my first home processed 4x5 sheets- definitely an issue- would love feedback

[Kleiny41]

Greetings!

I shot and processed my first few sheets of 4x5 this weekend and there was an odd similarly shaped mark on all the sheets. I was wondering if
any of you would be able to identify this is a classic error of some kind?

I was shooting on a Crown Graphic, with the Kodak 127mm lens. I was using older IR film ( brand not identified) that expired in 2014 but was kept refrigerated and sealed with moisture absorbing packets. I pre-soaked the film in filtered water for 5 minutes. Stand developed in HC-110 for an hour with a few gentle agitations at the beginning and at 30 minutes. Fixed with Ilford rapid fixer. When I first took the sheets out of the daylight processing tank (an old FR brand tank) it looked like the turquoise cover layer hadn't washed off in the those large spots. I also noticed when I dumped the pre-soak water, it didn't have a color. When I dump the pre-soak water when I home process Rollei Infrared film, the water is a dark blue.

Many thanks!
Amanda

I'm open to any insights! I fully admit that I'm doing this all based on reading and watching tutorials.

[Ron789]

Could it be that the sheets were stuck to each other in the processing tank? It's important that there is space between the film sheets; if not, the water and chemicals don't reach the film surface.
If the films were stuck to each other that would typically cause such marks and it would also explain why the pre-soak water was clear.

[Alan9940]

I'm not familiar with the tank you're using, but this looks to me like the chemicals didn't fully reach the entire film area. How are the sheets loaded into the tank? Could they possibly stick together?

[Kleiny41]

That makes sense. The sheets were stuck together- which surprised me but I did have a rough time loading the tank.

[Kleiny41]

[Alan9940]

Wow, that thing is scary! IMO, you should review your choices of modern LF development systems; several tank options are available, as is BTZS tubes or Jobo tanks on a roller base, if you think you may prefer rotary development.

Good luck!

[Jac@stafford.net]

I think the tank is misconfigured. Are those blocks of wood inside? Remove them. Then move the two plastic pieces with V grooves facing each other so that a film can fit between each side of the film.

Something like this. I do not know what that part in the middle is.



Got a name for that outfit?
.

[Wayne Aho]

The FR tanks have a separate light trap that fits on top of the film holder, and under the lid, it appears to be missing in the photo (which might explain the wooden blocks).

[Kleiny41]

Yeah, my tank doesn't have those wooden things. I just got a photo from the web to illustrate the main idea of those slots for each sheet.

[Leigh]

Hi Amanda,

I use that same FR tank.

Your inserts are installed wrong. The fins of both should face inward.

I don't know what the brown things are.

Film is inserted one slot at a time. I suggest leaving an empty slot between any two film sheets.

There's a guide that fits laterally across the finned inserts, indexed by those bumps on each side.
The guide is moved one (or two) bumps after each film is inserted. It has a slot for the film to pass.

Here's a Youtube video on loading the tank:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo2gjeH9S2U

=====

Your 2014 film is probably still OK.

The blue in the pre-soak water is the anti-halation dye dissolving off the back of the film.
That's perfectly normal.
It would discolor the developer similarly if you did not use a pre-soak.

- Leigh