Tool of the Devil, or Useful Darkroom Implement?

TomR55 · Aug 17, 2023

Everyone's water is different. That said, I've processed film in various states over these last thirty plus years. I find the following procedure the most dependable: Distilled water with a minimum distribution of Photo-Flo (or similar), then hang to dry in a dust-free location for at least 4 hours before even looking at them.

BobUK · Aug 17, 2023

They are great for wiping water off colour print test strips, nothing else.
I have the larger size for colour prints, but the film size is handier for test strips only.

halfaman · Aug 17, 2023

I use Patterson's in every single color film I have processed in the last 13 years, that means hundreds of rolls. Not a single scratch yet.

For B/W I use a wetting agent that does not need squeeze.

Chuck1 · Aug 17, 2023

I used one once...

bdial · Aug 17, 2023

As noted by a few folks, it is possible to use one and not scratch the film.
My experience has been that it doesn't speed up the drying, nor reduce water spots to any useful degree, and it creates more ways to scratch the film.
So, while it may not be a tool of the devil, it's not all that useful either.
YMMV.

Jojje · Aug 17, 2023

Back in the day used on small RC-prints which had to be dried quickly, bigger ones with windshield wiper blade.

foc · Aug 17, 2023

Don_ih said:
All those things make sense. But they also seem to be too many things to worry about for most people - and some people will lack the gentle touch required. It's really very simple to hang up the film and not touch it all until it's dry.

Also, a lot of people are getting these things used, now, and the rubber is likely harder than it should be.

And there is also the possibility there is some tiny bit of grit on the film that will get dragged down and score the emulsion. No matter how fastidious you are regarding the squeegee itself, you can't anticipate that.

I agree with what you say BUT it can be done.

I was taught it in college and have used a squeegee for 43 years, and never had a scratch or mark.

miha · Aug 17, 2023

My best negs are those that were not touched by anything after the wetting agent treatment. I found the best wetting agent to be the one made by Tetenal.

Paul Howell · Aug 17, 2023

When in the U.S Air Force we use to squeegee or use a damp photo sponge to remove as much water off the negative so it would dry faster. I think the dark room at the Sacramento Union used damp sponges as well followed by forced air dryer. In my own darkroom I just hand and dry.

mshchem · Aug 17, 2023

Paul Howell said:
When in the U.S Air Force we use to squeegee or use a damp photo sponge to remove as much water off the negative so it would dry faster. I think the dark room at the Sacramento Union used damp sponges as well followed by forced air dryer. In my own darkroom I just hand and dry.

Yep, and old school Kodak F-5 hardening fixer or Kodak rapid fixer with hardener. Sponges kept clean are fine.

No reason to use hardening fixer (unless you like squeegees, hypo cleaning agent and extended wash times)

STR1015 · Aug 17, 2023

I use it when I think of it. The build quality of this seems poor, I've had a couple of these but the rubber blade broke after a couple of uses.

chuckroast · Aug 17, 2023

SodaAnt said:
What say all, is this the tool of the devil or something that you use often or occasionally in the darkroom?

Never EVER. I use Photoflo with a little alcohol added. For sheet films, I hang them from a corner to drip dry. For 35mm and rollfilms, I wash my hands, and dip them in the Photoflo, using my fingers in a scissors pattern to lightly remove the fluid.

Devices like the monster above will do no end of emulsion damage sooner or later, especially with softer emulsions like Efke.

DREW WILEY · Aug 18, 2023

It looks like a crocodile which lost its dentures. Doesn't belong in my darkroom! I never squeegee film.

Doremus Scudder · Aug 18, 2023

I'll carefully squeegee film between my index and middle finger (even 4x5 sheet film), but that's it. The film squeegee I had and used once scratched. It went in the trash; I wouldn't wish the thing on another photographer.

For prints, I use an appropriately-sized new and clean windshield wiper.

