Is it OK to quickly dip my 4x5 negatives into alcohol to expedite drying?

[LF_rookie_to_be]

Drying with Organic Solutions

The use of methyl, ethyl, or denatured alcohol has been suggested many times for rapid drying of film, plates, or papers. Strong alcohol solutions may produce opalescence or milkiness in the emulsion layer, but pure methyl alcohol did not produce milkiness. According to J.I. Crabtree, the degree of opalescence increased as drying was more rapid or the drying temperature was higher. The addition of 1 % salicylic acid to denatured alcohol was found to be effective in preventing the opalescence. Strong alcohol solutions may damage some film bases by causing them to swell, and plasticizers may be extracted. Upon drying, the base may be very brittle and may cockle or curl badly.

The following recommendations were made by Stevens for the rapid drying of film, plates, or prints with alcohol:

1. The drying of plates may be speeded by bathing (after washing) for 2 to 5 min in a bath containing not more than 70 % ethyl alcohol by volume.
2. A 2-min treatment in 70 % ethyl alcohol may be used with films, but some film base materials may be harmed. Undiluted ethyl alcohol may be used with either films or plates if drying temperatures do not exceed 70°F.
3. Prints on very thin base paper may be dried rapidly by immersing for 1 to 2 min in denatured alcohol, blotting off the surface liquid, and drying in the normal way.
4. Prints on single-weight or heavier paper bases have been dried by soaking for 20 min in undiluted denatured alcohol, then pinning the print to a stick and setting fire to the alcohol running off the print at the bottom. The stick must be waved to prevent the edges of the print from becoming charred. Soaking a single-weight print for 2 to 3 min will produce almost complete drying after the alcohol has burned off, but double-weight prints cannot be dried completely. Prints on very lightweight papers have a tendency to char or burn.

Alcohol evaporates more easily than water and requires less heat. It can pass into either dry or wet gelatin until the proportions of the alcohol in the solution inside and outside are essentially equal. Water in a swollen emulsion layer is partly replaced by a proportion of alcohol nearly equal to that in the solution, reducing the swelling of the gelatin layer and aiding in more rapid drying.
A solvent mixture of 25 % diacetone alcohol in petroleum ether has been suggested for displacing water from washed photographic materials. After a 1-min treatment with gentle agitation, the film may be removed and wiped with a soft cloth, being essentially dry. Diacetone alcohol combines with water at the surface of the emulsion layer, forming droplets of diacetone alcohol-water mixture that is insoluble in petroleum ether. When dislodged by the agitation, the droplets fall to the bottom of the container to form a heavier layer. The lower layer may be removed and the diacetone alcohol regenerated.

[photobymike]

I fully understand, some of us have little time.

My mantra now is, 'Some much to do, so little time.'

I am working my ass off trying to learn LF, make a dream darkroom and make one good image before I croak.

Beat the Reaper.

noble endeavors which i share ... 13 years old plus 48 here since the first roll..... what is it that hooked us on seeing the magic in the darkroom..

[tgtaylor]

Get your processed film out of the bathroom and into the closet!

After the photo-flo treatment, I hang my 120, 4x5 and 8x10 negatives to dry in a women's wardrobe in the closet with the princer clips with one weighted for the 120 and these http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ilm_Clips.html for the sheets. The women's wardrobe I bought at Walmart for $6 and will hold 10 4x5 negatives or 5 or 6 rolls of 120. They are fully enclosed with a zippered front protecting from dust. Once in the wardrobe, film takes about 4 hours to dry. If I want to speed up drying or for handling overflow from the wardrobe, I bought an Arkay CD-10 film dryer off a local craigslist posting for $75 or $90. The Arkay will handle up to 11x14 sheet film and sits in the kitchen right next to the wine cooler which it is slightly taller than and the flat top serves as a storage area.

If you use the Delta clips linked to above, clip the 4x5's on one corner very close to the edge and the sheet will hang correctly to dry and will leave no mark on the negative. Because of the weight of the 8x10 negative its necessary to clip it a little further in on the corner and I choose the appropriate corner for that.

Thomas

[Jim Noel]

Your next concern is going to be over-developed edges on the film.
NEVER PUT A HANGAR IN PHOTO-FLO!! Over time it will build up and become a catalyst causing over development.

[chuck94022]

One perhaps expensive alcohol choice might be kami fluid, which is used for scanning. It doesn't harm the negative, and evaporates completely in seconds. Downside is the expense plus the fact that it is extremely flammable. A small spark of static can set it off.

An alternative to expensive Kami fluid is cheap lighter fluid, perhaps with a bit of mineral spirits mixed in. Sandy King has posted a recipe for homemade Kami fluid, either here or on Apug.

I've used Kami for scanning and it is incredible stuff. I never considered it to speed drying. I've also used straight lighter fluid and it is almost as good, but can leave a slight residue.

[Sevo]

One perhaps expensive alcohol choice might be kami fluid, which is used for scanning. It doesn't harm the negative, and evaporates completely in seconds. Downside is the expense plus the fact that it is extremely flammable.

A even worse downside would be that it is not alcohol, but purified naphta - essentially a kind of very clean petrol. As a non-polar solvent it will not dissolve and replace the water in the gelatin. In the worst case it might even bond better to the film base than wet gelatin, and increase the risk of emulsion stripping.

[AtlantaTerry]

Your next concern is going to be over-developed edges on the film.
NEVER PUT A HANGAR IN PHOTO-FLO!! Over time it will build up and become a catalyst causing over development.

I agree if one were using plastic film processing holders, but not stainless steel. Besides, after the film dries I rinse my stainless steel racks in hot water then air dry.

[Jim Noel]

I agree if one were using plastic film processing holders, but not stainless steel. Besides, after the film dries I rinse my stainless steel racks in hot water then air dry.

I know from experience teaching at the college that it also happens with stainless steel hangars, it may just take a little longer. Rinsing the hangars in hot water does usually prevent the problem, but many people don't do this regularly.

[Bob Salomon]

" Before I got to the newspaper the guys used to dry film in a metal tube fitted with a heated blower at the top. It would blast six or eight 35mm reels of film dry in a minute or so."

That was the Senrac dryer. Used them for years in my studio and then later at home for 35 mm and roll film. I think I first saw it at Emory at there photo service darkroom.

[Tom Monego]

Alcohol works, but it is the denaturants used in the alcohol may cause problems. We were told as a photo major in college to only use 100 percent pure ethyl alcohol. Difficult to get, some used White Lightning they bought in a liqueur store. This would maintain the archival processing. This was even difficult to get even from chemical supply distributors. So other than experimenting in college I have never used it. I do remember having more problems with drying spots, soak too long and the gelatin in the emulsion will dissolve or reticulate.

Tom