user237428934
User deletion pending
Johann, why not give the TO the chance to get this package? If he does not want it, you can make it open? There are so many here who already have dev equipment. Just an idea.
Processing gear, starting from scratch in small flat
- Thread starter Samuel D
- Start date
- Latest activity Latest activity:
- Replies 33
- Views 2K
Johann, why not give the TO the chance to get this package? If he does not want it, you can make it open? There are so many here who already have dev equipment. Just an idea.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
I gave that a thought but saw that the OP was asking for different and more specific stuff, considering his small apartment.
Anyway, I'll ask him first.
Samuel D
Established
Johannielscom: that’s a very generous offer (and thanks for thinking of me, tom.w.bn).
However, since I have my heart set on Hewes reels, and I think I’ll be keeping this equipment for decades, and I feel like an outsider on this forum, I’ll decline.
Much appreciated, though.
However, since I have my heart set on Hewes reels, and I think I’ll be keeping this equipment for decades, and I feel like an outsider on this forum, I’ll decline.
Much appreciated, though.
tocalosh
Established
I use Paterson tanks, reels and measuring graduates. They're good quality and well priced, new or second hand on eBay.
Look for UK sellers as the Pound is down about 20% against the Euro since Brexit.
Look for UK sellers as the Pound is down about 20% against the Euro since Brexit.
Jake Mongey
Well-known
Dont forget the canister opener! (or a bottle opener)
joe bosak
Well-known
In similar circumstances, here's what I use:
- changing tent, so much easier than a bag and folds up slim. though maybe more important if you want to dabble in MF or LF.
- thermometer
- big plastic jug
- one big measuring cylinder [i bought 2 plus a smaller one but usually just use one - all plastic]
- a 5 cc syringe - cheap from a pharmacy
- couple of collapsible bottles to store fixer and stop solutions
- paterson 2 reel tank plus plastic reels
- plastic bowl for storing the gear in and/or use to stabilise or equalise solution temperatures
- pegs and string for hanging to dry
- cheap paper towels/kitchen roll
- rubber pipe for connecting cold water to developing tank for rinsing
As to using a squeegee, in my experience the risk of scratching depends on the emulsion - hp5 seems a lot tougher than fomapan - but the squeegee fins are so stiff it's not as useful as I'd expected.
I'm in a hard water area so I use a wetting agent otherwise I get drying marks.
- changing tent, so much easier than a bag and folds up slim. though maybe more important if you want to dabble in MF or LF.
- thermometer
- big plastic jug
- one big measuring cylinder [i bought 2 plus a smaller one but usually just use one - all plastic]
- a 5 cc syringe - cheap from a pharmacy
- couple of collapsible bottles to store fixer and stop solutions
- paterson 2 reel tank plus plastic reels
- plastic bowl for storing the gear in and/or use to stabilise or equalise solution temperatures
- pegs and string for hanging to dry
- cheap paper towels/kitchen roll
- rubber pipe for connecting cold water to developing tank for rinsing
As to using a squeegee, in my experience the risk of scratching depends on the emulsion - hp5 seems a lot tougher than fomapan - but the squeegee fins are so stiff it's not as useful as I'd expected.
I'm in a hard water area so I use a wetting agent otherwise I get drying marks.
znapper
Well-known
You don't need a canister opener, use the side of the scissors, works for me (in a pinch, an old bottle-opener is just as fine).
Normally, I always keep the leader out, so it cut that and start the roll on the reel, in the light (much of the leader is already exposed when loading the camera anyway).
Once it is started, I turn off the lights and feed the rest of the roll onto the reel and pull out film from the canister as I go, this prevents the film from bouncing up into a bundle.
When I reach the end, I clip off the film as close to the canister as I can and the remainder of the film is spooled onto the reel.
Easy!
Toilet without windows is what I use.
I never take off my watch, but I keep the phone outside while putting the film onto the reel and into the tank.
Heck, in my current bathroom, I can start to glimpse a few details around the room while I am fiddling with the film, I make sure to have my back towards the door though. I am usually pretty quick getting the film on and into the tank, so I haven't had any problems from ISO 25 to ISO 1600 films....yet.
Every film needs a certain threshold to start to fog it seems, so if the light is so dim that you can hardly make out any sensible details, then I think you need a very long time in that room for the film to get fogged.
Just sharing my experience, so far. (meaning, it needs to be dark, put doesn't seem to be pitch black).
Normally, I always keep the leader out, so it cut that and start the roll on the reel, in the light (much of the leader is already exposed when loading the camera anyway).
Once it is started, I turn off the lights and feed the rest of the roll onto the reel and pull out film from the canister as I go, this prevents the film from bouncing up into a bundle.
When I reach the end, I clip off the film as close to the canister as I can and the remainder of the film is spooled onto the reel.
Easy!
Toilet without windows is what I use.
I never take off my watch, but I keep the phone outside while putting the film onto the reel and into the tank.
Heck, in my current bathroom, I can start to glimpse a few details around the room while I am fiddling with the film, I make sure to have my back towards the door though. I am usually pretty quick getting the film on and into the tank, so I haven't had any problems from ISO 25 to ISO 1600 films....yet.
