TMAX-400 coiled negative

[Shibang]

Hi All,

Does anybody have this problem or is this expected?

When I develop TMAX 400 and leave it hanging to dry it looks ok.

When I start cutting the film into stripts it starts to coil afterwards so instead of being a flat negative with 6 images it coils up into a circle.

I tried leaving one to hang for around 8 hours and was still the same.

Regards,

Gary

[Manfred M]

I ran into similar issues back in my film days.

I strongly suspect that your issue starts with the manufacturing process used in making film. The polyester film stock is supplied in large spools that are split to the appropriate width and (for 35mm) have the perforations punched out as well. The outside portions of the stock are fairly straight, but as you get closer to the core, the stock will have a fairly sharp curvature and this will be "set" by the time and pressure between the time the coil of film resin is produced and run through the coating process.

The addition of the gelatin / silver halide layer will add a bit of the issue you are seeing as well. When you process the film, the gelatin will absorb water and swell, and this will effectively put some pressue on the resin stock to bend in the opposite direction. As your film dries, this effect will go away, but gravity helps keep it straight. I always put a weighted clip on the bottom of my drying film, to prevent it from curling up. Remove the clip and the film will try to curl up again.

When you cut the negatives into strips, the natural set of the resin takes over and it will curl on you. The humidity is your darkroom will have some impact as to the amount of curl; less in a more humid environment than one with lower humidity.

The bottom line is that it won't have any impact on the quality of your image as the enlarger (or scanner) holder will easily keep the film strip straight when you are making your image.

[Black Pearl]

I recall the same happening. Best I can suggest is to pop (fight) them into your NEF sleeves and press them flat over night.

[Shibang]

Thanks for the replies.

I was not sure if it was something wrong with my develpoing but what Manfred said sounds right.

Robin, thats what i'm doing now. If I put them in a sleeve and press then they are at least flat but still coil when I take them out but the scanned imaged look ok.

Regards,

Gary

[pnodrog]

How old is the film?

Use weighted clips when hanging for drying. When cut (and absolutely dry) as suggested put in filing sleeves and lay flat with a notebook or something relatively light over them. If you leave them loose in a box they often tend to curl up a bit.

[Shibang]

The film expired this month but I noticed this maybe 4 months ago and the film has been in the freezer since I bought it.

When I hang it to dry I add three wooden clothes pegs on the bottom to keep it straight

[pnodrog]

Some of the stainless steel metal clips incorporated a weight in them and from memory were about 30 to 50 grams so there was a reasonable amount of tension on the film while it was drying. Old film particularly if left in camera for a long time seems to love curling it's self up. Actually if you are not cutting into strips of 4 or 6 frames, softly curling rolls are easier to handle.

[loosecanon]

In my film days I found this problem with varying amout with different films. I used to dry films in a drying cabinet, dust free with weights and that got most of the spring out of them. If heat was used then they became much more springlike curling up when the weight was removed, however once the film emusion stablised in relation to ambient air humidity this reduce a lot.

The other step I always took was to harden the emulsion with very dilute formaldehyde - both black and white and colour films - it hardens the emulsion to reduce scratching but as its at the end of processing it doesn't prolong the washing needed. For colour films it stablises the colour, especially magent. It also helps to stop fungal growth in later years. The other step I took was a very quick rinse in 75% distilled water and wetting agent at the end as my water is very hard, this stopped drying marks.

[Saorsa]

After cutting, put them in glassine or plastic envelops or strips and press them.

See here for examples http://www.archivalmethods.com/produ...torage-systems