Basic B&W film deveopment equipment

[adamc]

Hello,
I am taking small steps toward building a darkroom, step #1 is developing my own film. I've started working on a basic list of equipment that I need to purchase to do my own medium format B&W film development. So far it consists of:

1) tank/spool
2) thermomer(s)
3) graduated cylinder(s)
4) stirring stick
5) chemistry containers
6) chemistry - devoper, stop, fix, hypo, & photoflo

If things go well, hopefully I can start developing 4x5 too. Is there anything else you guys can think of that I'd need to start developing B&W film at home?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[naeroscatu]

Two things that come to mind;
- a timer - I use a digital timer that displays minutes and seconds that can be set individually.
- In case you are mixing your own developers, a scale will be necessary. You can skip this for a while if you buy ready to use developers (still available in photo stores) like D-76 or HC-110 for example.

 

[Venchka]

Scratch stop. Plain water will do. I assume "hypo" is hypo clearing agent? Put that on the optional list. It is primarily used with fiber based prints.

Containers: Empty food grade amber plastic bottles work for me. I like Arizona Tea bottles. I keep Xtol in empty wine in a box containers. Lasts a long time.

If you stumble across a Jobo 2551/2553 tank and reels and a Uniroller motor base cheap grab it all. Perfect way to develop film from 35mm to 4x5.

Looking at your list, that's what I use for film with the exceptions noted above.

DUH! Timer. If you develop in the kitchen use the timer on the microwave or oven.

 

[srs5694]

You'll also need clothespins or something similar with which to hang your film to dry. (I use clothes hangars with clips -- intended to hang skirts and short pants -- which I can then hang on bits of plumbing that are overhead in my basement darkroom.) Putting a clothespin at the bottom of the roll will weight it, keeping it from curling up.

I personally like the 3-time kitchen timers I've got. I own two, so I can set up to six different times and start a new time just by pushing a couple of buttons.

Note that in your list of chemicals, "hypo" is another name for fixer. What you may need, and probably meant, is "hypo clear," aka "wash aid." This substance helps wash fixer out of the film or paper after fixation, thus reducing wash times. Hypo clear is most important with acid fixers. Neutral and alkaline fixers wash out more quickly.

 

[adamc]

Ahh yes, a timer and clothes pins...Thanks!

The 'hypo' I was referring to was hypo clearing agent.
For now I plan on buying developer (D-76) and fixer in the packages those one-gallon packages.

I was planning on buying filtered water from the store for mixing the chemicals, but is it nessecary to have filtered water for washing film too, or can I just wash using city water from the tap?

 

[BetterSense]

I wash by running tap water slowly over the film in the reels for a half-hour or so. Then I dunk the reels in deionized water/alcohol/photoflo solution before hanging up. I recommend doing the final dunk in the cleanest water you can get.

 

[77seriesiii]

On the filtered water...depends on the water coming out of your tap. Where I live (Germany), the dog and cats refuse to drink the tap water and the if we use it to water the plants they die within the year with this white crust on the soil. So yep I use demineralized water. Having said that I have used the tap to mix ID-11, fixer, rodinal and first washes. I use Ilford's method of washing negatives and have no problems. For the final wash I use demineralized and photoflo and then hang to dry with hangers and clothes pins.

A suggestion, use tap water for the first round and see what happens.

Timer wise you can use a computer (did that for quite a while) and I just started using Paterson's triple timer, works a treat.

Spoolwise, I use the stainless steel versions and have gotten the loading of 2 120 spools down to 7 minutes or less. I have never used the plastic self winding reels, not snobbery on my part but my photog instructor in college pretty much made SS stuff mandatory...19 odd years later still using the SS stuff from college. No I've not been doing it that long, just rediscovering my love of film.

good luck and welcome

Erick

 

[DJGainer]

If you are inclined to use the water stop, might as well use TF-4 fixer. The liquid is easily diluted (rather than all that stirring of the powder), it fixes in far less time, and washes out more quickly.

As for drying, try to get a film cabinet, dust just can't seem to get enough of a wet negative...

 

[srs5694]

Personally, I never use bottled water except for distilled water for a handful of purposes (mixing color developers from scratch and final rinses, mainly). Note that most commercial photochemicals in packets or bottles include buffering agents and other ingredients that are designed to produce consistent results with a wide range of common water issues (pH variations, etc.). As 77seriesiii says, though, it depends on your tap water, since it varies so much from one place to another.

Concerning the fixer, powdered fixers are almost always based on sodium thiosulfate. This works fine for most films, but is slower than fixers based on ammonium thiosulfate. These ammonium thiosulfate fixers are usually sold in liquid form and are usually called "rapid" fixers. TF-4, mentioned by DJGainer, is a rapid ammonium thiosulfate fixer. Rapid fixers are also usually less expensive than sodium thiosulfate fixers, on a per-roll basis. (Computing the cost can be tricky based on catalog descriptions, which are often vague about critical details like capacity.) Since the rapid fixers ship as liquids, I suppose there's a chance they'd freeze and cause a mess if they were left outside by the delivery service on a cold day. I'm not sure what the freezing point of a typical rapid fixer concentrate is, though.

 

[Aurum]

For a timer I use the stopwatch function on my wristwatch.

If you are just developing negatives, I'd also throw in a changing bag onto the list. I don't have a permenant darkroom, so when I load my standard paterson dev tank I do it in the changing bag, while I'm sitting on the sofa.

I got mine for 20GBP off Fleabay, brand new.

Saves having to put up blackout and the like.

Once the film is in the tank, I just work in the kitchen near the sink. Easy

(Just take the washing up out first)

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

If you are on city tap, just take a drink. If you don't taste the chlorine or other treatment you should be good to go. For rinsing I use the 5-10-20 method. Fill your tank, invert five times, empty. Fill, invert ten times, empty. Fill the tank, invert 20 imes, empty. Finish it off witha feww drops of drying agent and you should be good. And don't forget to have a pair of scissors and if you do any 35mm a church key might come in handy.

 

[dancqu]

For rinsing I use the 5-10-20 method.

A good method and uses little water. Mine comes from
a jug of room temperature. I use the method leisurely
allowing the tank to rest some. The fix has additional
time to diffuse outwardly.

I finish up with a half strength PhotoFlo. After, my eight
blade film squeegee is given it's rinse in same. With film
hung, it is given a slow top to bottom sweep.
Film dries clean fast. Dan