Use of X-ray film: technical discussion with example images

[salvatore]

I use a rotary cutter. I have put tape "fences" on the cutter board to size the film in each dimension, so it's very fast. I don't notch, but if I did I'd use a circular hole punch, since I already have one for marking the 35mm frames I want to print. If you don't have a good safelight for this, let me tell you, cutting under a safelight, loading holders, and developing is a LOT easier under a safelight than it is doing those things in the dark!!!

I use a guillotine cutter, and I am always afraid of hurting me when operating in the dark, and even under deep red light, since I must press the film quite near the cutting area..
I am considering the purchase of a rotary cutter, but I do not know if all cutters cut cleanly the Xray film, which seem to me quite strong.
Even my guillotine cuts only fairly; I must press the blade against the cutting edge to cut and not bend the film.
Does rotary cutter behave cleanly?

[koraks]

When you use a flat bottomed tray for double sided film do you oscillate the tray during development? And if not, how does it develope in the side in contact with the glass?

I flip the sheet over every 10 agitations. But I use continuous agitation, I have to add. Flipping less frequently resulted in overdevelopment at the edges and intermittent agitation also caused uneven development with me, so I have now arrived at this approach. Dunk the sheet in, do 10 gentle agitations, flip the sheet over, and so on. I get very even development, but high contrast.

I'm very open to other options, so I'm curious to hear how others go about preventing uneven development. Btw, I use rodinal 1+100 mostly. I'm considering some form of two bath development or maybe a metol developer to further tame contrast, as well as preflashing. Can anyone comment on either of these options or a combination thereof?

[mdarnton]

My rotary cutter is a cheap Fiskars, and it does a beautiful job. I can stack three or four sheets and get through them in several cuts without anything moving. I have no experience with good rotary cutters.

[seezee]

When using single sided film such as ektascan br/a, yes. With double sided film, this is not an issue of course.

Ah, but then you don't actually need notches.

[koraks]

Possibly for film identification purposes.

[seezee]

Possibly for film identification purposes.

Oh, of course. Didn't think of that. I keep a log of my shoots, so I don't use the notches to ID the film.

[Jim Noel]

I flip the sheet over every 10 agitations. But I use continuous agitation, I have to add. Flipping less frequently resulted in overdevelopment at the edges and intermittent agitation also caused uneven development with me, so I have now arrived at this approach. Dunk the sheet in, do 10 gentle agitations, flip the sheet over, and so on. I get very even development, but high contrast.

I'm very open to other options, so I'm curious to hear how others go about preventing uneven development. Btw, I use rodinal 1+100 mostly. I'm considering some form of two bath development or maybe a metol developer to further tame contrast, as well as preflashing. Can anyone comment on either of these options or a combination thereof?

I ran a test yesterday. For one sheet I never turned it over. For the second I turned it over every two agitation cycles. The images were identical and I can't discern any difference inany part of the film either visually or with the densitometer. I was testing HC110 diluted 1+79 in a flat bottomed tray.

[Fr. Mark]

With Ektascan B/RA film anyway, you don't need notches: one side is pink and somewhat matte (the emulsion) the other side is black and a little shiny (anti-halation layer) they are easy to tell apart under a safelight. N.B. you want a deep red safelight not orange or yellow or whatever. I am currently using a bike tail-light high intensity LED that runs on 2 AA batteries. The LED's are red as is the cover for them and the electronics. The LED's give off only red light that doesn't have enough energy (wrong wavelength) to fog the film. Batteries last a LONG time. Others have posted on one of the Xray threads about 110V LED screw in (lightbulb type base) that have similar narrow spectrum red output. Makes me think that regular safelights are basically obsolete. I also have a notch code for the film holders so I know what film holder was used with what negative (to check for leaks, to cross reference with notes), but I don't notch the films I can handle under a safelight.

[salvatore]

I ran a test yesterday. For one sheet I never turned it over. For the second I turned it over every two agitation cycles. The images were identical and I can't discern any difference inany part of the film either visually or with the densitometer. I was testing HC110 diluted 1+79 in a flat bottomed tray.

If I understand correctly you have however agitated the bath in both cases.
By agitation do you mean lifting one side of the tray?
And how long was the development with HC110 so diluted?
I also use HC110 but diluted 1:50, for 10 minutes.

To avoid scratching, in case of small specimens (around 4 by 4 cm) I made a holder as follows.

I cut two strips of plexiglas of 5 by 100 mm about 3 mm thick, and passed a file on one edge of each at about 45°.
I then glued the two strips on a sheet of plexiglas in such a way to create a guide on which to place the specimen.
The distance between the strips is a bit smaller than the specimen, so this lays a bit curved.
The sheet is then immersed in the developing bath which covers the whole device and the curvature of the sample allows clear circulation of te developer..
The agitation can be provided by lifting one side of the tray or lifting the sheet throug a handle I glued on it.
I hope to have been clear.
I found no problem with this size of specimen, and, given the stiffness of the xray film it could work also for larger sizes, may be up to the full sheet 18 by 24 cm I use.

[koraks]

I ran a test yesterday. For one sheet I never turned it over. For the second I turned it over every two agitation cycles. The images were identical and I can't discern any difference inany part of the film either visually or with the densitometer. I was testing HC110 diluted 1+79 in a flat bottomed tray.

Interesting! Thanks for running this experiment! What film did you use? And did you use a glass plate on the bottom of the tray? When I do this, the film sticks to the glass plate and I think the developer wears out except near the edges where it is replenished as a result of agitation.