White Marks Driving Me Insane

[snowblink]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions for washing negs.

I have washed the film in purified water (the closest to distilled I could get at the chemist), and I have been using fresh chemistry.
I am only using my fingers to run down the negs.

Why am I still getting white marks?
I am being driven to the point of taking my rolls to a lab. :bang:

If anyone can offer any insight into how they dry their negs without getting white marks I would appreciate it.

Thanks.
Jon

 

[drewbarb]

Can you post some pictures which show the marks? Never mind the purified water- you need distilled to be clean; purified old means it's guarranteed healthy potable water, but it doesn't have anything to do with the chemical content, which might be responsible for the white marks, if they are chemical deposits. I use water straight from my tap for most of my chemistry, and only use distilled to mix my photo-flo. After full process and wash in tap water, I give the film agitation in my distilled water photo-flo, then let it sit for 30 seconds or so. Don't squeegee the film when you pull it off the reel- not even with your fingers. The only place you should touch your film while wet is the front or rear leaders which you will eventually cut off. I pull it off the reel and give it a careful snap like a whip to shake off excess photo-flo, then hang to dry.

By the way- I use a de-humidifier, since my darkroom is in my basement. I use the water it produces as my distilled water to mix my photo-flo and any other chemistry I want to use distilled water for. Since it has been pulled out of the air, there should be no chemicals in it at all. No problems in years of doing this. Get a dehumidifier; it kills two birds with one stone.

 

[Ronald M]

Filter tap water ( Quartered Bounty towel in a funnel over a clean container) for wash and final rinse. Kodak Photo Flow at 1:200 and don`t save it as it gets rancid.

Less than 1:200 risks drying spots as the water does not sheet off.

Keep your hand off the wet film. I have no idea where this idea got started, but it is totally ridiculous for many reasons. It is nothing but internet gobley-gook. Film is supposed to drip dry in a dust free area. I use air filters.

You can`t get your hands clean enough to do it and if you pick up some debris, you will drag it down the rest of the roll leaving a scratch. I know it hasn`t happened yet, but it will, most likely on your best roll at the kids graduation. Same for squeegees and worst of all sponges.

If you wish to let the reel stand 5 min so the water runs off one edge before stripping it off the reel, it won`t hurt a thing. Sky side up, grass side down. It is rule that any debris will settle in the sky so this helps.

If this does not work, add cotton under the Bounty and/or switch to distilled, not purified, water. I do mean Bounty, no substitues. It is finer weave than the cheap stuff. Coffee filters are worthless except to hold the Bounty and cotton in the funnel.

 

[amateriat]

I suppose this issue depends on a number of things.

I live in the New York City area. I don't filter the water, but the water supply here is relatively decent, and soft as well. (Issues regarding soft vs. hard water have come up in the past for some people.) I do squeegee my film, but with a high-quality (Ilford or Patterson, I think) squeegee; I'd never trust my fingers to such a task...too many variables involved there. I do use an electric film-dryer (a Prinz model I scored off the 'Bay almost two years back), that dries the film hanging in a a closed vinyl housing. No weird spots or scratches, but that's just my own experience.

When you run into a problem like this, you pretty much need to backtrack through the entire process. Cleanliness, of course, is next to (insert deity of your choice here)-ness. Also check stuff like the cleanliness of yoru camera's film pressure plate, among other parts of the film chamber.

I stepped into this thread (or two?) rather late. Hope I didn't repeat too much info already dispensed.


- Barrett

 

[payasam]

Jon, white marks would suggest chemicals or else salts in the water.

 

[oscroft]

Keep your hand off the wet film. I have no idea where this idea got started, but it is totally ridiculous for many reasons. It is nothing but internet gobley-gook.

It's gobbledegook all right, but it long predates the Internet - people were doing it 35 years ago.

 

[Xmas]

I moved to a soft water area and bought a film squeegee for a friend.

The film dried more quickly and was spotless, I bought a seconds squegee for my friend.

I use 2x recommended photoflow dose and foam the last sinkfull of wash water.

You need to clean the squeegee berore each use and there is a risk of scratches.

Ive forgotten what drying marks are.

De ionised water should be ok.

Noel

 

[ITD]

squeegee is the less risky option for me

squeegee is the less risky option for me

If I don't do something to speed up drying of my negs then they fall prey to dust - no matter what I do in this house, I can't get rid of it completely. If I take the option of letting them dry naturally, I inevitably get dust embedded in the swollen emulsion, so some sort of squeegee solution is less risky. I've lost plenty of decent shots through dust.

I just tried a suggestion found in another thread on rff, and used a brand new microfibre cloth to wipe off the excess (after soaking in de-ionized water and Photo-Flo). Worked a charm.

Keeping them damp in a sealed freezer bag, and I'll replace them as soon as there is any sign of foreign bodies waiting to scratch the film...

 

[snowblink]

Distilled Water Works!

Distilled Water Works!

Thanks for all the advice! I have now used distilled water with a couple of drops of wetting agent and I just let them hang to dry - no squeeging or anything. It works! Now I just have to find a cheaper supply of distilled water...

 

[40oz]

ITD, I dry mine hanging from my shower rod in my bathroom with the door shut or only cracked. Believe you me, I'm no housekeeper, but I don't have issues with dust on my drying negs. Dust on everything else, yes.

Now, every domicile is different, but I think the key is still air. Obviously, if one has a cabinet suitable, that would be ideal.

I have found a prblem with water spots, however. Our city water is soft, coming from a river, but regardless, even using wetting agent (LFN Wetting Agent, 2 drops per 16 oz. per label) even double the dosage, I get spots over the ful length of the neg. Using Brita filtered water, very few spots, and typically only on the hanging end. Drives me crazy. I'm thinking distilled water is the only real solution. And the sad thing is, it's even logical - no dissolved minerals, no spots.