Film squeegees

Mainecoonmaniac · Feb 22, 2011

I was processing some BW negs last week and discovered for the first time that my film squeegee is scratching my film. It's not obvious until I look at my negs through a loupe. I see micro scratches that look like little comet streaks. I've used it for years and I'm wondering why is scratching my film now. The wash and photoflo temperature was 68 degrees. I apply the minimum of pressure to get the water off my film. According to most APUGers, hardener in my fix is not a good thing for fixing film nor paper. I'm wondering if I should but a new film squeegee or start using cellulose sponges to try my film? I've always used film squeegees and had good luck with them. Has the rubber wipers are hard due to it's age. The wiper is over 10 years old.

Ian C · Feb 22, 2011

As rubber ages it oxidizes and gets hard. The once supple edges can now tear the soft, swollen, wet gelatin. Buy a new one or switch to a wet viscous photo sponge well wrung out.

I always use regular Kodak Fixer with the harder built in. I tried rapid fixer without hardener, but the films scratched more easily when wet, so I went back to the tried and true.

Jon Shiu · Feb 22, 2011

I use green photo wipe. Cut into 1.5 in. strips and fold over film so several layers are on each surface. Then pinch near side of film and slowly squeegee down the film. Have been doing it this way for 20 years. Method also described in David Vestal's book.

Jon

R gould · Feb 22, 2011

Never use a film squeegee, there is always the danger of scratchig the film, use a sheet of kitchen roll folded up and wipe the shiny side only once,Richard

Rick A · Feb 22, 2011

NEVERr use ANYTHING to squeegee film. You can shake the excess water from film while its still on the developing reel prior to hanging to dry. Once the film is hung to dry walk away from it for an hour or so. If you have used photoflo or equivalent the film will dry streak free without any help from you wiping it. When the film is wet the emulsion is soft and the risk of scratches is high from touching it with anything.

Chazzy · Feb 22, 2011

I've found the use of a squeegee to be completely unnecessary. I give the film a final soak in half strength Photoflo and distilled water, with a dash of rubbing alcohol to help the film dry faster.

Mainecoonmaniac · Feb 22, 2011

Hey thanks for the great advice!

Best,
Don

jp498 · Feb 22, 2011

I put 2 drops of photoflo in some distilled water for the last rinse. No squegee ever; not needed. If you are using a squegee to make it dry quickly, just use rubbing alcohol + photoflo for the last step. Don't need a whole tank full, just some shallow in a tray to bathe the film in (to displace the water) before hanging it up.

Vincent Brady · Feb 22, 2011

I hang my film up in the shower and I wipe it down both sides with a cotton handerchief, which I throw into the wash every week which helps to keep it dirtfree.

Dave Starr · Feb 22, 2011

I don't use Photo Flo, or any wetting agent. Just spray the film with distilled water from a pump sprayer & hand it in a dust free location. No water spots at all.

mwdake · Feb 22, 2011

No Squeegee here either, never have used one.
Sometimes if I am in a hurry I will add a little isopropyl alcohol to the final rinse as it speeds up drying.
Also, hang your film on diagonal to dry, it helps too as any water draining does not travel down the film but off to the side.

tkamiya · Feb 22, 2011

I just use my own fingers. Photo-flo the film, then hang it. Wet my hand with photo-flo and shake dry. Sandwich film in between fingers and LIGHTLY close, then make two path downwards. It gets enough of excess water off it and let the rest air dry. I never needed to do anything more....

Buje · Feb 22, 2011

I never squeegee the film either. I use a final rinse in Photo-Flo, attach the film clips. A quick shake of the film using the clips as handles and into the shower stall for drying. Result - no dust or spots. For sheet film, same thing, but plastic clothes pins on the corner with the notch code.

Ottrdaemmerung · Feb 22, 2011

I concur about not using a squeegee, nor anything else. In the tank I use one drop of Photo-Flo per reel of 35mm, or two for a reel of 120, and then agitate briefly. I run the shower to get a little bit of humidity in the shower going, turn it off and then hang the film in there until it dries; I've found the humid environment helps the film dry dust-free, and I always dry for a bare minimum of four hours.

