residue on Negatives

[herb]

Although our local water is not too bad, I have always use a 1 micron filter, made by GE that supplies the darkroom, and another in the kitchen for drinking water.
I have a friend who is an environmental engineer, and he said the most dangerous health issue in the local environment was city water, in his opinion.

The 1 micron filter takes out chlorine and all manner of stuff, so I never have to mess with distilled or de ionized. The housings are plastic, cost about $60, and the cartridges, which last six months or more, are about $30.

When I change cartridges, you would not believe what is trapped, so I am happy with the solution.

[seawolf66]

Put the negative back in a water bath , and change the water a couple of times should solve your problem:

[Jordan.K]

So I tried rewashing the negatives today using the regular film washer for 20min. and then into some distilled water with photoflo and alcohol..... no change. The negs that had the mineral deposits still have the mineral deposits. Will these mineral deposits eat away at the emulsion over time????? This is driving me nuts. Thanks.

Jordan

[Kilgallb]

We have real hard water in Calgary. I found the only way to avoid deposits is to use double strength hypo clear. After washing rinse the negative in distilled water and a weak solution of photo-flo. Emphasis on weak.

The weird thing is I found Ilford film (Delta 100 4x5) was way more problematic than Kodak TMX 100.

[Trevor Crone]

So I tried rewashing the negatives today using the regular film washer for 20min. and then into some distilled water with photoflo and alcohol..... no change. The negs that had the mineral deposits still have the mineral deposits. Will these mineral deposits eat away at the emulsion over time????? This is driving me nuts. Thanks.

Jordan

The deposits should not harm your negatives. The safest way to remove them as I said in my previous post is to resoak them in distilled water then soak them in an acid stop bath for a minute or so. Rewash as normal then a final rinse in distilled or deionised water before hanging them to dry in a dust free environment.

Regards,
Trevor.

[Jordan.K]

Could it be the gloves I use sometimes leave this residue????? They are white non-latex gloves........ The stuff that is on the negs already simply won't come off. It is a white practically transparent residue. Sometimes it happens other times it doesn't. I can't think of any variables between the times it does and the times it doesn't. Still perplexed and annoyed.

[mikeb380]

I have had issues in the past with both water marks and dust/debris, or some residue, on my dried film. I process both rollfilm and sheet film. I don't have a bona fide film drying cabinet, however, and my darkroom is located in a corner of my otherwise dusty/much used garage.

What I've found that consistently works for me is I transfer the rinsed film in a closed container (plastic 'tupperware'-type with lid, for sheet film, or the developing tank for rollfilm) from the darkroom to my small bathroom. The bathroom is prepped before hand by removing all towels and throw rugs (it has ceramic tile on floors and halfway up the walls), and then I run the hot water in the shower for several minutes. I set up a metal curtain rod in the shower, dedicated for this purpose, along with metal bulldog clips, with metal hangar wires, that are also dedicated for this purpose.

Once in the enclosed bathroom, I mix DI water, 91% IPA (isopropyl alcohol, not India Pale Ale; that's for later) and one or two drops of Photoflow. I mix it gentle but well (to avoid sudsing), then each sheet of film is repeatedly dunked and allowed to drain off, several times, before hanging in the shower. For rollfilm I repeatedly dunk the film reel (gently to prevents sudsing of the Photoflo), and gently pull the film off the reel, squeegy with two fingers of my prewetted hand, and hang got dry with a counterweight on the bottom of the roll to permit it to drain properly. Then close the shower door to minimize intrusion of air. For sheet film I also place the tupperware dish of IPA/DI on the floor of the shower stall, below the film, with the idea that the IPA vapors from the liquid will contribute to the drying effect by scavenging additional moisture from the surface of the film. If I had a dedicated film drying cabinet I would do this there.

I keep this bathroom closed up for several hours, with the bright lights on to add a bit of heat without stirring up the air.

Joe, a substitute for a drying cabinet would be one of those transparent plastic containers women use to store their dresses. They are large enough to have two lines across to hang film and it would be much easier to keep clean. Lots less than a drying cabinet also. After use you could zip up and fold to store it. Probably get a couple of them for less than $20 US.

Michael :-)

[dim]

Jordan i had the same problem.

I've ask a pro-photographer and told me to fill a tray with distilled water add some photo-flo, soak the film strip for a minute and then gently remove the stains with my fingertips, wear no gloves. Then hang them to dry in a dust free area. Remember to wash your hands quickly to avoid any harm on your fingertips from the chems.

It worked for me,
Dimitris.

[Woolliscroft]

I find I don't have to get distilled water to avoid these sorts of deposits. Just get a normal domestic water filter, like a Brita, which will remove lime etc and run the final rinse water through it twice.

David.