at the right temperature do OK instead?

stop bath is not needed to develop film

- Do I actually need a cap remover for the film canisters, or would a film extractor be OK instead?
I'm not sure if it's totally necessary to remove the cap of the film canister, or if you can retrieve the film (to wind it onto the reel) without having to take the cap off.

removing the film cannister cap is the fastest/easiest way to get the film ot. A plain bottle cap opener will do the job

- What do I actually need the trays for? I put them on the list because I was under the impression I need them for some reason but I'm still not sure why. 😕

no need for trays

- Xmas mentioned buying two reels so I can develop two rolls at the same time.
Is it much trickier doing two simultaneously? Does it use up more chemicals?

it useds a greater volume of chemicals but the more films you develope at a time, the less time you use per roll. It is no more difficult to develop 1
or 5 rolls at once

- Is Ilford Rapid Fixer the best choice? I want something as easy to use as possible but I'm not if all Fixers are pretty much 'created equal'.

Ilford or Kodak fixer is great. Some fixer comes as powder that needs to be mixed, other fixer is concentrated liquid that needs to be mixed.

Good luck!

 

[BillBingham2]

Film washer (tube with water fed from bottom in circular motion) is nice, as is a film dryer (depending upon room and how clean the air is in there, if it's dusty, get one from somewhere).

Negative sleves are handy and you'll need something to hold them. You might try some glass bottles, dark from somewhere like a pharmicy (sp).

B2 (;->

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

I would add a pair of scissors for cutting the taped film end from spool. You can pull the tape off, but it can create a static electricity spark that can flash you negatives.

Also a small digital timer from the cooking section of "Big Box-Mart" or what ever your local discount store is called. You can use a watch or clock, but I have a problem with remembering exactly when to stop developing and start stopping. The timer is easier for an old geezer like me.

The trays would be useful for developing paper prints or sheet film.

Wayne

P.S. The scissors can be used to cut your film into strips to fit your negative sleeves. Trim the end notch at a 45 degree angle on the top and bottom of your negative ends and they will slide into the sleeves easily.

 

[Xmas]

Getting the film out of the cassette is the only real hard part. Some casettes can be real spiteful...

An extractor may take ages and is exposed to the risk of more 'tram lines' scratches from the felt light trap. An extractor is only necessary of you want to run the film back into camera.

Some people say that if you knock the protruding end of the plastic spool on a hard surface the cassette will open. They may have a pet elephant.

Some people (like FrankS) say bottle opener.

I have to use Swiss army knife can opener myself, I need all the metal and leverage. Once you partly damage the cassette you are stuck in dark darkroom, and have to drop cassettes into dry empty tank, before switching on the light, while you apply the band aids...

Ive fogged film from static bolt, described by Wayne, not badly but annoying.

Noel