If I find that excess water is clinging to the film, or if I'm getting ugly drying marks on C-41 film, I wipe the shiny side lightly with the corner of a soft sponge dipped in diluted Photo-Flo solution and wrung out.

canuhead · Feb 22, 2011

Have used the squeegee and photo sponge in the past but the only thing I use now are KimWipes. Similar fashion as Jon but I use large sheets cut in half (6x12 give or take) and wrap this around the film and wipe. This is for hang drying. If using the Senrac dryer (no heat), film is reverse rolled onto steel reels and dunked in the Photo Flo bath, shaken and loaded into dryer.

Michael W · Feb 23, 2011

I use an old but clean chamois. A strip cut to a size that will fold over & cover both sides of the film. Two slow wipes & the film is almost dry with no scratches.
I have seen people damage film with those rubber squeegees.

Rick A · Feb 23, 2011

This is my method: one (1) drop Edwal LFN wetting agent in one (1) liter of distilled water, plus one (1) capful of the strongest isopropyl alcohol you can buy. After final rinse, immerse film (still in dev reel)for one minute. Remove reel from solution, shake and hang to dry. No squeegee, save the solution and reuse for as many times as the alcohol still smells strong. BTW, my film dries in minutes with NO streaks or spotting.

Steve Roberts · Feb 23, 2011

Why risk the dire consequences of a single speck of dirt ruining an entire film by squeegeeing or wiping? If a wetting agent has been used in distilled or decent tap water as a final rinse, the film should dry evenly. The only reason I can see for wiping a film is to speed up drying, which may have been worthwhile when film was a press/news medium, but is it worth the risk to most of us just to save an hour's drying time?
Alcohol can be used to speed up drying, but I read once that if used too strong it can make the emulsion brittle and after a quick set of prints for whatever the rush was about, an alcohol-dried film should be re-washed in water and allowed to dry naturally.
Steve

Rick A · Feb 23, 2011

For the record, none of my negatives are brittle, not even the ones I processed twenty years ago. I wish I had my older negs, but an irate exwife destroyed those before I could remove my personals from the house.

bblhed · Feb 23, 2011

Water makes a great stop bath.

Now that I have your attention, rubber as others have said ages and hardens, cracks, curls, twists, and other things. The storage conditions of the rubber will determine just how long it will last. Rubber stored close to where high voltages, other plastics, and direct sunlight are present will have a shorter life. If you are going to wipe your film with a piece of rubber you should plan to replace it at least half as often as you replace the wipers on your car (buy two sets of wipers, get a film wiper). The reason I have for this time table is that use does not kill windshield wipers, ageing does.

As for what you do when your alone with your film, I don't judge, if it works it works.

A Sabai · Feb 23, 2011

I use my fingers as a squeegee works fine, but if you are using a wetting agent you don't need to squeegee as others have said.

removed account4 · Feb 23, 2011

you put a few drops of photoflo into a tray
or your last can of water and you run your film through it
and hang it up to dry.
then ... instead of squeegee-ing the film ..
you hang the film in a room and let it dry.

when you return the film is magically dry

Steve Roberts · Feb 23, 2011

"For the record, none of my negatives are brittle, not even the ones I processed twenty years ago. I wish I had my older negs, but an irate exwife destroyed those before I could remove my personals from the house."
Apologies - I wasn't alluding to your posting in my comment. I can't imagine that the dilution you mention would harm your negs (unlike your ex-wife!)

"I use my fingers as a squeegee works fine"
Probably depends on the quality of the fingers - you certainly wouldn't want my rough old maulers ploughing furrows down your valuable negs (accompanied by traces of sand, engine oil or whatever they were last immersed in).

Steve

Dave Ludwig · Feb 23, 2011

Not to change the thread, but personally I believe photo-flo was a scam established Kodak and others to make money. It is nothing more than weak dish soap. Rinse in distilled water, and never wipe your negs.

"Mandrake- How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works." Dr. Strangelove Pruity of Essence

removed account4 · Feb 23, 2011

there are a handful of threads that say the ingredients of photo flo,
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
and substitute for the store bought version ..
like this one
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

not sure about you, but i don't think i have much triton-100 in my weak dish soap..

Film squeegees

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