My Dark room

alaios · Joined: 24 Jan 2014 Posts: 724

Hi there,
at my house we have a storage room that has no windows (just the door and three walls) that is looks so damn dark and I was thinkign to use it for developing my films.
a. First I guess I need a test to check that indeed is dark I guess the easiest test is to have my digital camera inside and doing a bulb exposure. If there is some light leaking it should be shown there somehow. You can suggest me the right settings for that.
b. How much those specialized lights costs. It would be nice to use one of them for being able to see what I do
c. What is the beginners budget for buying materials for black and white?

Regards
Alex

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

Edited

alaios · Joined: 24 Jan 2014 Posts: 724

Hi
I do not plan to do any picture development just the negatives.

So I just need to put the thinks into the tank.

a. Why I need gloves?
b. How dangerous these chemicals are? I have one year old daughter. The storage room I was thinking does not have good ventilation. Other options are the bathroom and perhaps once the film is the tank I can move in the kitchen, in the oven, where is ventilation system installed. (are the chemicals flammable?)

Regards
A.

duckrider · Joined: 11 Dec 2013 Posts: 437 Location: Germany

a : to avoid fingerprints on the film!
b : developer and fix are no drinks, but no one dies taking a mouthfull of this awfull tasting liquids. Like all chemicals e.g. petroleum or cleaners You have to store them save from children.

But : for developing only negatives You don't even need a darkroom. There are daylight tanks for 135 film.
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Jobo-2100-2400-Entwicklertank-Tageslichtdose-TOP-komplett-mit-Thermometer-/291141379283?pt=DE_Foto_Camcorder_Entwicklungsmaschinen&hash=item43c960e4d3

alaios · Joined: 24 Jan 2014 Posts: 724

Hi Thomas
thanks for the answer
so I use the gloves for putting film in the tank and taking out at the end.

a. Do you know web sites in germany to look on prices on developing film the way I ask them (how much development time) to or doing scans?
b. Do you know any starter package so to buy all the hardware I need at a better price? (just b&w development)

Regards
Alex

bernhardas · Expire: 2017-05-23

Edited

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4748 Location: Cheshire, England

You dont need a dark room to develop film, just a changing bag and a tank. bag: Click here to see on Ebay Tank: Click here to see on Ebay

Changing bag:

Patterson developing tank:

The larger the bag the better. The Patterson tank shown above is a good buy because you can develop 2 films if you want and the spirals are adjustable for 127 and 120 film. A moulded scale of the bottom of the tank tells you how much solution to use.

The tank & film go in the bag. It is zipped up and you must do everything by feel. It is perfectly light proof. I load my tank in the living room and once deliberately did it in direct sunlight with no ill effects. Once the seal and top are all screwed together you can take it out and do everything else in the light. Only open the tank after the fixer has been in there for at least 3 minutes. Dont leave it in the fixer for more than 10 mins.

Someone else said gloves are good but I never use them because loading a tank is tricky and you need all your tactile senses. Providing you keep your clean, dry fingers off the emulsion you ought to be ok. Don't worry too much though, the odd touch wont destroy your film. I've developed hundreds in all sizes from 120 to 16mm and never got fingerprints on my negs.

I've loaded my tank many times inside a coat zipped up and folded in a dimly lit room with no ill effects, and under the bedclothes on more than one occasion.

You dont need a safelight as it will fog the film. Safelights are for developing prints when you use an enlarger. Coloured bulbs are useless for this purpose, you need a proper safelight with the correct colour filter. Darkroom bulbs are too bright and will fog the paper, plus the colour is 'painted' on and does deteriorate with time.

Some medical films use a orangey/green filter but for papers you need a reddish/orange filter. Search ebay for 'darkroom safelight' I used a kodak 'beehive' type for years. A used Patterson one ought to cost no more than �5. One pictured below'

The developer and fixer are non flammable and non toxic but I wouldn't advise drinking them. Anyway they taste terribly bitter.

If you use a working solution of developer and throw it away you dont need a stop bath (I use white vinegar when I need it. Commercial stop is just acetic acid anyway), just rinse the film a few times before adding the fixer.

I make up my solutions and stand them in a bowl of water at 20C (68F) until they are at the same temperature, the optimum temperature for developing

alaios · Joined: 24 Jan 2014 Posts: 724

I understand the safety recommendations for kids.
I will start ordering hardware once I find that there is an affordable negative scanners for me (Btw do these have an automatic mode) or you do it once by one?

Alex