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  #11  
Old 6th June 2012, 04:43 AM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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With MF I never use anything, just a final soak for a minute or so, then just give the reel a god shake and hang up to dry, with 35mm I always find it never dry's cleanly leaving it to drip dry so I use a sheet of kitchen roll, folded into a pad, and with the film hanging I wipe the back (shiny side) of the film once, turn the pad over and wipe a second time, and leave to dry, Nothing ever touches the emulsion side of 35mm or any film.
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  #12  
Old 6th June 2012, 05:06 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by big paul View Post
when I use squeegees I always soak them in the wetting agent with my film and always run my finger down the blades to test for anything stuck on them, and after use I rinse them .
I have never had any problems with them this is the only way that I can avoid drying marks .
other people have other opinions on them, but what ever suits you is the way to go .
I did exactly as you mentioned with Ilfotol but my fingers obviously didn't detect anything wrong with the squeegee. I also wondered if Rollei Retro 100 emulsion is a little more delicate than the major brands emulsion?
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  #13  
Old 6th June 2012, 06:54 AM
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Trevor Crone Trevor Crone is offline
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FWIW I no longer use a film squeegee. I now use Rollei's wetting agent, either the super concentrate (1:1000) or their regular concentrate (10:1000). I allow the film to drain then just hang to dry, thankfully not a drying mark in sight.
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  #14  
Old 6th June 2012, 08:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Crone View Post
FWIW I no longer use a film squeegee. I now use Rollei's wetting agent, either the super concentrate (1:1000) or their regular concentrate (10:1000). I allow the film to drain then just hang to dry, thankfully not a drying mark in sight.
Same as Trevor, but with Kodak Photo-Flo. 1 drop to 1200ml of water. I unravel the film from the reel with the emulsion facing away from me and gently lift it to where I hang it in my darkroom (which has an ioniser working) - no water marks, and no dust.
You have to be careful at every stage though . . softly softly catchee monkey!
Squeegees make me squeamish!
Mike's fingers tip would work too - I use that for removing any dust before enlarging - works a treat.
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  #15  
Old 6th June 2012, 08:45 AM
Dave miller Dave miller is offline
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The squeegee was invented by someone looking for something to sell, there can be no other explanation for their existence.
A final rinse in deionised or filtered water with a drop of photoflow and hang the film up in a dust free place. No sqeegee's, no fingers, no tissues, no nothing; just hang it up and leave it to dry. Why try and make a simple process difficult.
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  #16  
Old 6th June 2012, 09:00 AM
MartinWaller MartinWaller is offline
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There was a great post about this on another thread - something about a course tutor snapping a pair of squeegees in front of the class and saying if he caught anyone using their fingers he'd break those as well.

I just use photoflo and drip dry with my (sadly dwindling stock) of Rollei Retro 100 and have no drying mark issues.

Martin
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  #17  
Old 6th June 2012, 11:59 AM
AlanJones AlanJones is offline
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I am really amazed that no one is mentioning their water supply. It has to be a question of do you live in a hard or soft water area? I will explain.

Just over ten years ago, I was living in Ely where there was reasonably soft fenland water. I found that I did not need to use a wetting agent as when my films were dry there was no drying marks or salt deposits on them.

Now I am living in central Cambridge where the water is very hard. Our water supply comes from bore holes through the chalk at Saffron Walden, the edge of the North Downs. I started developing again a few months ago and noted the salt deposits on a 120 film, but not 35mm. I had to well soak the film and use a fresh solution of wetting agent made up with de-ionised water. Problems gone away.

Have you not heard women complaining about the need to use more detergent in hard water, the need for Calgon tablets, washing machines not lasting as long or noticed tea tasting different. If not, you need to get out more!
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  #18  
Old 6th June 2012, 04:34 PM
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Very true. When I lived in Hemel Hempstead the water was very hard and I used de-ionised water plus Photoflo for the final rinse. Up here in Hawes, tap water plus Photoflo is fine.

Another tip I've heard for roll film (though I don't use it myself) is to hang the film up horizontally so any remaining water runs down to the margin rather than onto the next negative.
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  #19  
Old 6th June 2012, 04:41 PM
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No squeegees at all!
As Dave said.
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Last edited by mono; 6th June 2012 at 04:45 PM.
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  #20  
Old 6th June 2012, 08:42 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinWaller View Post
There was a great post about this on another thread - something about a course tutor snapping a pair of squeegees in front of the class and saying if he caught anyone using their fingers he'd break those as well.

Martin
Who was the tutor, Ronnie or Reggie? The above tale might help explain the rush to the other kind of photography


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