processing drum question

[John Kasaian]

I've never had problems with my unicolor processor before, but I've been working on developing a big stack of film and I've been getting marks on some sheets that seem to jive with the ribs on the inside of the tanks---one or two very narrow clear "spikes" about 1"-1-1/2" long coming from the edge of the sheet---like the emulsion is gone! I'll try to post an example later on. The only thing I
ve done differently is that the inside of the drums weren't completely dry since I didn't want to spend time letting the dry air-dry in between developing, but the tanks were rinsed with clean water in between batches. I can't imagine plain water lifting the emulsion though.
Any idea what happened? I've got 4 such marked negatives so far and I don't want to loose any more.

[Jim Noel]

Are you putting the emulsion toward the outside of the drum? I hope not, but that is the only way that the ribs could effect the emulsion in this manner. What you may be seeing is the result of the film sticking to the wet ribs thus not allowing solutions, including water, to reach the base and removing the anti-halation layer. A solution to loading a damp tank is to fill it with water and load it completely wet.

[John Kasaian]

Are you putting the emulsion toward the outside of the drum? I hope not, but that is the only way that the ribs could effect the emulsion in this manner. What you may be seeing is the result of the film sticking to the wet ribs thus not allowing solutions, including water, to reach the base and removing the anti-halation layer. A solution to loading a damp tank is to fill it with water and load it completely wet.
Thanks Jim! I know I load with the emulsion facing the inside of the drum--as soon as I remove it from the holder it goes into the drum so in order to get it turned around I would have to have loaded it in the film holder emulsion side down as well. I'll try filling the drum with water before loading tonight's batch and see what happens.

[Leonard Evens]

I've been processing b/w films using a Beseler drum on a roller base. I can fit four 4 x 5 sheets in the drum. I put the film in so the emulsion side faces inward. I also found that I sometimes got light leaks through the filling spout if I was not careful, so I rigged up a cover which fits over the end of the spout and that has taken care of that problem. Otherwise, I seldom have any problems if I am careful, but if I get careless, the film sheets sometimes can slip over one another and one sheet may not get developed throughout.

[C_Remington]

What size film and what size drum are you using? How many sheets at a time are you processing?

[John Kasaian]

One sheet of 8x10 film in an 8x10 print drum----same as I've used for years. This is a new development (see what I did there?) I've got the first sheet of the night rocking and rolling in fixer right now so I should see the resuts in a few more minutes. Then I'll put the next sheet in a full drum and see whats shakin'

[John Kasaian]

OK no marks on sheet number two (under exposed though:o) Sheet number two---no marks!:D

[John Kasaian]

Two more negs botched from uneven developement:mad: I'm seriously thinking of going back to trays or maybe a used Jobo.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I've never had damage in the Unicolor roller and drum.

What manufacturer made the film? Once I got some Efke sheet film that was defective from the factory. Mushy, uneven development. Could be your case, too.

[sully75]

I never could get consistent, flaw free results from print drums (I used Bessler, Unicolor and Chromega). I finally bought a jobo. I still do 2 5x7s in an 8x10 drum but even that is kind of dicey.

On the other hand, you sound like you've done well for a while...

[John Kasaian]

I never could get consistent, flaw free results from print drums (I used Bessler, Unicolor and Chromega). I finally bought a jobo. I still do 2 5x7s in an 8x10 drum but even that is kind of dicey.

On the other hand, you sound like you've done well for a while...
Yeah, that whats got me stumped---5 negatives with uneven development. thats very unusual for me with the Unicolor.

[John Kasaian]

I've never had damage in the Unicolor roller and drum.

What manufacturer made the film? Once I got some Efke sheet film that was defective from the factory. Mushy, uneven development. Could be your case, too.
I'm sure it's not the film (HP-5+, btw,) nor the film holders. These are chemical, or lack of chemical marks. As an experiment I loaded the 8x10 drum with the center of the sheet covering the "V" rib and the ends in the "/" rib and what do you thnk? A gnarly clear mark straight across the center of the negative (and wouldn't you know, it would have been one of the best of the lot if not for that mark!) Then there is another negative with multiple dark stripes running the width of the negative in the same locations where the ribs would be! i used the same mount of chemistry I've always used---200ml of one shot D-76---the negs that weren't eaffected turned out remarkably well judging from the light box.
Its like stepping across the hurricane deck of a horse that decides for himself where and when, if at all, he going to explode!
One thingI didn't do this time around was give the film a 30 second ride in water to wash off the anti-halation coating. Could that make that much of a difference?

[Roger Thoms]

Just out of curiosity, have you ever tried BTSZ tubes? I just started doing 8x10 in one of the original pvc model with the threaded cap and it works well. Of course I want to developer more than 1 sheet at a time so I found the welding rod storage tubes for about 15 bucks each. http://www.fastenal.com/web/products/detail.ex?sku=0815303 Been sick so I have't tried them, but the should work fine. Rotating the tubes in a water bath keep the agitation nice and random.

Roger