Every film needs a certain threshold to start to fog it seems, so if the light is so dim that you can hardly make out any sensible details, then I think you need a very long time in that room for the film to get fogged.
Just sharing my experience, so far. (meaning, it needs to be dark, put doesn't seem to be pitch black).
Samuel D
Established
Thanks to everyone who has chimed in, especially znapper with your detailed reports. My own bathroom is not as dark as I had remembered it, but what you say makes me think I should try it anyway (with as many precautions as I can take).
Having spent ages on eBay, I see you can find large kits of cheap stuff at low prices, assuming you don’t mind getting a bunch of items you weren’t shopping for. But individual, high-quality items sell for a premium, are often in the USA, and have high shipping charges even if they’re Europe.
Loads of pretty stuff, though, e.g. eBay item numbers 302164764771, 291989462589, 222360940521…
Hewes doesn’t have an agent in France but ships directly, so that should take care of the reels.
Having spent ages on eBay, I see you can find large kits of cheap stuff at low prices, assuming you don’t mind getting a bunch of items you weren’t shopping for. But individual, high-quality items sell for a premium, are often in the USA, and have high shipping charges even if they’re Europe.
Loads of pretty stuff, though, e.g. eBay item numbers 302164764771, 291989462589, 222360940521…
Hewes doesn’t have an agent in France but ships directly, so that should take care of the reels.
giganova
Well-known
Samuel -- congrats to your decision to develop your own negatives!
Godfrey's list is pretty comprehensive and well thought through. I'd add:
Instead of a squeegee, you can cut a slit into a kitchen sponge, make it moist and run it down the wet negatives. Won't leave any scratch or watermarks at all.
I would suggest plastic instead of glass containers/graduates because they won't break or chip.
Get a good thermometer. Cheap ones can be off by quite a bit, which makes it hard getting consistent results. Good kitchen stores will have them.
I use cheap coat hangers with clips for pants to dry the negatives in the shower, and binder clips to weigh down the negatives.
Check, your local second-hand stores, flee markets, and estate sales. So many people are switching to digital that you can get almost everything for free.
Good luck and please come back and show us your first results! 😀
Godfrey's list is pretty comprehensive and well thought through. I'd add:
Instead of a squeegee, you can cut a slit into a kitchen sponge, make it moist and run it down the wet negatives. Won't leave any scratch or watermarks at all.
I would suggest plastic instead of glass containers/graduates because they won't break or chip.
Get a good thermometer. Cheap ones can be off by quite a bit, which makes it hard getting consistent results. Good kitchen stores will have them.
I use cheap coat hangers with clips for pants to dry the negatives in the shower, and binder clips to weigh down the negatives.
Check, your local second-hand stores, flee markets, and estate sales. So many people are switching to digital that you can get almost everything for free.
Good luck and please come back and show us your first results! 😀
farlymac
PF McFarland
Samuel, have you given Caffenol a thought, seeing as you wanted to limit the toxicity of any chemicals used? Of course, you'll still need fixer, but it's one less toxic thing to have around.
I have a windowless bathroom, but the air vent for the heating/cooling system also opens up into the next room, so it leaks light too. Something to think about when light-proofing a room.
PF
I have a windowless bathroom, but the air vent for the heating/cooling system also opens up into the next room, so it leaks light too. Something to think about when light-proofing a room.
PF
rfaspen
[insert pithy phrase here]
Samuel D.
I'm excited for you. I think you'll enjoy developing film at home. I think everything critical has already been addressed, but.
1. I also use the windowless room for loading reels. In my case its a walk-in closet in the center of my house. Even in middle of the day, its total darkness in there.
2. Caffenol is awesome, but I'd definitely get some developing under the belt with your new setup using Rodinol, or HC-110 first. Just because its good to have successes to keep you going, and caffenol requires a touch of experimentation with mixing up chems, and development times. However, I fully endorse caffenol when the time comes. Its a favorite of mine.
3. Chemistry is the main issue for me in my small house. Other than caffenol, I have a bottle of Rodinal and a bottle of HC-110 as my main developers. Why? Because they're concentrated so a small bottle lasts a long time, and because they last a long time -- the shelf life of Rodinal is years. Shelf life of HC-110 is at least a year or two. I know from experience. That leaves Fixer as the most perishable chemistry. My fixer lives in a brown plastic bottle (two actually) in the closet and with my 2-bottle storage/usage approach, it can last up to a year. Depends on how much film I'm developing. Oh, and I keep a cache of dry powder chemistry that will essentially last forever and take up little space. Only my Rodinal and HC-110 need to come to me as liquids....oh I suppose my Photo-Flo comes as a liquid.
My developing equipment (tanks, reels, cylinders, etc.) live in a rubbermaid tote box in the closet. My chemistry lives in another rubbermaid tote box in the closet. The two of them take up about a cubic meter total space. Not too bad.
Like others here, I develop at the kitchen sink/counter. Dry film in the bathroom (shower).
