knstflx
Member
I'm a very inexperienced film developer and have a problem. My tap water is about 79-80 degrees! Can I develop Black and White film at that temp or do I have to figure out some way to get it colder? Or wait a few months?
Warm Tap Water
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Rogier
Rogier Willems
You could place one jug with water in the fridge and mix it with the water at room temperature.
Mackinaw
Think Different
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I would do what Rogier suggests.
Also, Ilford has published a "temperature compensating" chart which I find very helpful:
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2006210208211880.pdf
Jim B.
Also, Ilford has published a "temperature compensating" chart which I find very helpful:
http://www.ilfordphoto.com/Webfiles/2006210208211880.pdf
Jim B.
RayPA
Ignore It (It'll go away)
you can develop at the higher temperature (shorter time) or you can find a way to bring the solution temperature down to something more manageable. It can be done; although, that temperature is kind of at the high end of the range where I'd want to process film. Cooling the solutions should be easy. Cooling the wash water could be problematic. But, again, it could be done.
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Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Another thing that can be helpful: Fill a 1 liter graduate when you have a thermometer handy. Drop in two ice cubes and record the temperature when the has dissolved. You now have a "calibrated unit for negative temperature" at that volume of water. Measure the water, do the math, drop in the required number of ice cubes and have a beer while they dissolve. Need to go the other way in the winter? Same drill, but instead of ice cubes, remove the thermometer and put the liter of water in a microwave for 1:00 minute. Then measure. Now you have a "unit" for heating. Easier than hitting your temperature mark standing over a stove . . .
Edit: In my experience, the time-temperature charts are useful, but if you go too short & hot, you risk uneven development and/or damage to the emulsion (which is gelatin, after all, and doesn't respond well to high temperatures) and if you go to slow and cold your development could take a good long while. Keep in mind that just like a cup of coffee sitting on a counter top, a 1 liter container of developer is going to drift towards room temperature over time. A reasonably short development time of 7-10 minutes mitigates this risk, but there is a reason that manufacturers' recommendations all hover around a pretty narrow band.
Second Edit: your wash temperatures don't have to be exactly what your development temperatures are, but they should be close. Don't make yourself too crazy about this. BUT, when you are preparing your water, you might think about getting a gallon or two to the same temperature and conducting most of your processing using that water, rather than just the liter I mentioned above.
Also: have fun.
Edit: In my experience, the time-temperature charts are useful, but if you go too short & hot, you risk uneven development and/or damage to the emulsion (which is gelatin, after all, and doesn't respond well to high temperatures) and if you go to slow and cold your development could take a good long while. Keep in mind that just like a cup of coffee sitting on a counter top, a 1 liter container of developer is going to drift towards room temperature over time. A reasonably short development time of 7-10 minutes mitigates this risk, but there is a reason that manufacturers' recommendations all hover around a pretty narrow band.
Second Edit: your wash temperatures don't have to be exactly what your development temperatures are, but they should be close. Don't make yourself too crazy about this. BUT, when you are preparing your water, you might think about getting a gallon or two to the same temperature and conducting most of your processing using that water, rather than just the liter I mentioned above.
Also: have fun.
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wgerrard
Veteran
Buy a couple of those gallon jugs of water. Drink that water. Then, refill them and let them get cold in the fridge. Mix tap water with the cold water to get the right temp.
Or, just let the cold water warm up to the right temp.
Or, just let the cold water warm up to the right temp.
SciAggie
Well-known
I fill my kitchen sink with a volume of water sufficient to cover my SS developing tank up to the lid. I add ice to the tap water and stir until the water is slightly less than 68 degrees.
When the water is the desired temperature, just retrieve and discard any remaining ice to stop the cooling process. Water has a high specific heat capacity and this volume of water is enough that it will not warm up significantly in the time it takes to develop a roll of film.
I have some glass flasks with stoppers that I pour the needed amount of stop bath and fixer into. I set those into the water bath to bring all of the chemicals into thermal equilibrium. If the chemicals are at room temperature to begin with, it does not take too long for the temperatures to even out. During the actual development process, I leave the tank in the water bath between inversions.
When the water is the desired temperature, just retrieve and discard any remaining ice to stop the cooling process. Water has a high specific heat capacity and this volume of water is enough that it will not warm up significantly in the time it takes to develop a roll of film.
I have some glass flasks with stoppers that I pour the needed amount of stop bath and fixer into. I set those into the water bath to bring all of the chemicals into thermal equilibrium. If the chemicals are at room temperature to begin with, it does not take too long for the temperatures to even out. During the actual development process, I leave the tank in the water bath between inversions.
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knstflx
Member
thanks for the tips. i added some ice cubes and it worked pretty well. i did a few rolls at a variety of temps and adjusted time accordingly. i had a number of problems but i don't think they were related to the temp.
Bingley
Veteran
Cooling the developer solution in the 'fridge is what I do on hot summer days (fixer, too). I also run the cool water tap for awhile before rinsing; that flushes out water that's been sitting in the pipes and warming during the heat of the day (although it's a waste of water).
One other suggestion not mentioned above is to give Diafine a try: it's not as temperature-sensitive as other developers, although you'll need to adjust your approach to processing film b/c of the way Diafine works. Diafine is my summer-time developer...
One other suggestion not mentioned above is to give Diafine a try: it's not as temperature-sensitive as other developers, although you'll need to adjust your approach to processing film b/c of the way Diafine works. Diafine is my summer-time developer...
John Rountree
Nothing is what I want
Generally you can subtract 30 seconds of development time for every degree (F) above 68. But you should never have a development time shorter than 5 minutes.
Thomas-Paris
Member
80 F (27 C) is a perfectly fine temperature for development. You don't say what film/developer combination you're using, but for example, using Xtol diluted 1:3 and T-Max 400 shot at EI 400, Kodak would tell you to develop for 8 min 45 sec; at 1:2, for 7 minutes.
Get the technical publication for your developer and/or film, and use that as a starting point. Unless you're below 20 C or above 30 C, I wouldn't worry about temperature control.
pakeha
Well-known
fill your empty 35 mm film containers with water - freeze - theres ya ice cubes
regards
CW
regards
CW
craygc
Well-known
Agree... I have 29 degree C temperature out of the cold tap all year. I do drop it to 25 degrees C but to go lower, the length of time everything will stay at that temp is getting too short t be useful
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