Trouble with screen and tube

[fil]

Cibachrome tube?

Back to the original question..

I'm curious how you are using a Cibachrome tube at all for film. I received a couple yesterday, and they are absolutely smooth inside. My other recycled print drums all have ribs which keep the film backing away enough to let the antihalation coating get removed by a presoak. Does the fiberglass somehow lift the film away enough to do this?

Also, how do you keep the 4x5 negatives separated and affixed during development? All I can imagine is to lay the negatives out on a single piece of fiberglass, roll it up and put it in. But then I can't see how the film would stick when dry as it would be when you put it in.

Maybe I *can* use these drums with film developing after all!

cheers

 

[bpm32]

Well, now that you mention it... maybe this is where I'm running into troubles.... seeing how there aren't any ribs in there. This grid only shows up horizontally as an inch (or so) wide strip halfway up the long side of the negative. When I curl the negative and screen and slide it into the tube, I do feel like the fact that the neg wants to uncurl puts a lot of pressure at the same point where the grid ultimately shows. Now I'm wondering if it's creating so much pressure that the presoak can't get in there and clear that antihalation layer. It's clear everywhere else.

I may switch to presoaking in trays and see how that works. Thanks for the tip... even if it was inadvertent!

As for developing, I only develop one sheet at a time in the tubes. It's not speedy, but it's all I've got. One of these days I'd like to make my own tubes, but the time just hasn't presented itself yet. Is this what you meant?

 

[fil]

As for developing, I only develop one sheet at a time in the tubes. It's not speedy, but it's all I've got. One of these days I'd like to make my own tubes, but the time just hasn't presented itself yet. Is this what you meant?

Not having the time or patience to do only one 4x5 sheet at once, I use Unicolor or Beseler print drums and the technique described in:

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/unicolor/

This works great for me. I was just trying to speed the process up and had these Cibachrome drums...

cheers

 

[Craig]

Back to the original question..

I'm curious how you are using a Cibachrome tube at all for film. I received a couple yesterday, and they are absolutely smooth inside.

I've always used an 8x10 ciba drum for developing 4x5 and 8x10 B&W film. For 4x5, I put two sheets in the bottom, emulsion facing inward. The sheets have the 5" side against the end cap of the tube, and I'll put 2 sheets end to end, so the 4" sides are opposed against each other.

I do seperate the sheets a bit, so there is a gap of about 1" between the ends of the sheets. I then process with 75 ml of chemistry for each step, do a few passes of water at the end as a primary wash, then pull the sheets out and tray wash them.

I've never had a problem with any anti halation layers not coming off, or the film moving around.

I've have had problems trying to do 4 - 4x5 sheets at a time, the film will overlap then, but to a surprisingly small degree.

 

[mobtown_4x5]

respectfully:

jesus, just grab 6-8 sheets and do then in a tray- one sheet at a time, fiberglass screens, whatta waste of time.

Matt