Cleaning the Goop Off of the FP-100C Negative

J_Film_Lover · Aug 18, 2014

I have several questions about cleaning the goop off of the emulsion side of the negative. I have watched several informative YouTube videos on FP-100C reclamation. These focus on cleaning the black material off of the back of the negative.

1) Can the goop be cleaned off when it is still wet simply by running water over the emulsion side, without touching the emulsion side of the negative with a finger or other object?

2) If the goop is dry, is there a way to clean the goop off while minimizing the risk of damaging the emulsion?

3) I have heard that FP-100C is self-terminating. Can I wait several hours before peeling apart the negative and the positive? I do a lot FP-100C shooting while hiking, can I wait until I get back?

4) Is it really necessary to clean the goop off of the emulsion side of the negative? Once the back has been cleaned with bleach will goop remaining on the emulsion side of the negative impact the quality of a negative scan?

darkosaric · Aug 18, 2014

I did cleaning of the FP-100C negative with nice success using bleach on dry negative. I taped the negative on glass, tape on edges prevented bleach to go on negative side, and I used cotton pads (the one that women use for cleaning face from cosmetics). Not too much bleach - so that bleach stays on one side.

oldlincoln · Aug 18, 2014

I think the OP means the goop from the chemical pack. We used to drop the old 55 in a sodium sulfite solution to "clear". What works to remove the developing chemicals on FP-100c?

darkosaric · Aug 18, 2014

oldlincoln said:
I think the OP means the goop from the chemical pack. We used to drop the old 55 in a sodium sulfite solution to "clear". What works to remove the developing chemicals on FP-100c?

Now I see. I never even think that people would clean goop from emulsion side . I have scanned and made some contact prints from FP-100C and it was totally ok without cleaning emulsion side.

Peter de Groot · Aug 18, 2014

If you want to clean of the goop use running handwarm water. It is ok to gently rub the goop of the emulsion. Touching the emulsion of the fp 100 c is ok for that emulsion is fairly sturdy. When scanning with goop it does create artisitic effects. When the goop is cleaned of the negative is a lot cleaner after scanning. It depens on what you like best.

NedL · Aug 18, 2014

I have not tried using the negatives yet ( I have no film scanner ), but for #3, that's what I do. I often wait several hours or even longer so that the photos can dry in a dust-free location after peeling. It would be very handy to have a portable "drying box" because waiting to come home to see the results defeats part of the fun of instant film.

J_Film_Lover · Oct 7, 2014

Cleaning Status

I have begun cleaning the FP-100C negatives. The prints (positives) look fine. The negatives have a strong greenish color to them when scanned. Could the green be due to reciprocity failure (the prints look OK), or is the green cast due to the developing gunk? I shot these photos about two months ago. I did rinse the emulsion side and a lot of green gunk came off. Is it better to clean the negatives soon after shooting?

analoguey · Oct 7, 2014

The goop on emulsion side runs off in hot water

hamradio · Oct 7, 2014

I think you might be due for more washing of your negs to remove the cast. I'm not terribly careful with mine; I throw them in the back seat of the car or in my bag, and don't get around to clearing them for a few weeks or a month. If the neg dries in the sun or darkness seems to not matter, either.

For the actual clearing, I tape 4 or 5 negs, emulsion side down, to something with the cheapest electrical tape I can get. Lately I've been using a junk enlarging easel that is white enameled steel. I put this in the sink, and glug liquid bleach around the negatives. I spread the bleach with a folded up paper towel, and inspect the process with a flashlight. Usually one round is enough, and only takes 30 seconds or so to dissolve all of the black anti-halation stuff. Once all of the black stuff is gone, I rinse the negatives and begin pulling tape. I throw the negatives into an 8x10 developing tray, and wash them as I would 4x5 negatives. After a minute or two, all of the dried up developing chemicals loosen and wash off; usually holding them under the faucet cleans them fully. I wash for several more minutes, before hanging to dry. I've never used brushes or more exact amounts of bleach, and have never experienced any undesirable results.

The only time I ever had this process go a little wrong was when I washed the chemical goop off first, and then bleached the negs. A little bleach leaked onto the emulsion and removed it in some small areas...leaving the dried up goop on while bleaching offers a little more protection for the emulsion.

J_Film_Lover · Oct 7, 2014

Thanks. I'll look at more cleaning. The cast on the prints is green, while the cast on the negatives is a reddish-pink color.

hamradio · Oct 7, 2014

Oh, I had no idea you were seeing a cast on the print as well. What kind of temperatures are you pulling/developing in? What camera are you shooting this stuff in?

J_Film_Lover · Oct 7, 2014

Zero Image 4x5 pinhole camera. The print (positive) that I obtained when I took the photo last August has no cast. Two months later (October) I cleaned the negative, had it scanned, and the print made from the scan in October has a green cast on it. The cleaned negative has a reddish-pink cast. The temperature at the time I took the photo was 23 degrees C.

Newt_on_Swings · Oct 8, 2014

Scan settings perhaps? You may need to scan a test target and calibrate monitor to be certain the colors you see on display are accurate. Then you can go ahead and tweak colors to fix color casts.

J_Film_Lover · Oct 8, 2014

I have more insight into the problem now, but it is not completely solved. Will post an update later. Thanks for all the input.

Lee Rust · Feb 15, 2015

After the Fuji 100-C negatives have been rinsed free of goop and the black backing has been bleached away, is there any need to fix the negatives? I've read a lengthy thread on the subject of monobaths that seems to suggest that no further fixing is necessary. Yes or no?

joshgladstone · Feb 20, 2015

No, you don't need to fix them.

Lee Rust · Feb 21, 2015

Josh, thanks for the info.

Cleaning the Goop Off of the FP-100C Negative

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