DEVELOPING THE FILM

After you properly load the film on the reel, you are ready to begin the actual chemical process of film development.

The following are the steps used to process roll film in small tanks:

1. Place the loaded reels into the tank. If the loaded reels do not come to the top of the tank, add empty reels to take up the space. Place the cover and cap on the tank. The lights may now be turned back on. Once the lights are on and before the film is fixed, be careful not to remove the tank cover or the film will be exposed to light and ruined.

2. Hold the tank in one hand and tilt it slightly; pour the developer directly from the graduate into the tank through the light trap pouring hole. As the developer nears the top of the tank, hold the tank level or set it in the sink. Fill the tank to just overflowing. This step should take about 10 to 20 seconds, depending on the tank size.

3. Immediately start the timer once the tank is frill. Replace the cap and strike the tank on the edge of the sink once or twice to dislodge any air bubbles. Now agitate the film by inverting the tank slowly end to end

Figure 11-29. - Agitating a small developing tank.

(fig. 11-29). The initial agitation should be 30 seconds. Place the tank in the sink on its bottom (cover up).

4. Once every minute, agitate the film for five seconds by slowly inverting the tank end to end. After each agitation cycle, place the tank back in the sink. If the tank is held during the entire developing period, the heat from your hands may heat the developer and produce unpredictable results.

5. When only 10 seconds of developing time remain, remove the cap from the tank cover. Immediately start pouring the developer out of the tank through the light trap pouring hole. Dispose of the chemicals according to the local instructions of your imaging facility. This step should take about 10 seconds to complete.

6. When the developer has been emptied from the tank, fill the tank to overflowing with stop bath. The stop bath must be poured into the tank through the light trap pouring hole in the tank cover. Replace the cover cap. Agitate the film in the stop bath for about 30 seconds, using the end-to-end method.

7. When the stop bath portion of the process is complete, pour the stop bath through the light trap hole in the tank cover.

8. With the tank rover still in place, pour fixer into the tank and replace the cap. Dislodge air bubbles and set the timer to the required fixing time. Start the timer and agitate the film, using the same agitation as the developer.

9. When the prescribed fixing time has elapsed, remove the tank cover and pour the fixer from the tank back into the bottle from which it came. Never pour the fixer into the sink. The fixer can be reused and then saved for silver recovery.

10. The film can be washed either in the tank or in a roll film washer. If the tank is used, insert a hose down through the center of the reels until it is about one-half inch from the bottom of the tank. Adjust the water (at the same temperature the film was processed) so a steady overflow is created. Wash the film for about 20 minutes.

11. While the film is washing, rinse the processing tank, tank cover and cap with clean water. Fill the tank with water (check the temperature) and add the wetting agent. After the film has been washed, place the film, still on the reels, into the wetting agent solution. Replace the tank cover and cap and agitate the film in the wetting solution very slowly for one minute.

12. After one minute in the wetting solution, remove the loaded film reels from the tank (Do not save the wetting solution.)

13. To dry the film, attach the end of the film to a clip in the drying cabinet (fig. 11-30). Let the film unwind from the reel as you slowly lower the reel.

When the film is unwound, depress the grip clip (if the reel has one) or remove the film from the core of the reel. Squeegee the film and attach a second film clip to the lower end of the film. Close the drying cabinet door and dry the film.

CLEANING UP

After processing, the darkroom and all equipment must be cleaned up immediately. Rinse thoroughly all processing equipment: tanks, reels, thermometers, funnels, and soon, in clean, warm water. Place the clean equipment where it can dry before it is needed for the next processing project. Always leave the darkroom spotlessly clean and in good order.