Best,

Doremus

eli griggs · Aug 18, 2023

Philippe-Georges said:
Ha, ha, Photoflo, I mean AGEPON, sorry...
Well I am an avid SISTAN user, which is still made bij ADOX as Adomax (and Agepon too as Adoflo).
This is two in one, a wetting agent and an image stabiliser, what else do you want?
For film and paper.

BTW, a wetting agent should be used sparingly, just a few drops in filtered tap water, doesn't it?

An now I will get a 'piscine' and some olives (It's still summer), and sit back...

Use distilled, minerals from tap water can still impregnate your emulsions, IMO.

eli griggs · Aug 18, 2023

If I were to try any device again for a film squeegee, I might consider thick, nitrile gloves or a pair of soft leather chamois finger sleeves, if available or if I were to make them myself, otherwise, a clean drip dry.

ic-racer · Aug 18, 2023

I don't have one, but if I did have one I'd use it to help dry control strips. Currently I use a blow dryer, but maybe if the strips were squeegeed first, they would dry a little faster.

Philippe-Georges · Aug 19, 2023

eli griggs said:
Use distilled, minerals from tap water can still impregnate your emulsions, IMO.

Well, although the 'tap water' I use has passed through a Britta filter, it is still tap water, and you are right there might be still 'things' left in it, but luckily I never had any issues.

STR1015 · Aug 19, 2023

Philippe-Georges said:
but luckily I never had any issues

It depends on the area you are in, tap water in general is up to drinking quality but to be on the safer side I still choose distilled water

BobUK · Aug 19, 2023

eli griggs said:
If I were to try any device again for a film squeegee, I might consider thick, nitrile gloves or a pair of soft leather chamois finger sleeves, if available or if I were to make them myself, otherwise, a clean drip dry.

An old photography book mentioned a squeegee with chamois covered blades.

eli griggs · Aug 19, 2023

BobUK said:
An old photography book mentioned a squeegee with chamois covered blades.

That would be simple to make, using wood dowels or flat molding and a spring or rubber band, depending on how much surface contact you'd want.

Personally, dowels would be the closest thing to fingers or a wiper.

Use several coats of a three pound shellac on the wood first, including end grain, which might benefit with a thinned drink of shellac first.

IMO.

BMbikerider · Aug 19, 2023

This is something that whoever designed it needs to suffer the same fate as wet soft film i.e scratched all over,

Luckily I live in an area where the water comes straight off the hills and moors and is as soft as duck down. All I need is 2 mins final rinse in ordinary tap water with a drop or two of Kodak wetting agent and hung up to dry in the darkroom with a through flow of air and it dries in half an hour.

Sirius Glass · Aug 19, 2023

My water is very hard and I have never had a problem with it for photography.

eli griggs · Aug 19, 2023

Here in Charlotte, NC, the water is just right, it's quite good and one popular water bottling company uses City water basically out of the tap as their product.

We're so use to good water in so many places now, we forget how bad the water is for billions of others.

I use to use city water for my Negitive and printmaking but using the Ilford washing methods and compounding my own chemistries in distilled is so cheap and 'preventive' I just do that now.

SodaAnt · Aug 19, 2023

My water is well water and is very hard. I mix every photographic solution with steam distilled water and use distilled water for the entire film wash cycle.

(I know it’s common usage among photographers, but referring to developers, fixers, etc., as “chemistry” is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.)

Tool of the Devil, or Useful Darkroom Implement?

Is this the tool of the Devil?

Definitely the tool of the Devil

Something I use occasionally

Something I use every time I develop film

TomR55

BobUK

halfaman

Chuck1

bdial

Jojje

foc

miha

Paul Howell

mshchem

STR1015

chuckroast

DREW WILEY

Doremus Scudder

eli griggs

eli griggs

ic-racer

Philippe-Georges

STR1015

BobUK

eli griggs

BMbikerider

Sirius Glass

eli griggs

SodaAnt

Tool of the Devil, or Useful Darkroom Implement?

Is this the tool of the Devil?

Definitely the tool of the Devil

Something I use occasionally

Something I use every time I develop film

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