Originally Posted by
Jay DeFehr
I've been developing in bags for a while now, and have never had any problems. I use bags mainly for Low Frequency Agitation with minimal solution volumes. Works great! My solution to light-proofing involves weaving the bag opening around three rods in an S-shape. This keeps light out and makes it easy to pour the developer in/out in room light. I'm not at home, so I can't post a photo, but I'll try to describe the apparatus. It's essentially a frame made from 1/2" pex tubing. Imagine a rectangle with three parallel lines at one end. When in the vertical position, the open end of the bag is up, and weaves around three parallel tubes to form a light trap, while allowing the bag to remain open. the film is placed in the bag with the lights out, and the open end of the bag is bent over to keep light out. With the lights on the open end of the bag is woven through the three tubes, and the frame is stood on end, with the bag hanging down. The developer is poured into the bag, and the frame is laid down. I push the air out of the bag and then seal the open end with with plastic clips around the top tube. I agitate by running my hand over the bag, pushing the developer solution around over the surface of the film. When development is complete, I turn the frame upside down so that the open end is on the bottom, and release the clips so the developer can drain out. Then I repeat the process with the other processing solutions. It's much easier to do it than to describe it. I only develop one sheet at a time because I don't want to risk scratches or any other problems with multiple sheets. I use bags one size lager than the film I'm developing, and I've never had a problem. I suppose eventually one of my bags would get a pinhole in it and ruin a sheet of film, but it hasn't happened yet, and my bag developing days are behind me now that I've developed a much better system that permits daylight development with intermittent agitation and minimal solution volumes. Still, the bag method is perfectly viable provided a little caution is exercised with the bags to avoid pinholes.
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