Drying marks no matter what!!

[gainer]

It may be that the washing sequence is the problem. You don't give enough detail. What do you mean by "rinse"? I have, for Q&D work, washed test negs in the tank with 3 changes of tap water, vigorously agitating between changes, wiped them with a paper towel between fingers, and dried them with a hair dryer on low heat. No drying marks or haze and no scratches. My tap water is so hard I don't use it to make carbonate developers because of tha suspended calcium carbonate.

Don't think about what your additives are taking away, but what the wash is not taking away. Whatever is in the emulsion when drying begins ia a sampling of a mixture of all the previous solutions it has had in it. 5 changes of water, agitating for 1 minute between changes, is far better than 5 minutes in the same wash, agitation or not. The best washing can do is to make the contents of the emulsion the same as the contents of the wash water.

Try washing the negatives with 5 changes of water, agitating for 1 minute in each change. If you are addicted to Photo Flo, do one more minute with that solution. Otherwise, try the paper towel squeege with very little pressure. Now, if the drying marks persist, something else is wrong, IMHO.

 

[Pat Erson]

I use a salad spinner after the "PhotoFLo+distilled water" stage to get most of the water out the film.
If I understand you I can do without?

 

[mrred]

I use a salad spinner after the "PhotoFLo+distilled water" stage to get most of the water out the film.

Please, tell me more. This one caught my interest...

 

[CBG]

... replacing photo flo it is quite old and could have been contaminated ... cleaning tank and reels

I don't know if this is what you are referring to, but if so, never use your diluted photo flo twice. Use it once and dump. Mix it with distilled water that you absolutely trust. Why take the risk on grime and contamination at the end of the process?

 

[wogster]

I don't know if this is what you are referring to, but if so, never use your diluted photo flo twice. Use it once and dump. Mix it with distilled water that you absolutely trust. Why take the risk on grime and contamination at the end of the process?

I took it as he meant the bottle of concentrate, it is possible that something got into it. All it takes is putting the cap down where it can get something in it, or the same falling on a floor that isn't as clean as it could be, and you have it contaminated. Not just photo chemicals either, dust, mould, a bottle that isn't quite sealed due to age being placed beside something that would be fine otherwise.

 

[Pat Erson]

"Please, tell me more"
well I got the trick from French master printer Philippe Salaün http://pagesperso-orange.fr/psalaun/Curriculum.html
After you dipped your reel in Photoflo+DWater you put it in the salad spinner *vertically*. A few turns of the handle and voila!

 

[synj00]

Ok been experimenting over the last 10 rolls of film and have happened upon something that is working fairly well for me. After the wash I have been using 3 drops of photo-flo and give it a few swirls and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes in the can. The water sheets off instead of beading up and I hang it and then pour some fresh water over the negatives to remove any extra photo-flo and its been drying really clean. Thanks for all the suggestions from everyone! They are greatly appreciated!

 

[dpurdy]

I think you might relieve yourself of all that if you just switch to Edwals LFN. I was getting some residue on my film using photo flow and finally switched to the edwals and never a problem since. Not the slightest mark or spot.

 

[synj00]

I'll give LFN a try with my next order at Freestyle. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[dancqu]

Thanks for all the suggestions from everyone!
They are greatly appreciated!

Another suggestion. I'll not overlook this opportunity
to plug the EIGHT BLADE FILM SQUEEGEE. The 8 blade
film squeegee is expressly designed and engineered
for film. It is sold under a few trade names. Mine
is a Jobo.

I soak the film, with a few spins, for a minute or
two in half strength PhotoFlo. While hanging the
film the squeegee is given it's soak. With film
hung the wet squeegee is pulled once very
slowly down the length of the film.
Film dries Clean Fast. Dan