Re: developing film negatives

Hi:

I would check the gralab by processing an unexposed sheet of film next
to the timer - maybe even leave the film in front of the timer for a
while.

Lots of interesting timers here:
http://www.control3.com click on the timers link

I never had a problem with temperature - My darkrooms have always been
warm enough to process with the chemicals at ambient temperature.

Could try putting your developer tray in a larger tray of warm water,
maybe add a hotpak, maybe even make a cover for the large tray with a
section cut out for your processing tray - so it won't lose heat as fast.

If you have a big sink in your darkroom, turn the sink into a water bath
at the appropriate temperature

Or use some sort of insulated tray a modified thermos tray or foam cooler?
Can get cheap foam coolers in a variety of sizes for shipping things that
need to be kept cool.

maybe clad a plain tray it with hard insulating foam. It would be pretty
simple thing to make a tray out of insulating foam - just glue it together
and seal it with something. - but maybe you're in a warm place that
doesn't sell this year round :)

As for scrathing - I've never had any scratched film. I think different
films sratch more easily. Almost all of the sheet film I've tray
processed has been Tri-X pro.

Since were talking about processing - has anyone ever used a resealable
(ziplok) bag to process film?

Gord

On Sun, 28 Mar 2004, Thom Mitchell wrote:

> This seem like a few basic questions but here goes. I recently just
> processed my first 8x10 and 4x5 film in trays in total darkness because I
> was worried about the light from the Gralab. Will the classic Gralab 300 fog
> film? It seems so bright. Is there a timer that functions like a metronome
> in that it beeps/buzzes every 30 seconds/minutes/etc. Also I would welcome
> any tips on handling and processing the film. The rotation from top to
> bottom was okay but I scratched the emulsion on a couple of sheets of the
> 8x10. This feels like orders of magnitude in complexity from my days 35mm
> and 120 days.
> Another question is how do other people keep their chemistry at a constant
> temp. I ask this because my darkroom is in the basement and if the outside
> temp is below 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 Celsius my darkroom is about 55-60
> degrees Fahrenheit or about 15 degrees Celsius (pardon my rough conversion).
> Needless to say processing film at that temp is painfully slow but some of
> my first sheets of film were thin from underdevelopment because the
> chemistry had cooled off from 75 degrees to about 62 degrees in 10 minutes.
> Now that I've made some big film negs I am hooked. It's really amazing. I
> contact printed the thin negs anyway and it was a pleasure looking at the
> detail, despite the mud. Any practical tips would be appreciated.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gordon J. Holtslander" <holtsg@duke.usask.ca>
> To: <pinhole-discussion@spitbite.org>
> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2004 12:05 AM
> Subject: RE: [pinhole-discussion] developing film negatives
>
>
> Hi:
>
> People have used opaque tubes - ABS plastic
> http://remarque.org/~tox/photography/juryrig/filmtubes.htm
>
> or commercially made btzs tubes
> http://www.viewcamerastore.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_74&products_id=36
> http://www.viewcamerastore.com/files/film_tubes.pdf
>
> or
> even jobo processors for sheet film.
> http://www.jobo-usa.com/products.htm
>
> I used to shoot lots of 4x5 film with lens cameras (I confess). It is
> not difficult to tray process a number of sheets at one time. This is the
> cheapest way to process sheet film.
>
> Its done in total darkness. You have to carefully lay everything out so
> you can find things in the dark.
>
> You need a timer with an audible alarm that can easily be turned on in the
> dark. I usually used a gralab timer with a flourescent dial - nice to
> know that the timer is working.
>
> I usually used three trays, one for developer, one for stop and one for
> fixer.
>
> In the dark the film is pulled out of the holders and stacked so a single
> sheet can easily be grabbed. One by one the sheets are placed in the
> developer tray. Once all the sheets are in, the sheet on the bottom is
> carfully pulled out and placed on the top of the stack and immersed. This
> is repeated for the duration of development. Its necessary in order to
> provide each sheet of film a fresh dose of unexpired developer.
>
> This has to be done slowly and carefully - but its not difficult.
>
> When the buzzer goes on the timer the stack is moved to the stop tray and
> shuffled - and then to the fixer tray and shuffled again.
>
> It sounds a little tedious, but I've developed 100's of sheet of 4x5 film
> this way. Its a matter of having an appropriate timer, trays and
> patience, to sit in the dark for 15 of 20 minutes. A counter top and stool
> to sit on are essential. A radio helps - but one without any lights.
>
> For pinhole cameras I use large format ortho film and tray process one
> sheet at a time under safelight. If I could get cheap larger format
> panchromatic film I'd use it with pinhole cameras.
>
> Gord
>
> On Wed, 24 Mar 2004, I Zarkov wrote:
>
> > Brad,
> > I've been doing pinhole camera photography for about 12 years now shooting
> > 4x5" sheet film which I load into a Doran DayLight Sheet film developing
> > tank. You can slip a dozen sheets into slots that can be adjusted down
> from
> > 4x5" to smaller sheet film sizes. It has a light baffle so that once the
> > film is loaded into it and the 2 part lid in place all processing can be
> > done in roomlight. It's the best! No standing in the dark, no floating
> lids,
> > just very convenient.
> > Adorama has them for $25.95, their product description..."Made of Bakelite
> > plastic. Accepts cut film sizes from 35mm to 4x5". Accommodates 12 sheets
> at
> > one time. Comes complete with individual sheet film loader. Also accepts
> > film packs from 2 1/4x 3 1/4" to 4x5". I use 2 of them when I'm doing
> batch
> > processing. Couldn't work without them. Highly recommeded.
> > Peter
> > 'No commercial interest, yadda-yadda-yadda..." Premier also used to carry
> > them.
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
> holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
> http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
> Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
> Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
> ---------------------------------------------------------
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---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
---------------------------------------------------------
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Received on Sun Mar 28 19:11:25 2004