PDA

View Full Version : Developing Film in a Bag



mdm
4-Nov-2010, 20:06
I dont have enough darkness to develop film in trays during the summer. I was using the taco method for 4x5 but that does not work for 5x7 film. I tried tubes but was frequently fogging film so I tried black Ilford bags. All I had to do was make a light trap, so this is my solution.

Get a 1" black alkathene pipe a little longer than the width of a bag. Cut a holes about 1" long on opposite ends and opposite sides. Cut the pipe in half from one end almost to the end of the pipe, through the middle of the holes. As in the picture. This is placed over the bag near the open end and the split end is secured with an elastic band. Developer poured into the top of the bag funnels through the top hole, along the inside of the pipe but within the bag and onto the film through the bottom hole. This was not consistently light tight, so I cut a 1/2" alkathene pipe that would fit inside the bag, which is covered by the outside tube. This inner baffle seems to make the trap consistently light tight.

I use a 1/2" pipe, split down one wall only to seal the bag. Just fold the end and slide it over.

I put 2 sheets in a bag, emulsion outwards, seperated by a sheet of acid free blotting paper, but the cards that are used to protect film in the box work fine instead. Float 2 bags in a 11x14 tray.

5 minute presoak. About 300ml of Pyrocat M at 1:1:100 per bag for 5x7. I agitate briefly and flip bags every 9 minutes, 4 times, for 36 minutes in total. This gives dense negs and 1:1:150 may work better for most. I remove the outer light trap during development as I feel its weight causes the bag to float unevenly, causing uneven development at the top side of the negative. At the end of development replace the light trap and pour developer out. I use a weak citric acid stop bath without resealing the bags, then pour in the fixer. Seal bags and remove the trap during fix time. I wash negatives in the sink using a dish rack, a method stolen from Ken Lee.

Seems to produce wonderful clean negatives, now that I have worked through the glitches.

I would love to know others experiences developing in bags, light tight or not.

David

jim kitchen
4-Nov-2010, 20:44
Dear mdm,

That's absolutely ingenious... :)

Great information and nicely done. I must remember that.

jim k

Jay DeFehr
5-Nov-2010, 00:49
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.

mdm
5-Nov-2010, 00:53
Thanks. It works for me.

btw when I saw your socks portrait, the first thing I thought was 'cool socks', they give it a feeling of truth because they were not worn to impress, but for herself. But the last one is loveliest. I hope one day to make beautiful portraits too.

Thanks Jay. Good idea, what is this mysterious new method?

bobwysiwyg
5-Nov-2010, 03:40
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.

I'd really like to see pics when/if you get a chance. I'd like to know more about your subsequent method as well if you wouldn't mind sharing.

Jay DeFehr
5-Nov-2010, 07:53
I'll post some pics of my bag setup when I get home, after Thanksgiving. My new system is still under development, and not yet ready for a public unveiling. I have unorthodox working methods, and it takes me a while to work through an idea. You gentlemen will be the first to know when I have a finished product. My prototypes are not very sexy.