You will adopt all kinds of clever methods as you do this. We all do. Stuff like using a little vinegar in distilled water for stop bath, or a few drops of dish detergent in distilled water for Photo-Flo, or the salad spinner for quick drying, or......
I'm excited for you. I think you'll enjoy developing film at home. I think everything critical has already been addressed, but.
1. I also use the windowless room for loading reels. In my case its a walk-in closet in the center of my house. Even in middle of the day, its total darkness in there.
2. Caffenol is awesome, but I'd definitely get some developing under the belt with your new setup using Rodinol, or HC-110 first. Just because its good to have successes to keep you going, and caffenol requires a touch of experimentation with mixing up chems, and development times. However, I fully endorse caffenol when the time comes. Its a favorite of mine.
3. Chemistry is the main issue for me in my small house. Other than caffenol, I have a bottle of Rodinal and a bottle of HC-110 as my main developers. Why? Because they're concentrated so a small bottle lasts a long time, and because they last a long time -- the shelf life of Rodinal is years. Shelf life of HC-110 is at least a year or two. I know from experience. That leaves Fixer as the most perishable chemistry. My fixer lives in a brown plastic bottle (two actually) in the closet and with my 2-bottle storage/usage approach, it can last up to a year. Depends on how much film I'm developing. Oh, and I keep a cache of dry powder chemistry that will essentially last forever and take up little space. Only my Rodinal and HC-110 need to come to me as liquids....oh I suppose my Photo-Flo comes as a liquid.
My developing equipment (tanks, reels, cylinders, etc.) live in a rubbermaid tote box in the closet. My chemistry lives in another rubbermaid tote box in the closet. The two of them take up about a cubic meter total space. Not too bad.
Like others here, I develop at the kitchen sink/counter. Dry film in the bathroom (shower).
You will adopt all kinds of clever methods as you do this. We all do. Stuff like using a little vinegar in distilled water for stop bath, or a few drops of dish detergent in distilled water for Photo-Flo, or the salad spinner for quick drying, or......
CK Dexter Haven
Well-known
Forget the squeegee. Use fingers wet with fotoflo.
You'll need something to clip to the bottoms of film strips when you hang them to dry.
I bought a changing bag but then decided I prefer to just use my dark bathroom. I close all blinds, curtains in the connecting roms, and then stuff a towel under the bathroom door. Check to see if that's sufficient by staying in the bathroom under those conditions, with your eyes slammed shut for a couple of minutes, then open your eyes to see if you notice any light.
A pair of scissors.
If you're only going to do one roll at a time, just get the plastic reels. Easier to load. In fact, I use them even for sequences of rolls, with only rough shake-drying—no problem.
Get 2-reel tanks. You will want to do more than one at a time. You'll end up saving rolls so that you can do them in batches. Getting all your stuff out and then the cleanup...not really worth it for one roll. Or, get multiple one roll tanks?
Negative sleeves for binders.
Loupe.
You'll need something to clip to the bottoms of film strips when you hang them to dry.
I bought a changing bag but then decided I prefer to just use my dark bathroom. I close all blinds, curtains in the connecting roms, and then stuff a towel under the bathroom door. Check to see if that's sufficient by staying in the bathroom under those conditions, with your eyes slammed shut for a couple of minutes, then open your eyes to see if you notice any light.
A pair of scissors.
If you're only going to do one roll at a time, just get the plastic reels. Easier to load. In fact, I use them even for sequences of rolls, with only rough shake-drying—no problem.
Get 2-reel tanks. You will want to do more than one at a time. You'll end up saving rolls so that you can do them in batches. Getting all your stuff out and then the cleanup...not really worth it for one roll. Or, get multiple one roll tanks?
Negative sleeves for binders.
Loupe.
Samuel D
Established
I still have a loupe somewhere. Will need to get more sleeves. I’m hearing you all on the two-reel tanks. I think I’ll go down that route. Still favouring the steel reels and tanks, though. I used Paterson tanks the last time and they worked fine, but I’ve fallen for the elegance of the Hewes reels and steel tanks.
I had not. It sounds interesting, but perhaps best to get a conventional process nailed first. I’d just like that conventional process to be on the safe side of average too, given that I’ll be living in my ‘darkroom’ when not developing film.
johannielscom
Snorting silver salts
Samuel, thanks for getting back to me re. my offer of gear.
The stuff I offered up will be available through the weekend, then it will be off to goodwill. I need to clean house and head.
Meanwhile, a suggestion to keep any readers organised in the negatives and files department: my article on how to set up a consistent file and negative system that will always let you find any file or negative easily.
http://johanniels.com/camera-gear-blog-posts/howto/93-never-lose-an-image
The stuff I offered up will be available through the weekend, then it will be off to goodwill. I need to clean house and head.
Meanwhile, a suggestion to keep any readers organised in the negatives and files department: my article on how to set up a consistent file and negative system that will always let you find any file or negative easily.
http://johanniels.com/camera-gear-blog-posts/howto/93-never-lose-an-image
Similar threads
