Anyone willing to help with some film development?

[contributor_M]

Finished my second roll B&W film (First film was botched. See This thread).

So will anyone be willing to shool me in the ways of developing B&W film? Since others can do it, I would very much like to learn how to do it myself.

I live in the Katy area so if anyone is interested in passing knowledge, I'm eager to learn.

Thanks in advance. Oh, and I'd definetly owe you a few beers :)

[Valerie]

Well, I am sure there are others closer to you, but if you happen to be in the Tomball/Magnolia area I could show you how.

[venchka]

Be afraid. There are folks in Katy ready willing and eager to help. However, they use Diafine for developing. The process is very different from other devlopers. YMMV.
Why don't you plan to be at Coaches on I-10 @ Barker-Cypress next Thursday evening. There will be a few folks there who are conversant in film processing.

[venchka]

In the meantime................

Have fun reading all of this.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=black+and+white+film+ developing&cp=32&qe=YmxhY2sgYW5kIHdoaXRlIGZpbG0gZG V2ZWxvcGluZw&qesig=eoaY_moiVq12a7bPoWHHIg&pkc=AFgZ 2tmHfRL_3LoSbEivi70Fu6MvZNJfONDx0plSIovns-6_7CcWS2huUCQ8P8zGhIoPHrrSS1y7e_17v8OOYaXtADwDlfQK 1A&pq=black%20and%20white%20film%20developing%20ki t&pf=p&sclient=psy&aq=0&aqi=&aql=&oq=black+and+whi te+film+developing&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp =34233ef6018d86f&bs=1

[venchka]

ps: Don't spend any money yet. Be patient.

[wclavey]

I am one of the few elite Diafine users in the Katy area, but I am well versed in the more plebeian developers as well. I would be happy to show you the enlightened ways, right out of the chute. but I recognize that, for some, it is the journey that counts, and they need to discover the path to Diafine.

I would be happy to set up some time this weekend, if you like, to walk through the process with you and develop your roll. Or if you want to embark on the journey yourself, then meet up with Wayne and the others at Coaches and see who is available.

Let me know...

[zachary]

I too am a Diafine User...maybe not an expert yet, but one day soon!

Diafine is great. It has the word FINE right in it for proof.

[Anthony Martinez]

I'm out here as well. DD-X is what I've got at the moment, it works for me.

[venchka]

Expert? Diafine? Que? LOL!

Adrian,
I'm pretty sure that I have some excess inventory that I can bring with me next Thursday.
Don't fret too much over "photo" equipment. The timers in kitchens work just fine. In fact, kitchen stuff works fine for several items that are handy for developing film like measuring cups, funnels, liquid storage, etc.
The most critcal thing you will need is a totally dark, I mean COMPLETELY dark space for transferring the film from the canister to the developing tank. Once the film is on the reel & the tank lid is on, you can do the rest in daylight or with the lights on at night.
It's really easy. The process must be simple and easy or I couldn't do it.

[wclavey]

"Totally Dark" is probably easiest to acheive in the short term with a changing bag... and learning to do it "at the kitchen table" is highly conducive to changing bag use.

With the tank, lid, reel, bottle opener & practice film (not the good film you shot) arranged on the kitchen table in a space the size of the changing bag, go through the process with your eyes open until it is easy. Close your eyes and do it more times until you can load the film start to finish with your eyes closed. Move the practice set up to the changing bag and do it some more... all sitting in the place where you will do it. (BTW, my son found that keeping his eyes closed, even while using the changing bag actually helped him, since he had learned it with his eyes closed...). You are then ready to do your real film. Load the changing bag, put the film on the reel in the tank and, et voila, you are ready for the developer.

We developed film without access to a dark room for 30 years. Just a changing bag...

[zachary]

I use a small changing bag. Yeah, its not the most pleasant experience in the world but it gets the job done.

I drop my tank, reel, film, and swiss army knife in the bag. Use the swiss army knife to cut the leader, pop the canister, and cut the end from the canister reel.

Easy Peasy.

[Anthony Martinez]

Since I had a good deal (several yards) of quite opaque vinyl I used to cover some speaker cabinets for an amplifier I no longer own, I've taken to using that to black out my closet. I only wish I'd heeded the advice of Wes and the others with regards to learning to load the reels with a sacrificial roll first. The first time I tried there was a litany of curse words ringing out from that dark closet. It now takes very little time for me to load both tanks.

At first, I tacked the vinyl to the outside of the door, but that wasn't as effective as a curtain rod on the inside. I can usually get it to hang right so that the outer edges curl in and cover the door frame completely. When it doesn't want to do that on its own a little duct tape forces it to.

I also tend to do it with my eyes closed even when I'm in the pitch black closet.

Anyway, I don't know what your schedule looks like but you've got my info if you'd like to come by. I can show you my way, and we can scan the negatives when they're dry (that'll take a long while).

[wclavey]

Anthony, I did a similar thing about 3 years ago in order to start contact printing 4x5s... I bought blackout material and had "curtains" made from them that are wider and taller than the doors to one of our guest bathrooms. Then I put up curtain rods on the inside of the doors to hang the curtains and I now have a darkroom... I made a table surface that fit across the sink & toilet and another that stands in the bathtub and I have both wet & dry areas - - I can set it up to print in about 30 minutes.

But I have discovered that scanning 4x5 and printing it digitally is more conducive to my success than contact printing them... although I love the look of a contact printed negative. So I will probably be disassembling most of the printing stuff soon...

[Anthony Martinez]

Wes, I remember you telling me when I bought the Mamiya! You're actually where the idea came from. The curtain rod was inexpensive, and I used some 550-cord guts to stitch a channel to put the rod through. The rest is history!

[tropicpine]

Originally Posted by venchka

Be afraid. There are folks in Katy ready willing and eager to help. However, they use Diafine for developing.

Originally Posted by wclavey

I am one of the few elite Diafine users in the Katy area, but I am well versed in the more plebeian developers as well.

Adrian: If you havn't already guessed, bringing up developers here is about like bring up the Kirk / Picard subject in a Star Trek forum.

No matter your choice of developer you will likely find someone w experience who is happy to help. (NOTE: In the rare cases you find an absence of expeirence you will find no shortage of cheeleaders.)

Originally Posted by wclavey

... learning to do it "at the kitchen table" is highly conducive to changing bag use.
With the tank, lid, reel, bottle opener & practice film (not the good film you shot) ...

Providing you havn't already thrown it away, your ruined roll of film will make a great parctice material for loading reels.