Ilford Delta Pro 100 and a fogging (?) issue

[pinhole_dreamer]

The above models are ball joint dolls....took the photos for another forum...

Out of a roll of 24, this was the best. Somehow, the roll ended up with a grey streak running down the middle of it, taking up most of the width of the film. The film wasn't fogged as there is NO light in the basement at night, especially in a storage room with the door shut - and it's down a longish hallway so no ambient light could get there and the boys hadn't turned on any lights. (I needed a flashlight just to get down the hall!)

My first question : Is that a fixer, a developer or a user issue (meaning me). I developed it in D76 with a 1:1 mix for 11 minutes and fixed with 3oz to 8oz water mix for 5.5 minutes according to the oven timer. This is the first time I've had this happen.

My second question : My reel (the one I prefer) was white. It's now turning a dark gray due to chemicals and use. My tank for 35mm isn't too bad but there's a residue. So, what's the best way to clean my equipment? I've taken an old toothbrush to the reel and washed the tank out with warm water and a wash cloth...but still unsure as how to clean them. Suggestions?

Ahead of time, thanks.

Susan

 

[Bob-D659]

I use ordinary laundry bleach to clean trays, never have had to clean tanks and reels, but them it rinse them very well with hot water after removing the film.

Was the gray streak sort of opaque like fog? It may be under fixing. Easy to refix a couple of negs in a tray and find out.


Edit: Hmmm, I mix all my film chems with distilled water and use tap water for diluting chems for paper. I wonder if there is a connection.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Hmmmm.....I wonder what I did wrong then...

Would it hurt the reels to wash them in a diluted bleach/water solution?

 

[marco.taje]

and fixed with 3oz to 8oz water mix for 5.5 minutes

It might be a typographic lapse, but I DO hope you had some fixer in that solution, as well.. Otherwise we may have found where the problem comes from.

As for the reel washing, I think you are far on the picky side. I personally just rinse them. But I doubt that would make any difference, anyway.

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

I had 3 oz fix to 8 oz water.... There's about 8 oz of fix left in the bottle. Maybe I should just scrap that and make a new batch.

 

[MattKing]

Try re-fixing with fresh fixer.

What fixer are you using, and where did 3 oz fix to 8 oz water come from?

For reels, I just rinse them in hot flowing water after each use. If yours are discolouring, you can try a quick scrub with dishwashing soap and an old toothbrush - rinse well afterwards. You shouldn't have to do that very often.

 

[pgomena]

Some fixers are concentrates intended to be diluted for use, some are working strength and not intended to be diluted. Tell us what brand and type you have and we might be of more help!

Peter Gomena

 

[pinhole_dreamer]

Peter, it's the regular Kodak film/paper fixer.

That's the first time I've had streaks...but I figured it out with Ian's help...not enough agitation.