I've been processing at home in a tank and no matter what I do there is always dust on my negatives. Please help

-- John L'Heureux (Laruemstr@aol.com), August 18, 2000

Answers

The most important thing is probably going to be having good control over the final wash and drying of the film, when the emulsion is sticky and will pick up any impurities. Since I started processing at home, and not in a communal drying cabinet, my negatives are much cleaner. So, here is what I suggest.

The final wash is best done in distilled or carefully filtered water. I add Edwal LFN to this rinse, many use Kodak PhotoFlo.

This next step is optional, but can speed up drying time a lot. I got a lettuce-spinner, "salad-centrifuge" kitchen accessory, and spin two reels, placed opposite from each other for balance, at a time. Time: approx. 1 minute. This removes most of the surface water without having to touch the film at all with sponges,etc.

At the start of the developing process, I run hot water in the bathroom shower for a couple of minutes to temprorarily humidify the air and cause dust particles to settle out. I hang the film up to dry in the shower stall, and close the door for a couple of hours. At this point, check the film. It will usually be ready to put in storage sleeves.

Since I started doing this, the amount of spotting that I have to do has reduced almost to nothing.

-- Paul Harris (pharris@neosoft.com), August 18, 2000.

I hang the film in the china cabinet, the only enclosed space long enough for the full length of the film to hang in. Even in a closed shower stall my dog's hair was floating onto the emulsion.

-- Don Karon (dkaron@socal.rr.com), August 18, 2000.

I made a temporary and portable drying cabinet out of translucent shower curtains, nylon string, wooden clothes pins, and 1/2 PVC pipes from the local hardware emporium. Kind of a big tinkertoy thing. Worked well enough, and I have 18 cats and shoot 8 X 10.

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), August 18, 2000.

I put together a "drying cabinet" similiar but it was a "garment bag" that you get from walmart or some other store like that. The bag is the type that has a zipper full length, clear front and a frame inside. With a little bit of string for the top and hangers, I poked several holes in the bottom and mounted a hair dryer in the top. It worked absolutely great for years. I just hung it in the bathroom and the full length of 35mm hung great. When you turn the hair dryer on, the bag balloons out and the film is blown straight down.

-- Scott Walton (scotlynn@shore.net), August 21, 2000.

John, I too get dust but there are prepared chemicals which will aid you in drying your films more quickly. Haven't used them in many years but they used to work wonders. Then, too, there is the method I read of in the mid-1980's. Buy some balloons, (such as the type used at children's parties), blow them up and rub them with a rayon, nylon or wool cloth and they will attract most of the dust from the air. I used to do this in my darkroom when printing, so think it will work when you develope also. Of course, you should do this an hour or more before beginning to develope. Hope this helps.

-- H. David Huffman (craptalk@lvcm.com), September 20, 2000.