Help: opaque milky streaks on edge of 35mm B+W

[kevin_v]

Hi folks,

I developed a roll of HP5+ this evening and found something unfamiliar when I pulled the film from the reel.

As you can see in the image, there's some opaque milky streaks on both edges of sections of the film. The images themselves seem fine, but when I ran my fingers along the edge, my fingers picked up some black residue - my guess is that it's the edge markings printed on the film.

I've never encountered this before. My intuition says underfixing, but even if I'm right, I'm not sure how to avoid it in the future because it seems more about distribution than time.

Anyone recognize this sort of thing? Recommendations for avoidance or film care after-the-fact? (It's currently drying)

Potentially relevant details: ~600ml Patterson tank and reels, film was in the bottom reel, with an empty reel on top; 7.5 min ~300ml HC-110 Dil B @ 20°C; water for stop; 1+4 Rapid Fixer 5 min; rinse + photoflo

 

[Bill Clark]

Looks like you need to use a little more fixer.

Or the film is touching the edge of the reel. Cause?

 

[CharlesDAMorgan]

Bit more fixing required as Bill says, the area of the film in the grooves of the developing reel is the last to complete. I get it on occasion, especially if I've had a loading disaster and ended up with emulsion side outwards.

 

[kevin_v]

Thanks for the rapid responses!

I get it on occasion, especially if I've had a loading disaster and ended up with emulsion side outwards.

This might be it. I loaded it emulsion-side out this time because I had just taken it out of the camera and I find getting the film onto the reel easier when I'm not fighting the curl. I hadn't considered this would affect which side of the film is pressed against the reel guides. Thanks!

 

[randy stewart]

undeveloped streak

undeveloped streak

No doubt about it! What you have are strips of emulsion along the edge of the film which did not develop or fix because they were pressed against the flange of the reel. That is what you get using a plastic reel with straight, fairly deep flanges or grooves and load the film with the emulsion facing out against the curl. I'm unclear as to why you would load the film inside out, since the film would naturally have more resistance to sliding along the reel grooves as you would load a Patterson reel. If this is to combat the film sticking excessively when loaded normally, then you have some pretty dirty reels there, which is not unknown to Patterson users. Maybe up your game to stainless steel.