4x5 developing, tubular and cheap...

Before I get flamed, let me mention I've been developing 35mm and 120 for a couple years now. Doesn't seem like rocket science, and I figure (hope?) that I've enough experience to work my way through the following.

Read what I could on the Net on the subject of developing 4x5 negs in tubes, some in daylight (BTZS) and others in darkness (open, rolling the tubes in developer with neg inside), or homemade daylight tubes that could be inverted.

Pondered all that I'd read. Rolling the tubes in developer seemed good, I could work in the dark, but I didn't like the mention of the backside of the neg not getting developer to it. Pondered a bit more...

Went to local drugstore with a 4x5 processed neg. Went to pharmacy counter, and asked if they had a pill bottle that was big enough to contain the neg, when rolled up like a taco. They did, and gave me one for free. Filled to the brim, it holds 8 oz. of liquid; but I don't think I'll need to fill it to the brim. I'm guessing that if I roll the pillbottle back and forth on a counter, that being half-full (say, 4 oz.) would be sufficient. Childproof lid is more or less watertight. Yes, I'll work blind in the dark.

Then stopped at an auto parts store, and asked for 3 O-rings that would fit inside the pill bottle. They did, about $1.20 USD each. I bought them. Used them to hold the neg in taco shape, and to keep backside off the pill-bottle wall, and allow chemistry to circulate on both sides of neg. I'll wash the O-rings before I use them in chemistry. Tinkered in the light, and found that the O-rings will creep upward as the neg is inserted. Putting the O-rings biased toward the bottom of the neg before inserting ensure that they end up somewhere in the middle of the neg, and none of the neg's backside is touching the wall of the pillbottle. There appears to be just enough friction to keep the neg from sliding back and forth and scratching itself.

And also while out and about, picked up the ingredients to make up Foldgernol: Foldger crystals, Vitamin C tablets, washing soda. I live and work far enough out in the country that going to town to buy real film chemistry is a bit of a chore / time sink. Plus with the increased chemistry required for LF, and the fact that I'll have to shoot the LF stuff to become skilled with it, well.... I'll probably use factory chemistry for shots on vacation or special portraits - but if Foldgernol works reasonably well, it could become my workhorse. Plus I like the idea of lowering the toxicity of the chemistry.

I already own a changing bag, beakers, stirrers, timers; and can keep light out of the bathroom while I work.... so I think I'm set.

Any of you who're far more experienced than me see any glaring faults / issues that I'm missing above?

Thanks in advance!

Doug Grosjean

one possibilty

You might not get all of the anti-halation layer off the back of the negative where the O rings are in contact with the negative. That is the only fault so far that I can see.

Next time you are in town, you might stop off at the hardware store and get a length of black plastic pipe and some end caps. Put a sheet in from each end and do two at a time -- and you can turn the light on while you develop, just turning them off to between steps. You could also get extra caps and fill them with chemicals...just change caps and start rolling!

Vaughn

Someone (I forget who) came up with the idea of using fibreglass screening between the negative and the tube. I do this, and it works just fine. I roll the negative in a slightly larger piece of screening, and put the roll (screen and negative) into the tube.

is there really much of a problem with developer not getting to the back of the film. I use the BTZs tubes for some time now and never have seen any problem with even development,straeking , staining etc. The only thing that I have noticed is that if I remove the film from the tube and put it in the fixer directly as opposed to dunking the film filled tube into the fixer it takes less time to remove the antihal. pigment. I do staining and non staining negs in the tubes an both do great IMHO !
Miles

Good Evening, Doug,

I agree that the anti-halation layer has never been a problem for me with drum (tube) processing. My Chromega drums, however, do very small lengthwise ridges, and fluids have can easily reach the base side of the film. I suspect that smooth-sided drums or tubes would be more likely to cause problems. I do use a couple of minutes of water bath before the developer.

No, I don't see any glaring faults in what you're doing; if you're getting satisfactory results and have no particular difficulties, who are we to complain?! Personally, I'm used to loading the drum (four sheets of 4 x 5) in the dark and doing the work in room light; I'd find your approach annoying, but to each his own.

Konical