Badly curled film, quick and easy storage fix

[nosmok]

Hey everybody--

Here's a hint if you shoot a lot of long-expired film, or develop in a very dry environment, or both , like me. Some of my favorite old films (Panatomic-X 135, 616 verichrome, others) curl like a m%^&&%$#())U&^$@@r after drying. I think it's just time spent on a tiny spool (40 years in many cases). When I slip them into the Neg-Saver, the whole thing rolls up into a tube, to where it would never uncurl (why would it?). What to do?

This finally occurred to me: load the films in alternating emulsion side up and down. This flattens the whole page out, and maybe with some gentle pressure on top (storage in a box) will eventually flatten out. Give it a try, tell your experience. If you've been doing this all along, why didn't you tell me sooner ?

 

[snapguy]

em

Emulsion to emulsion? I wonder what a little dampness might do to the negs.

 

[Alan W]

Sounds like the recommendation is to put the first few frames in emulsion side up,next row down,and so on-I never thought about this before,I've got some old Tech Pan that'll turn itself into a long pencil,I might try this next time.

 

[nosmok]

Alan W has it right! I'm using the polyethylene binder pages with individual rows for individual negative strips, not a single (glassine) envelope for many strips.