Going Squeegee free... do you?

[roscoetuff]

I'm beginning to get annoyed by some streaks that show up in my skies when the contrast cranks or brightness fails... 'causing me to wonder "What's that?" I think I'm seeing traces of squeegee-ing my film after hanging it to dry. I haven't ever tried just letting the film hang, so that may be the next step. I use a thorough Photoflow rinse cycle just beforehand, and I'm reading that may be enough.

So I'm curious whether there's any other reason NOT to go this route? What do you guys do?

 

[znapper]

Used it once, scratch my film, never used it again.

I centrifuge my film by swinging the empty tank after photo-flo, works well enough.

 

[Shac]

Never squeegee my film - just photoflo and similar to znapper - just empty the tank and shake thoroughly - then hand to dry.

 

[jim_jm]

I used a squeegee for years without a problem, until the first time I got scratches on the film. I was always fastidious about keeping the squeegee clean, but it just takes one tiny unseen particle to ruin much of a roll. Never again.

Mix your Photoflo with distilled water for the final rinse, then hang the film to dry in a dust and draft-free area. You shouldn't have any problem with spots and zero risk of scratching the film.

 

[sevo]

I only use them on film whenever drying speed is more important than anything else (e.g. for press work or presentation drafts). But I never had squeegee damage on paper - so it probably would be fine with ULF (or indeed any film that is only contact copied).

 

[PKR]

After a Photoflo rinse, I've always used my first and second fingers. Never any scratches ..

Been doing it for many years with 135 film. Haven't processed any 120 in a long time, but, works with 120 too. I used wet Kemwipes on 4x5. A fresh side for each wipe. Never any scratches that I can remember caused by processing. I had some once from a dirty film rail. I always check my rails for any dirt. I clean them with Kemwipes and alcohol.

 

[B.Toews]

After a Photoflow rinse, I've always used my first and second fingers. Never any scratches ..

I also just wet my index and middle fingers with the photoflow solution and run my fingers down the roll to get the excess water off, then hang to dry. The film is dry and ready for scanning after about 1.5 hours, and I have never had water marks or streaks using this method.

 

[PKR]

I also just wet my index and middle fingers with the photoflow solution and run my fingers down the roll to get the excess water off, then hang to dry. The film is dry and ready for scanning after about 1.5 hours, and I have never had water marks or streaks using this method.

Yeah, my technique is the same. Never a problem. No foreign matter to scratch the film. I do this after the film is hanging from film clips. I use another film clip to weight the bottom. Never checked drying time, as it varies with the weather. Hung 4x5 from a corner with a cloths pin.

Really simple stuff. I don't know why people complicate it?

 

[Talus]

After the rinse I'll dip the reel in a tank with distilled water and 10-11 drops or Mirasol 2000. Then I shake the living daylights out of it. I mean really shake it. So far virtually zero water spots.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I do run film between two fingers and several times. But before this film is soaked in PhotoFlo and this is the only solution I know to have clean negatives. C-41, ECN2 including.

 

[Oren Grad]

I never squeegee - I just dunk the film in Photo-Flo and hang it up to dry.

 

[webOSUser]

I wet the index and middle fingers and wipe the film down. I haven't seen a scratch yet.

 

[Rob-F]

I dunk in Photo-Flo, then hang the film up and use white sponges moist with photo-Flo, one in back and one in front, holding them very lightly--as lightly as possible--and moving down the film very slowly to facilitate maximum fluid transfer in one pass. Just one pass and that's all. I have never scratched a film this way. Not in 40 years.

Edit: I keep the sponges in a ziplock bag to keep them at the right moisture level.

 

[nikon_sam]

PhotoFlo then hang it to dry...never had any problems...

 

[x-ray]

I have used a squeegee for decades. On very rare occasions I've had a scratch but it doesn't happen every twenty years.

I'll second using distilled water to mix your photoflo especially if you have hard water.

 

[PRJ]

LFN is better than PhotoFlo I've always found. But the two best ways for me are to simply use a paper towel to gently wipe the back of the negative. It takes off all the water so you won't get any spots, and the towel doesn't cause any problems either since it is clean. I used to use Kimwipes to do the same, but found paper towels (Bounty) to be the easiest since they absorb more water. You only need one pass with them. The second way is to dunk the film in 91% Isopropyl alcohol then hang it to dry. The alcohol will replace most of the water and will allow the film to dry very quickly without any spots.

 

[PKR]

LFN is better than PhotoFlo I've always found. But the two best ways for me are to simply use a paper towel to gently wipe the back of the negative. It takes off all the water so you won't get any spots, and the towel doesn't cause any problems either since it is clean. I used to use Kimwipes to do the same, but found paper towels (Bounty) to be the easiest since they absorb more water. You only need one pass with them. The second way is to dunk the film in 91% Isopropyl alcohol then hang it to dry. The alcohol will replace most of the water and will allow the film to dry very quickly without any spots.

Hi Patrick, nice to see you here.

Best, pkr

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Never, ever touch wet film on the emulsion side with anything. The film is soft when wet, and can scratch if you squeegie. Yes, drying is not as fast without the squeegie, but the wait is worth it.

 

[dmr]

This is a topic of interest to me too, as I just started processing my own C41 in the jobo.

Usually, I've had good luck using the stabilizer, which I understand is basically Photo Flo and a hexamine preservative of some kind. A good shake seems to get most of the droplets off.

However, every so often I do get a streaky spot, which I assume is a droplet that lingered and did not naturally roll off.

Someone on APUG recommended a salad spinner to centrifuge the solution off. I'm thinking of trying something like that. Anyone tried this?

 

[Pherdinand]

You can also get streaks if you use too much photo-flo. You will get flow marks then.
If you don't use enough/any, you might get drying spots.
A few drops are enough in a full tank, it shouldnt get all foamy 🙂 and use distilled/demi water for the final rinse with photo-flo to keep it clean of minerals.

A lot of people have a lot of ideas on it of course (see the salad spinner above), it all can give good or bad results, so if you find a way that works for you stick with that.