Wetting agent/water marks

ped

ped

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OK.

Time for a definitive answer.

I used to use a film squeegee which worked fine until it scratched my negs and I discarded it.

Enter the wetting agent. I used Ilfotol which has a concentration of 1/200.
Twice now I have developed my film and rinsed for 10 mins. Finally I empty the tank and pour in 400ml of water and add 2ml of wetting agent and leave for a min to settle before plunging the spiral loaded with film into the mix, gently. Then I rotate it gently for a couple of mins before removing and taking the film out before hanging to dry in an under stairs cupboard.

Each time the negs have looked like I have blown my nose along them. The wetting agent seems to leave marks all over the negatives. It wipes off with a cloth but then I'm risking scratching the negs.

I've been over this before with thebigyin and I just can't fathom what's going on. This should be the easy bit.

Its annoying me and I'm starting to wonder why I bother. I'm having a bad day.

Please - any tips? I have three types of water available on tap (hard, softened and filtered) and have tried all but the sort, perhaps a test roll and make the wetting agent with the softened water? I don't know. I feel like I'm getting worse at it :(

ped
 
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Cant say if its the wetting agent, I use the fotospeed version and do the same as you only I run the excess off between my fingers, don't seem to have a problem doing it this way.

Mart
 
As a final check, get a 5L container of distilled water from Halfords and use that with the wetting agent to make up your final rinse. If you've got "office workers hands" as opposed to "Brickie's mits" you could use the "finger squeegee" technique to remove excess water as mentioned above - personally, i've so many callouses on my hands from mountain biking without gloves, I'd rip the film to bits - but with normal skin, it's certainly safer than using a squeegee.
 
I don't know if it's the water in my area or im just lucky but I never get drying marks on my negs, and as result never had to use a wetting agent. All I do one I've taken the film from the tank is give it a good shake to get most the water off, then hang to dry for two hours. After that they are ready for scanning.
 
Just souped a roll and used fingers to get rid of excess water. I used wetting agent made up of softened water. Still got marks.

Not going to use it any more, that's for certain. Didn't really have a problem before so it's staying on the shelf next time.

I'm going to get some distilled water next and try that.
 
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Run your fingers down the film (after you have dipped them in wetting agent)and use Halfords distilled water to mix. Also make sure you don't make the mixture too strong, error on the under strength just to make sure.

Should sort out the problem.
 
Cheers ed I tried using the fingers on the last bunch and made wetting agent solution 1/200 with softened water from bathroom tap and still had marks, though less then before. I'll use distilled water next and pray it's OK otherwise I'm going to start smashing stuff up hehe
 
Thanks Liam that looks great. I did something like this by spinning the reel on it's black centre pole in my hands and it removed a lot of water. I like the Ikea film hanger thing, too. Good thinking ;)
 
TheBigYin said:
As a final check, get a 5L container of distilled water from Halfords and use that with the wetting agent to make up your final rinse.
Click to expand...

This is the key. 2 min soak in wetting agent (I've always used a drop of washing up liquid) in distilled water. I had a terrible problem with drying marks until I started using distilled water. Negs have been sparklingly clean ever since :)
 
failing that, it's moving house to somewhere with nice naturally soft water ;)
 
I doubt it'd do much either way, to be honest - watermarks are pretty much down to the last thing that comes into contact with the film. That's why I never have problems with E6 or C41 - the "Stab" solution made up in distilled water pretty much "softly and suddenly vanishes away" - only time I use the wetting agent (Ilfotol) is with B&W, as much for it's anti-static properties as it's wetting agent function.
 
OK. I ran my fingers down and it dried well except a run down the middle where the water wasn't removed and it left marks.

Frustrated, I pioneered a new tecnique that works a treat.

Made up some fluid with wetting agent and de-ionised water

Put measuring jug on floor

Hold negs above, weight on end, in jug

Pour liquid down the strip of negs, front and back

Hang to dry.

Absolutely excellent, no 'beading' and no marks anywhere. Produced the cleanest negs I have ever seen!!

Cheers
ped
 
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