So I've bitten the bullet and took the leap into developing my own black and white; I'm armed with 25 (24 actually, I used one to practice loading holders in the light) sheets of Fortepan 200, and I've been searching through the archives for info on btzs tubes. I like the idea of ease of use, and I'm limited on space (it'll be a bathroom darkroom), so I thought the tubes would take up less than tray developement.
My questions, and I have many, would be these;
I've read that to get the film out of the tube, you can insert your thumb and twist the film slightly to break the bond between film and inside of tube. But I thought that the emulsion side would be the side facing inwards; wouldn't planting your thumb square on the emulsion and 'twisting' harm the image? Or is the film only removed after it has been fixed?
To start, I'll be doing one sheet at a time (4x5), until I get the hang of things. I'm curious about the procedure, though. I understand about getting the film in the tube and sealing it, then filling the extra cap with the developer, but when it's time to open and pour the developer, what happens then? I put the tube into the stop bath, then seal it again, right? And then I move it back to the water so I can 'roll' it? Then, pour the stop bath, fill with fixer, and move back to the water to agitate? At what point can I turn on the lights?
I wish I could hang out in one of your darkrooms for a day or two, to see how it's done. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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