I'd like to process my own 8 x 10 film (mainly TMY), partly for convenience and partly because commercial processing is expensive. I'll use either BTZS tubes or a JOBO 3005 drum, the latter only if it can be used by hand. But my main concern is drying the film without it being covered with dust. Electrostatic film drying cabinets are too pricy for my small-scale needs. Are there any other solutions?

-- Stewart Ethier (ethier@math.utah.edu), June 22, 1998

Answers

First off, I have a dedicated darkroom; one that I only use as a darkroom. If you don't have that luxury, then you need a place that can be "sealed off" from as much air borne debris as possible. Then all you need is a taut line and some clothes pins. If you can dedicate a spot to dry film, just run the line throught the center of the spring and attach it at either end to the wall. WARNIG! WARNING! WARNING! Donot hang the negatives to close together. As they dry they curl, and the negatives can touch , drying the emulsion of one negative to the back of the other, creating one negative out of two, and ruining both. I hang my negatives by the notch corner, and I have found no need to use a wetting ajent with any film larger than 35mm. In my case it tends to make the negatives dirtier, and I personally, have never had a water spot on a 4X5 or 8X10 negative, when I hang them in this manner. Once you hang the last negative to dry, get out of the room and don't come back until they are dry. The biggest cause of dust is movement, and the less movement the less dust.

-- Marv Thompson (mthompson@clinton.net), June 22, 1998.

One relatively easy way is to make sure the vents in the bathroom are closed off and then run the shower on hot for a minute or so to steam up the room some. This takes all the dust out of the air. Then photo flo and hang the negs from the shower curtain rod using hook style clothes pins. Works well and keeps things clean. Come back in an hour or so to clean negs.

-- Dan Smith (shooter@brigham.net), June 23, 1998.