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-   -   Flushing the negatives (http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=13351)

TheWellington 12th August 2020 08:13 AM

Flushing the negatives
 
Hi!

I come from Poland and because of the history stumbles we had to invent our own methods of developing photographs etc. I have been browsing my family notes. My father was a professional photographer and I am now doing the same but just for my own use. Anyways, we had our own method of flushing the negatives which involved lots of water and lots of coffee (to drink). For environmental reasons, I modified that method and from now on, you only need 5 litres of water.

The process is as follows:

1. Pour the fixative out and pour the water in. Close it and twist it bottom up vigorously 5 times.

2. Pour out water and pour a fresh one in a second time. Close the cork and turn it the bottom up 10 times.

3) Pour out the water, fill the to the brim with fresh water and do 15 turns. Add 5 turns more after each rinse until you reach 30 turns.

4. Pour out the water, fill with fresh water for the last time and leave it for a minute.

5. Final water change - but this time add a humidifier. One minute of bathing - and move on to drying.

And that's it.

Terry S 14th August 2020 11:46 AM

Hi TW. Welcome! :)

Your method is very similar to the one Ilford Photo recommend, and if I'm correct their way of washing a film uses even less water than you do! :)

Terry S

Mike O'Pray 14th August 2020 12:28 PM

Welcome to Fadu, The Wellington. I have always added a few more "dumps" of water ( pouring it out of the tank) rather like your method but it may not be necessary. The Ilford method is only 5 turns and dump( pour out) then 10 turns and dump and finally 20 turns. In a small tank for 35mm film that is only 750mls of water

Mike

Richard Gould 14th August 2020 01:32 PM

Hi TW and welcome to fadu, your post was interesting and shows that there is nothing new under the sun, I still use a pretty much the same method today, I fill the tank, with water at at least 20 degrees, invert 5 times, empty and refill and invert 10 times, then repeat for 20 inversions which is the Ilford method, but I added another refill and 40 inversions, empty and fill tank with dilute wetting agent,
Richard

Chalklers 14th August 2020 07:04 PM

I do the same as Richard.

Martin Aislabie 14th August 2020 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Terry S (Post 135002)
Hi TW. Welcome! :)

Your method is very similar to the one Ilford Photo recommend, and if I'm correct their way of washing a film uses even less water than you do! :)

Terry S

Does anyone actually use the Ilford method ?

It feels rather light on the water changes.

TheWellingtons method is much closer to the minimum I know some people use.

Personally, I use far more changes of water.

Martin

John King 14th August 2020 10:01 PM

Washing film
 
Most people seem to follow the same basic principals but as I do all my washing film in a JOBO processor I do 6 changes of water used with the same volume of chemicals (160cc) with the motor set on the fastest auto direction change setting followed by a 1 minute soak in water with wetting agent for 1 minute rotated at the slow speed. With colour I do the last minute with stabiliser.

I have never had a problem in nearly 30 years using this method. Before that with manual rinsing I occasionally got B&W negs discolour even though they were fully fixed.

Mike O'Pray 14th August 2020 11:50 PM

Given the relatively low price of water and the quantities were are talking about there would seem to be a logic in the question that the late Roger Hicks used to pose when the question of the Ilford method arose as it often did on forums which is: Why would llford take the gamble of advocating a washing regime in writing if it knew it carried risks and it had any evidence that extra dumps are likely to improve matters? My own additional comment now: "Would this not be the equivalent of Ilford shooting itself in the foot"

I would have thought that the Ilford method has been around long enough by now for the signs of its flaws, if there are any, to be now beginning to show in damage to negatives

I cannot swear on a stack of bibles that I definitely never exceeded the number of dumps in the Ilford method in my early days when whatever was written by the maker was my bible but I strongly suspect that a number of my early home processed films were washed with the 5, 10 and 20 inversions then dump routine.

I can see no deterioration in those negatives as yet but only 15 years maximum have passed and in terms of negatives this may only constitute "early days"

I do wonder if my extra dumps are not the result of believing that a few more dumps cannot hurt placing me in the ultra conservative group of the human race where the brain as a result of nature or nurture does not let me rest easy unless I do something extra to enable my brain to remain untroubled. I belong to the " one extra dump for luck or just in case" category of temperament.:D

Mike

alexmuir 15th August 2020 09:30 AM

I use the Ilford method. It seems to work. I think it’s important to ensure the wash water is close to the process temperature. I use a hose, with inline filter, on a mixer tap to achieve that. I tend to agitate the tank quite vigorously during the wash cycle.
Alex


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Terry S 15th August 2020 11:43 AM

I think I'm in the same group as most of the commentators on this post. I follow the Ilford method, but then leave the water for about a minute after each set of inversions before dumping.

And at the end of Ilford's method, I do an extra 20 inversions with fresh water and then add a drip or two of a wetting agent and then again leave the film in it for a minute.

Whether this extra set of inversions and one extra wash make any added difference when compared to the Ilford method - I doubt it, but like others I have fallen into this routine somehow and feel happy with doing it.

Before doing this for a number of years now, I used to use Paterson's washing hose and their advice of X amount of minutes in flowing water.

What ever the method I have used, none of my negs, as far as I am aware, have ever started to deteriorate, so I'm happy to carry on with my wash routine. :)

Terry S


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