Re: Cirkut Processing

[Ron Klein <panorama@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Developing 10" cirkut negatives in C-41 is quite easy.

You can do it in five or six Rubbermaid dishwashing tubs.  I use five tubs
lined up in my sink in such a way that the narrow width of the trays are in
the direction that the film is moved.  Rubbermaid tubs are perfect for 10"
film because the curved bottom in the narrow width will not allow the film
to touch the bottom and scratch.

I use 10-liter chemistry sets with 8 liters used in each tub and the
remaining two liters are for replenishment.  The trick is to know what
temperature your solutions are at when starting to develop the film.  The
first tub is simply a water prewet. If you don't use it you can get uneven
development.  The next tub is developer and in my darkroom I heat it to 102
degrees instead of 100.  By the time lights are turned off and you get the
film ready to go the solution is cooled to the right temperature.  You will
have to do some experimenting with old film and water to calculate your
initial starting temps.  The rest of the solutions are not critical as to
temperature or time and can be done with the lights on.

The trick to all of this is to get the film into the prewet tub without
screwing it up with water splashes.  I hold the film in one hand and with
the other hand in the water roll the fill quickly into the tub.  You are
going to have to practice, but it is really straightforward when you get the
hang of it.  After the film in the water, scroll it back and forth in the
solutions.  Keep the film in the tub and let it loosely scroll.  I wear the
very light latex dishwashing gloves while doing this.  The film will roll
without difficulty, but occasionally it will need to be rolled tighter as it
tends to unroll and get too big.  Again, practice will be the only cure.  I'
ve found that simply holding my fingers under the film and very gently
coaxing it works just fine.  I leave the film in the water and grab one end,
transfer it into the developer and with a nice even rate roll it into the
developer, noting the start time and how long it takes for the whole roll to
finally get into the developer.  That's pretty much it, the rest is by the
numbers.

My solutions seem to work well even after two months of storage if they are
totally topped off so there is no air in the bottles.  It is easy to tell
bad developer because of the color of the solution but if in doubt, DUMP
developer is cheap.

I know this system works, because I have developed over one thousand cirkut
negatives this way and for the most part been very happy with the results.
My mistakes were fairly stupid, but everyone has to make them as part of the
learning experience.  This method is truly easy however.

I will be more than happy to elaborate if needed.

Ron Klein