Film Drying Suggestions

gnomus

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I’m brand new to 5x4, but now have all I need to get started - or at least I thought I did. The one thing I’d forgotten about is a method of drying negatives after they’ve been developed. I use the Paterson clips for 35mm and 120, but I only have one pair of these and I wonder if they are, in any case, suitable.

Can anyone suggest a decent system that I can get hold of without too much difficulty in the UK?

Thanks in anticipation.
 
If you have a Lakeland or Ikea nearby, you can get hangers with small stainless steel clips that are ideal for drying sheet film.

Mike
 
If you have a Lakeland or Ikea nearby, you can get hangers with small stainless steel clips that are ideal for drying sheet film.

Mike
Thanks for the quick response, Mike. Do you mean the sort of things that I might hang my trousers on?
 
The rack is the sort of thing you might dry your socks on.
Film needs privacy to dry dust free. That means a space that doesn't get used much and has little air movement. Hang them and go away. A damp environment seems to discourage static.
I remember drying solutions that replaced the surface water with something that evaporated very quickly, but I don't know if they are still available. I presume, but I don't know, that they were alcohol.
I've just remembered that I posted a way to modify ordinary clothespegs on 5th May 2018.
 
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I use paper clips. One end is bent out at 45 degrees. I punch a neat hole near the corner of the sheet of film, using a Paterson film holder, and insert the paper clip - from the same side that the hole was punched. Then I hang the film up in the dust-free atmosphere of a shower cubicle. The thin metal grill that is used to house the shower gel comes in handy for this. Very neat and simple. And no trapped water in a film clip to dribble down the film when you unhook it....

Alan
 
I use bamboo clothes pins and hang film on a string in the shower. IMO, unless you're drying your film in a clean room you'll always have some dust; more of a pain in the analog darkroom than on the desktop. ;)
 
I’m brand new to 5x4, but now have all I need to get started - or at least I thought I did. The one thing I’d forgotten about is a method of drying negatives after they’ve been developed. I use the Paterson clips for 35mm and 120, but I only have one pair of these and I wonder if they are, in any case, suitable.

Can anyone suggest a decent system that I can get hold of without too much difficulty in the UK?

Thanks in anticipation.

For many, many years I have been using the Kinderman film clips and am more than happy to recommend them. I have used mine for some 25 (or so) years. I believe they were 'introduced' for use for hanging 'dental' x-ray' films

Ken
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions. In the end I went for the 20 clips for £2.99 suggested by Ian. The Kindermans don’t seem to be available in the UK. (Unless I am missing something, which is certainly possible.)

What do folks use for storing negatives? I have transparent sleeves in a ring binder for my smaller formats. I’m not totally convinced by the clear plastic - sometimes the negatives seem a bit ‘sticky’. What’s best for 5x4?
 
Personally, i use glassine sheets for all films, from 35mm to 5x4 sheet.

They're then placed in a four-ring binder drawer unit.

Mike
 
I use glassine too. I don't know if it makes any difference at all, but I insert the negative with the emulsion side facing away from the glue line. Other members may know more.
 
We all have our own ways I use a bottle or similar and some kitchen tissue, usually a win bottle and then prop the negative against the bottle, the tissue absorbs the water and I have no marks from clips.

When I used hangers in deep tanks the film was loaded into them processed and dried before removal.

Ian
 
Ive been thinking about making one of the following for a while for my 5x4 negatives.

Plastic storage box with a hole punched out of each side and a piece of string to suspend the negatives from.

I am not fussed about forced air drying just trying to cut down on any dust settling on the tacky film

Can anyone see any flaws in this method.?

Here is a mockup I put together in Photoshop

1848
 
Looks good, but..
I think I'd avoid string for hanging. String can swing and the negs might then strike or overlap each other. Perhaps thin rods?
One other small point. Might those wide clips retain a drop of water after everything else is dry?
 
Looks good, but..
I think I'd avoid string for hanging. String can swing and the negs might then strike or overlap each other. Perhaps thin rods?
One other small point. Might those wide clips retain a drop of water after everything else is dry?

I wouldn't use those type of clips. As for the string, I could use steel wire or even some 2mm stainless rod
 
You seem to be ahead of me. No more comments.
 
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