At 10:19 PM +0000 2/16/02, olympus-digest wrote:
>Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 11:51:50 -0000
>From: "Steve" <Steve.Gullick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: [OM] Developing black&white at home
>
>- ----- Original Message -----
>From: "Joe Gwinn" <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
>In the absence of a lightproof room then a changing bag will work well. Do
>it sitting down though and make sure you put EVERYTHING you need in it
>before you break open the film canister!
Yes. And have a lighttight container to put the opened film into if it's
necessary to back out.
>Regarding developing tanks. Stainless steel ones, although very robust and
>well made ( they should last a lifetime) are VERY difficult to load.
My tanks are well on their way to lasting my lifetime for sure. I've had them
30 or 40 years.
I don't find them difficult to load at all, and never did. There is a trick to
it, and if one doesn't know the trick, it is difficult. (The trick is in how
one holds things; I cannot describe it, which is why I keep saying to work the
details out with junk film in the light.)
>Also, because of the very nature of them, they can be very difficult to control
>the temperature of the chemicals within as if they are held in the hands,
>the very heat from your hands can increase the temperature within quite
>considerably, also, if you,are working in a cold place, they lose heat very
>quickly.
Because the steel tanks are waterproof, and yet conduct heat very well, one
just puts the tanks (complete with film and developer) into a large tub of warm
water, thus forcing the tanks' temperature to follow that of the tub, which in
turn can be temperature-controlled.
If you develop black and white film at room temperature, none of this is
necessary. The process just isn't that fussy. At worst, one just develops
slightly longer to compensate for the cooling of the developer in the small
steel tank, but I've never needed to do that either.
But I would use distilled water to make the developer. This can matter a lot,
and distilled water doesn't cost that much. Although I have used tap water
without difficulty in may places. Probably depends on what kinds of minerals
are in the local water. This varies widely, and I've been lucky.
>Having tried just about all of them over many years, I prefer
>either the Patterson or Jobo plastic tanks.
In my opinion, these are the best of the plastic tanks. I have them both, but
I like the steel tanks better.
>Remember also that the higher temperature you develop at, the more critical
>the time becomes.
Yes. That's one reason I develop B+W at or near room temperature, around 68
degrees F, with a target developing time in the range 4 to 6 minutes.
>Providing your methods are consistent, you can basically do as you like, but
>personally, I tend to stick to three or four developers and always use the
>same temperature (68 degrees f) I always use the manufacturers' recommended
>developing times, after all, they have spent countless hours doing all of
>the research for us, it seems a little stupid not to take advantage of this
>hard work. Incidentally, you can easily make a temperature bath out of a
>reasonable size water container i.e. an old washing up bowl and an aquarium
>heater/thermostat.
I agree. I used D-76 and Microdol mostly, although I did flirt with some
compensating developers for awhile. I often used 68 degrees too, and never had
to keep things in a water bath while developing black and white.
I never tried to develop color film, although a good friend of mine did (still
does?). He uses the tub of warm water with a fishtank temperature controller,
and uses a fever thermometer to check the temperature. Color developing is
done at 100 degrees farenheit or so, and this is in the range of drugstore
medical thermometers calibrated to tenths of a degree, costing $5, rather than
the $50 for a real color development thermometer. As I recollect, he uses
Jobo tanks, but thinks that Patterson tanks are OK. My memory on this is
unclear. He may prefer one for film and the other for prints. Or run hot and
cold, leading to my unclear memory.
At 10:19 PM +0000 2/16/02, olympus-digest wrote:
>Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 14:47:27 -0500
>From: Tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [OM] Developing black&white at home
>
>On Saturday, February 16, 2002 at 11:51, Steve <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>wrote re "Re: [OM] Developing black&white at home" saying:
>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Joe Gwinn" <joegwinn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > In the absence of a lightproof room then a changing bag will work well. Do
> > it sitting down though and make sure you put EVERYTHING you need in it
> > before you break open the film canister!
>
>In the absence of a changing bag, an overcoat with some extra coverings
>will do. Put your arms backwards thru the coat's sleeves.
I never thought of this coat trick. I always used an old blue wool blanket.
In emergencies, I could always snuggle the blanket and suck my thumb in the
dark. A coat just doesn't make it.
>If you're paranoid, do this in a dark closet or bathroom.
I'm paranoid; always was. Closets are better -- darker, with far better
monsters.
At 10:19 PM +0000 2/16/02, olympus-digest wrote:
>Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2002 14:56:08 -0500
>From: Tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: [OM] Developing black&white at home
>
>On Saturday, February 16, 2002 at 11:51, Steve <olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>wrote re "Re: [OM] Developing black&white at home" saying:
>...
> > Regarding developing tanks. Stainless steel ones, although very robust and
> > well made ( they should last a lifetime) are VERY difficult to load. Also,
> > because of the very nature of them, they can be very difficult to control
> > the temperature of the chemicals within as if they are held in the hands,
> > the very heat from your hands can increase the temperature within quite
> > considerably, also, if you,are working in a cold place, they lose heat very
> > quickly. Having tried just about all of them over many years, I prefer
> > either the Patterson or Jobo plastic tanks. Remember also that the higher
> > temperature you develop at, the more critical the time becomes.
>
>They are not difficult to load, even when wet, unlike the plastic reels.
>You just bend the film slightly. It's easier if you load it with the
>emulsion (inner) side out.
Agree. I found that the key was to first practice out in the light with some
junk film, and work out the method. Once this is done once, loading was never
a problem.
One can buy a steel gadget to make loading the tank reel easier, but I always
found the gadget to be worse than just by hand. Although it did keep the
fingerprints off the film.
>I'd also advise being careful or using the thin cotton gloves Kodak sells
>to avoid putting any fingerprints on the film. They stop the developer
>reaching the emulsion.
I was never this careful, aside from washing my hands first, and never had a
problem, but cotton gloves cannot hurt (except by reducing the sense of feel
needed to load the tank). I think my lack of problems was due to holding the
film in the hand touching only the outer edges. A little grease there wasn't
going to cause a problem.
>Also, you can load two films at once, back to back, if you wish. Having the
>curls counteract each other even makes it easier.
This may not be a good idea, as many films have an anti-halation layer on the
back that's supposed to wash off during development, and may not do so
completely and evenly if the film strips are back to back.
>For 35mm, there are two reels, for 24 exposures and 36. Don't use the wrong
>reel for your film.
Why? I always used the 36-exposure reel for all lengths, and it was never a
problem. Perhaps I was just lucky.
Joe Gwinn
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