should I use tongs?

Curt · Mar 6, 2009

Mine must be the Kostiner ones, I got them in a bunch of darkroom items one time. They are smooth so they won't leave a mark but I still am careful not to let the print slip out when I rarely use them. They will probably last for hundreds of years. If I were a young person I would probably wear a mask, fins and snorkel.

Graham.b · Mar 6, 2009

Curt said:
Mine must be the Kostiner ones, I got them in a bunch of darkroom items one time. They are smooth so they won't leave a mark but I still am careful not to let the print slip out when I rarely use them. They will probably last for hundreds of years. If I were a young person I would probably wear a mask, fins and snorkel.

I think this post is about photography not swiming.

Graham

Anon Ymous · Mar 6, 2009

Bob F. said:
...Tongs or nitrile/latex gloves are the way to go. I use tongs: one each for the dev, stop and fix. The stainless steel ones that self-close are the best I have found. I do not get stains.

Yep! Stainless steel, self closing with rubber tips. By far the best I've used. And if the print is rather big you might want to use 2 tongs to avoid wrinkling.

Dan Henderson · Mar 6, 2009

Tim Rudman talks a lot about cross contamination in his lith printing and toning books. And sure enough, the couple of times that I have been careless in handling some papers with my fingers, it was ruined by a stain from whatever was on my fingers running down the print while draining it.

Plus, a darkroom is a chemistry lab, no? I doubt that any chemist puts his hands in whatever chemicals that he is working with in his lab. Same with the hazardous materials guys I used to work with. They never, ever exposed themselves to chemicals, regardless of how innocuous it was.

I too got lucky and got a whole bunch of great old stainless steel tongs with on an ebay purchase. A lot better work with than the bamboo or plastic ones. Won't absorb chemicals, either.

Edwardv · Mar 6, 2009

I have skin problems with my hands so I use Powder-free latex by Accucare. A box of 100 gloves cost about $9, cheaper by the case.

Renato Tonelli · Mar 6, 2009

Erik L said:
I didn't use tongs for a long time and then suddenly I became allergic to one of the chemicals. Itchy raw flaking skin that took weeks to clear up. It is painful and disgusting looking so now I use gloves and tongs These chemicals so far are the only things I have come across that I am allergic to. My opinion would be to play it safe, you only have one liver
erik

Good, common-sense advice.
I developed skin allergies after a couple of years of using my fingers. Now I use tongs for prints up to 11x14 and gloves for the bigger prints.

Chazzy · Mar 6, 2009

Question for those of you who are using gloves instead of tongs: when you move from the fixer or wash back to the developer, are you discarding the gloves and starting over with fresh ones, or are you washing off your gloved hands? Using a new pair of gloves for each print seems wasteful, if there is a satisfactory regimen for washing (and drying) the gloved hands, but it might not take much fixer residue to leave a mark on a fresh sheet of paper.

Shelly Grimson · Mar 6, 2009

I use the Kostiner tongs and they are great if you are careful. With larger prints I use my hands. I always wear nitrile gloves, the thinner ones that sell at a drug store for about $10 for 100. In between all phases I rinse my gloved hands in water just to be careful not to cross contaminate. It takes a second. I have a towel nearby to quickly dry the gloved hands. I, for one see no reason for anyone to put hands into chemicals. I actually think it is reckless to suggest that to a novice. Please, lets remember that we can't know how many exposures will affect a particular individual in a negative way. Health is more important than 'art'. I know some painters and one photographer who suffered badly from ignoring safety with toxic chemicals. When I took a friend to an oncologist he was suprised that as a non-smoker would get that particular type of cancer. He never used gloves and his darkroom was a mess of bottles and chemistry- powdered and liquid. He was reckless and it might have played a part in his death. Sorry to be so down on this subject but I am still grieving .....

ozphoto · Mar 8, 2009

Charles,
I wash my hands in water after I remove from the fixer and then dry on an old handtowel. I have a few of these, so once it's too damp for my liking, I start on a new one - no problems yet, plus I do have a spare pair of gloves "just in case".

-Nanette

Martin Aislabie · Mar 8, 2009

I use tongs for small prints (upto 12x16)

Above this size I use a pair of domestic rubber gloves from the supermarket - as the prints become too difficult to handle with just tongs and I was getting too many wound marks on the prints

Regular domestic rubber gloves are looser fitting than the latex surgical type so my hands don't get as wet from sweat

I have in an emergecy rescued a Neg or Print from a tray/bath and then could smell the chemical on my skin for hours afterwards even though I washed my hands ASAP

Martin

ITD · Mar 8, 2009

I used my hands for a long time before I found the self-closing stainless steel tongs with rubber tips. I use gloves for stuff that's too cumbersome for tongs.

The only time I use bare hands now (rarely) is for developing many small prints at once in a stack. The disposable rubber gloves just don't give me enough grip to cycle through the prints in the dev. I hadn't thought of using marigolds though...

should I use tongs?

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