Well today has been interesting. Developed my first rolls of Tech Pan 120 in 1:100 Rodinal (EI64), and obtained some really excellent negatives. Took the squeegee out - and left marks like a 4x4 skidding in mud down the whole roll. After an hour of cursing my luck, sat down with a cloth impregnated with dehyrdrated ethanol, and gently rubbed the roll on both sides for a few minutes. Then I rewashed with water and Washaid for half an hour. Seems to have worked - the squeegee marks have gone. Does anyone have any comments on this unorthodox treatment - have I permanently damaged the film, or is there a better way to get rid of squeegee marks, other than not using it in the first place?

-- fw (finneganswake@altavista.net), December 12, 1999

Answers

FW, Save yourself all the time in the darkroom by throwing your negs on the floor and walking on then and then hanging them up. As you can probably see a squeegee is not high on my list of useful darkroom tools. All you need to do is a final rinse in distilled water with Photo flo at the correct dilution. DON'T make any bubbles foam or froth. Then hang the film as wet as possible in a dustfree area. I used a squeegee and frothy wetting agent for years and had scratch problems for years, now, no scratches and very clean negs.

-- Steve Nicholls (GL1500@CHARIOT.NET.AU), December 13, 1999.

Having had similar experiences with squeegees, I really like this tool, too - but only to dry windows with it. For negatives, I would fully agree with Steve except on one point: Instead of hanging the negatives as wet as possible after the wash in distillled water with a highly diluted surfactant (this is only the second best solution in my eyes), I put the reel with the film in a salad spinner and whirl it around a bit. This removes most of the surface water, causing the film to dry much faster, which in turn reduces the danger of dust getting stuck on the wet and sticky surface. I have had good experience with this procedure over many years now, whereas all kinds of squeegees (or fingers, which are also recommended from time to time) are on the index in my lab.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), December 13, 1999.

I follow a simple rule: never touch wet film (except the edges and leader) with anything. My final bath is distilled water and half strength photo-flo (two drops per 5 oz) then I hang them up.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), December 13, 1999.

The only thing I have to add is that I prefer Edwal LFN low-foam wetting agent to Photo-flo.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), December 13, 1999.

Here's the opposing point of view.

I use a Jobo rubber squeegee on 35mm & 120 roll films after Photo-flo. (Don't ask why I use the photo-flo. I just do. And it works, so I don't try to figure it out.)I use a hardening fixer. I've never scratched a negative using this approach.

I started using this approach when I gouged some negatives (ages ago) and I wasn't using anything except PhotoFlo on the film. I talked to my camera store (Porter's in Cedar Falls, Iowa) long before they were heavy into mail order, and they suggested this approach. Turns out I was using a rapid fixer without hardener. Porter's recommended the approach and it worked. They also recommended Tri-X with HC110 long before it was a popular combo.

-- Charlie (charlie_strack@sti.com), January 21, 2000.