Film Drying Techniques

[Shaun Palmer]

Evening everyone

What I usually do after the stabilizer, is do one final rinse with water and a wetting agent (5 inversions) and hang up to dry as full strip. I've learn't however that rinsing with an agent after the stabilizer isn't necessary as the stabilizer effectively is one, and stops the film degrading. I don't wipe down the film with my fingers or a squeegee

I did see that someone cuts them into strips of 6 (for 35mm) and strips of 3 for 120 film, and then hang. I would imagine you get less curling this way?

How do you do yours?

 

[Kodiak Qc]

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I leave strips whole and use weights to keep straight.
I use a dryer — the faster it dries, the cleaner it stays!

 

[Shaun Palmer]

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I leave strips whole and use weights to keep straight.
I use a dryer — the faster it dries, the cleaner it stays!

I still find the long edges curl quite a bit sometimes, especially in the middle of the strip. It's not the end of the world but it is annoying lol. Is it a dedicated film dryer or homemade?

 

[Cuchulainn]

I'm not developing as much film as I'd like (it's been an odd 18 months or so), but when I do, I still get out my homemade dryer:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums.../174455-quick-drying-dust-free-negatives.html

 

[Kevin Allan]

I only cut the film into strips after drying, because the space between the frames is a little too narrow to comfortably apply the film clips without intruding on the image. Also, you would need more clips if you cut the film before drying.

The shower technique helps to reduce curling - I dry the films in a shower room and run the shower for the last few minutes of the processing cycle.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

Is it a dedicated film dryer or homemade?

… both, a self made one!

 

[Shaun Palmer]

I'm not developing as much film as I'd like (it's been an odd 18 months or so), but when I do, I still get out my homemade dryer:
https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums.../174455-quick-drying-dust-free-negatives.html

That's brilliant! Going to have to give that a go I think

 

[Shaun Palmer]

I only cut the film into strips after drying, because the space between the frames is a little too narrow to comfortably apply the film clips without intruding on the image. Also, you would need more clips if you cut the film before drying.

The shower technique helps to reduce curling - I dry the films in a shower room and run the shower for the last few minutes of the processing cycle.

That's a very good point

 

[Solo man]

I have a dryer that I hang my film in, it is a heater dryer.... I have the whole roll with a clip on each top corner and each bottom corner for 120... and just one at the top and bottom for 35mm. If it curls you are drying too quick. I cut after they are dry.
When I did dry in the shower I ran the shower before I hung them as it keeps the dust down.