Tray processing cut film

"PGG" ???
newsan.2004.09.29.04.39.14.715000@NO_SP_A_Myahoo .com ???...
I've gone through my first 25-sheet pack of film. I've figured out how to
operate my view camera just fine. I can take a decent picture-- exposing
and focusing properly. But I had no idea how difficult developing it
is...I thought that would be the easy part

first 5 sheets I fumbled around with a color processing tube that didn't
work out due to the film not staying flat against the tube

next 3-5 sheets I tried using my own PVC tubes. They leaked all over the
place and I got uneven development

next 10 sheets I tray developed. At least these were evenly developed but
all scratched up. Plus I fumbled around in the dark spilling crap all
over the floor.

My most recent attempts have been with 2 BZTS tubes bought on eBay. The
best so far. But I realized that 3 of my favorite shots are messed up
because, for about 10-20 seconds, the tubes were not moving. Yep...uneven
development even though total time was 8 minutes.

Sigh.... Frustrated but I haven't quite given up yet.

(I can't find this guy's OP. Could someone direct me to it? Thanks,
John)

Dear PPG
Any of the various methods presented in different postings here can
work, even deep tanks & hangers (in fact they can work very well). The
task for you is to figure out which is best for you, & then learn it.
Each one has little techniques or, "tricks" if you will. Such as w/
hangers, they have to be absolutely clean & dry before use. (No hypo
or phtoflo. Can't empathize dry & clean enough) Can't hurt to mediated
or pray first, to relax & clear ones mind. (Seriously!)
Perhaps most important is to have, on the dry flat space where you
load hangers, a horizontally ribbed linoleum (or some sort of plastic
or rubbery material) to keep the hangers from sliding, & upright,
leaning slightly against the wall or other vertical surface. Or have
arms extending from the wall to hang them from. Something, any thing
to keep the unloaded hangers straight, & the loaded hangers straight,
organized, & separate from the unloaded ones. There are many other
little tricks & I mention these for hanger processing simply as an
example of ways to work around the problems of any technique.
Everything in this world is an engineering compromise.
But, by far the most importing is to practice w/ the lights on w/
useless film.
Doesn't matter if it's been processed before, what does matter is to
use developer mixed to the dilution you will use because it's very
slimmy on film. It won't hurt to practice w/ stop bath & fixer. Go to
a professional or a darkroom that processes LF, in your area & ask for
any cut film of your size that he may not want, or buy outdated film,
cheap. Anything to get film to practice with. And practice, practice,
practice!
Below is some advice that I posted to some one else looking for help
for tray processing it's not nearly as exact & in depth as other
posts, but it still has some good points.

Practice, practice, practice, John

-from an earlier post-
"One trick to tray development is finding the correct brand / style
rubber gloves, that will grip the film. Some work some don't. IIRC
it's the ones w/ medium bumples, about like a medium sand paper. Not
super fine, not real course. Most are too course. Buy different gloves
& test in developer diluted to working strength in the daylight w/ 4
or so sheets of old film. Also practice this way. Unless U like to
live dangerously, always practice w/ @ least as many sheets as U are
going to process. Don't skimp on the developer.
Using bare fingers doesn't work as well. Emery board hang nails &
nails first. Use both hands in the "soup" (as we used to call it in
the good ol' days) to be assured of turning all finger tips & nails
evenly brown-black. This saves one the expense of weekly visits to the
nail saloon for the ever fashionable black polish look. Using both
hands
has the further advantage of doubling the amount of toxic chemicals
absorbed. Don't laugh; I didn't use gloves in my youth. Maybe
that's... Maybe that's... Maybe that's... Maybe that's why I'm so
dingy today. John"

PS PPG
I just realized that you said that you are developing color film. Is
that correct? If so you have taken on a project of at least one
magnitude more difficult than B&W. You can make life & expen$e$ a
whole lot ezer if you start w/ B&W.

John McGraw wrote:

I just realized that you said that you are developing color film. Is
that correct? If so you have taken on a project of at least one
magnitude more difficult than B&W. You can make life & expen$e$ a
whole lot ezer if you start w/ B&W.

That wasn't how I read it, John -- I saw it as PPG using processing
tubes originally made for color prints, so he could load the tubes in
the dark, but do all the chemical handling in the light. I use homemade
ABS daylight tubes (made from drain pipe and caps) and get great
results, and could probably use them for color with a tempering bath and
a lot of patience (and a little equipment refinement; one of my 9x12 cm
size leaks a bit from the inversion cap).

I really can't picture handling sheet film in the dark through a C-41
process with sub-four-minute color dev time and the smelly, oxidation
prone and relatively toxic chemicals; I'm not at all sure C-41 color dev
or bleach would last long enough in trays to finish a run.

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

Donald Qualls wrote in message .com...
John McGraw wrote:

I just realized that you said that you are developing color film. Is
that correct? If so you have taken on a project of at least one
magnitude more difficult than B&W. You can make life & expen$e$ a
whole lot ezer if you start w/ B&W.

That wasn't how I read it, John -- I saw it as PPG using processing
tubes originally made for color prints, so he could load the tubes in
the dark, but do all the chemical handling in the light. I use homemade
ABS daylight tubes (made from drain pipe and caps) and get great
results, and could probably use them for color with a tempering bath and
a lot of patience (and a little equipment refinement; one of my 9x12 cm
size leaks a bit from the inversion cap).

I really can't picture handling sheet film in the dark through a C-41
process with sub-four-minute color dev time and the smelly, oxidation
prone and relatively toxic chemicals; I'm not at all sure C-41 color dev
or bleach would last long enough in trays to finish a run.

--
I may be a scwewy wabbit, but I'm not going to Alcatwaz!
-- E. J. Fudd, 1954

Donald Qualls, aka The Silent Observer
Lathe Building Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/HomebuiltLathe.htm
Speedway 7x12 Lathe Pages http://silent1.home.netcom.com/my7x12.htm

Opinions expressed are my own -- take them for what they're worth
and don't expect them to be perfect.

Yeah, Donald, I think you are correct. That's why I left it a question @ the end.
Thanks, John