Beautifull sunny warm may weather

[Jan Cornelius]

For the last couple of days it has been awfully hot here. Day temperatures of 34 celcius, night temps of 22, and here me trying to get films developed at 20 degrees.
My darkroom setup is 24 at night and 28 in daytime, hoe does one go about this, I tried regulating by means of freezer, hot water but it just doesn't work adaquately.

Probably with summer coming there will be lots of periods like this, I never thought about that when I started developing and printing last winter, but I can see this becoming quite a hassle unless somone her has a perfect remedy ... ?

I shoot mostly Efke 25 which aren't the most easy films to develop under normal circumstances .... any suggestions, I would be most gratefull.

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

A technique I have used successfully is to create a fairly large volume water bath (I use a plastic baby bath tub) to hold my bottles of chemistry. I cool the water bath with ice to 19 -20 degrees C and start developing when the water bath and chemistry (including my film washing water) reach thermal equilibrium at 20 - 21 degrees C.

I develop my efke 25 roll film in tanks and I place the tanks in the water bath as well.

 

[Jan Cornelius]

Tom,

good advice. thank god we have baby too

You know it's such a hassle wanting to develop films but not being able too ...

agein, thanks ... Ice, yes that would be the solution and with large quantities of water it should be able to be minutely regulated ...

 

[Flotsam]

Soon, my tapwater is going to be abave 20 C and it is going to be a PITA for me to maintain anything at process temperatures. Ice works OK but I am seriously thinking about picking up one of those cheap little cube refrigerators and some copper tubing and purpose-building a water cooler for photographic use during the summer months.

Anybody have any thoughts or suggestions to offer on doing this?

 

[Lee Shively]

Sunny May weather? Not around here. I'm trying to smoke a brisquet, ribs and sausages right now and it's raining. I'm afraid the meat will be too smokey because I can't preburn my wood. (I hate rain.)

But, back to the subject at hand. I've processed film in extremely hot, humid conditions without benefit of air conditioning. The only chemical that is really temperature critical is the developer. Once the film has gone through the fixer--one of the benefits of a hardening fixer--high temperature wash shouldn't be any problem. At least it's never been for me and it's consistently miserablly hot in the summer where I live.

 

[Bob F.]

Life is easier if you just develop at, or close to, the ambient temperature. Water baths are then more effective at keeping the chemicals at the correct temperature. I usually process at 22C and switch to 24C when it gets unusually warm. I do however normally use a Jobo CPE2 and process in the evening so the water bath keeps things at the correct temperature and ambient temperature rarely exceeds 24C.

Cold water is currently coming out of the tap at 18C (it's been a warm week in London too). I've never tried it, but I do hear bags of ice are good in the CPE2 for keeping the water bath cool - just don't try using free-floating ice cubes: they get caught in the mechanism...

Bob.

 

[Nick Zentena]

For the last couple of days it has been awfully hot here. Day temperatures of 34 celcius, night temps of 22, and here me trying to get films developed at 20 degrees.

That's it rub it in.

If you can adjust your times for the higher temps. 22 degrees isn't that far from 20.

If you can't then you can do the same thing I do for colour. Use a picnic cooler. If you fill it with water at 20C then it'll easily hold 20C for the time it takes to develop a few batches of film. Just keep the lid closed when you aren't agiating.

 

[Jan Cornelius]

Judging by the ingenious replies on this thread I don't consider myself as "one of you... yet" but you guys have really got it together hey ? All very simple solutions (after having read them) .... I think I need not to worry about developement ...

How about printing process and the developing of the print at 20 degrees ...

Great forum by the way ..

 

[Andy K]

The last couple of days it has been close on 30 degrees here. I found it easier to develop at 24 degrees instead and reduced developing time accordingly with no ill effects to the negs.

 

[Bob F.]

<snip>
How about printing process and the developing of the print at 20 degrees ...
Great forum by the way ..

Paper developer temperature is not critical (within reason) as mostly you develop to completion (or close to it) - i.e. you develop the paper pretty much as far as it will go.

I use the method where you see how long it takes to just start to appear in the tray and then develop for 4 or 5 times that time. It has a name, but I forget it...

Bob.

 

[doughowk]

You might consider the use of Diafine, a very good warm-temperature developer for film.

 

[Jan Cornelius]

again, great guys, thanks ... I really have gotten into the photography thing over the past months and at this stage was ready to despise the good weather ....