Film drying clips

[Tom Kershaw]

I have realised I could make use of a few more film drying clips. Having pretty much only used the Paterson drying clips to date, any views on whether I should investigate other brands?

 

[Donald Qualls]

I use paper clamps I got at Office Depot. Mine have big magnets on them (I used to hang my film from the bowl of a torchiere lamp), but the magnets are optional. They clip over a string or wire easily enough, too.

 

[eli griggs]

I use black banker's clips, in various sizes, and sometime will put a long fishing weight in them, if the films I am using have a lot of curl.

Off and on I have considered getting a little Harbor Freight powder coating kit, about $70US, but I always end up spend the money on film, chemicals, etc.

Powder coating the clips, including ones that have weights inside them, would 'rust proof them, with a plastic paint layer that will be, hopefully, long lasting, as the clips are steel and, if rust does get started, even with a heated cloth film drying 'closet', I will no use them in the darkroom and would rather they be coated so I can just grab them and go, instead of inspecting them all before use.

Wooden cloths line clips also work, but only with short rolls without much curl.

IMO.

 

[Rick A]

I have a pile of Kodak and Kodak Jr. stainless film clips stashed somewhere, haven't needed them for some time since I rarely shoot roll film, I use plastic clothes pins strung on a line for sheet film. I tried some of the black "bulldog" clips once, they rust easily and left marks on my film, trashed them.

 

[ColdEye]

I use small alligator clips. Cost me like $7 for a bag of 50 I think. They have small hooks if you want to attach a weight.

 

[MattKing]

 

[eli griggs]

Interesting cloths line clips, but they look a bit on the long side for an average sized drying cabinet.

Cheers.

 

[MattKing]

They are about 4 inches/10 cm long. Mine came from the Dollar store.
I use them directly, and I use them in conjunction with other, darkroom designed clips that have hooks that are too small to fit over a second shower curtain rod that I have added to the centre of my bathroom tub surround.

 

[eli griggs]

Cheers.

 

[Deleted member 88956]

Paper clamps are much cheaper then any film clips ever made, but do make sure to get stainless ones including spring, and finding these is a bit of a challenge. Test one to be sure (place outside and let rain on it and dry up, a few cycles)

 

[AgX]

-) The ones made by Kaiser are quite similar in desiign to the ones by Paterson: plastic body and 2 steel pins.
-) In the long past Jobo made clamps all of plastic, wider than the above.
-) Then there still are those made completely from steel, with little triangles stamped out and bent over, serving as pins. These pins are typically less pointed than true pins anf there is no point-to-point contact, but rather a triangle-to-recess, thus introducing a little warping at the film. also damage is larger than just two needle picks.


As film typically is dripping wet when the clamps are attached, it may matter how much water the upper clamp may retend and release when the film has been wiped. (Wel, some peoole do not even wipe film at all.)

I have also used wooden tooth-clamps at the top and surgical forceps as weight.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Thanks all for the responses. I dry my roll film inside a cabinet so clips that don't take up too much space are preferable.

 

[AgX]

All the commercial clips I referred to above, have a hook on top. Though one might cut it off and DIY-install a hook mounted laterally at 90°.

But at best you only would safe 2 inches.

 

[David Reynolds]

I am not sure of the brand but these work in a drying cabinet really well. Probably Kodak. Pictured with some reels.

 

[rst]

As film typically is dripping wet when the clamps are attached, it may matter how much water the upper clamp may retend and release when the film has been wiped. (Wel, some peoole do not even wipe film at all.)

I use the clips from Kaiser which come with a heavy one and a light one. I hang the film on the heavy one, wipe the film, clip the light clip at the end of the film and then turn it around and hang the film with the light clip which means all water that might drip out of the heavy clip will not get on the film.

Cheers
Ruediger

 

[Tom Kershaw]

From reading certain descriptions it looks as though more recent Paterson clips may have adopted plastic pins to secure the film, rather than the traditional metal pins. Kaiser is well distributed in the UK. I should have some second hand Paterson clips coming to me in the post soon.

 

[GRHazelton]

I use wooden spring clothespins to hold the film on a line strung over the bathtub in my "darkroom." Cheap, effective: what's not to like? If they were good enough for St Ansel they're good enough for me.

 

[rst]

I use wooden spring clothespins to hold the film on a line strung over the bathtub in my "darkroom." Cheap, effective: what's not to like? If they were good enough for St Ansel they're good enough for me.

That is what I do with sheetfilm, with 120 or 135 the clothpins would not hold the wiping.

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Oddly, other than film clips, wooden clothes pins work the best for clipping wet film. Metal and plastic doesn't grip film as well and sometimes will slide out. The grain of the wood pins has teeth that will grab on to wet emulsion. Most film metal film clips as you know will puncture your film to grab into the film. If you could find use clips at a good price, get them. Even used ones cost a pretty penny.

 

[GRHazelton]

That is what I do with sheetfilm, with 120 or 135 the clothpins would not hold the wiping.

Hmmm...The only wiping I do is with fingers wetted with the Photoflo final bath. No problem so far. As always, YMMV.

 

[rst]

Hmmm...The only wiping I do is with fingers wetted with the Photoflo final bath. No problem so far. As always, YMMV.

There you go, I use paper towels and tried once with wooden clothespins ... no fun.

 

[Tom Kershaw]

I don't wipe my films down 95% of the time. Distilled water and Tetenal Mirasol seem to work well.

 

[AgX]

Distilled water and Tetenal Mirasol seem to work well.

Is it still produced? At the Tetenal site hardly any chemical products are listed any more. (Only some C-41, E-6 and RA-4.)

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Jobo clips. The ones for roll film are easy enough to come by, but the ones for sheet film are hens' teeth and priced accordingly.

 

[AgX]

Jobo made at least two narrow versions. One looks similar to the ones from Paterson and Kaiser, the other in addition has two tiny hooks at the lower edge of which use I got no idea.
EDIT:
I assume the latter version is not even from Jobo, but only appears erroneously on the net as being from them.

Concerning the sheet film clips, I got old Jobo plastic clips that very much resemble hair clamps.