Developing Electron Microscope Film

 

 

1.      Put a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the outside door.

 

2.      Fill both water tanks with water and allow the RO water to continually trickle (a fast rate of trickling water) into these two tanks for film rinsing. Wear powder-free gloves, lab coat or apron and safety goggles.

 

3.      Check the logbook to see if the photographic chemicals are still useable. Do not use the D-19 developer if more than a month old or more than 300 hundred films were passed through it, whichever comes first.

 

Do not use the Kodak fixer if more than 800 films were passed through it.

 

If either of these chemistries is old, let the technician know about it. Wait until there is new chemistry made up.

 

4.      If ready to proceed, take the covers off all the tanks. In this darkroom, the arrangement of the chemical tanks are as diagrammed:

5.      Turn on all the red safety lights in the room. Turn off all the white lights in the rooms.

 

6.      Start loading the exposed film sheets, one at a time into the plexi-glass racks. Hold the racks up to a red light source to really see as you load them. Each rack holds up to 17 or 18 film sheets. Check to see that no films are touching each other. Fill only two racks. You can only develop two racks at a time.

 

7.      Place the rack(s) in the developer. Then quickly set the timer for 4 minutes. During this 4-minute period, you must agitate the film every 15 seconds. To do this, just move the rack(s) slowly up and down in the developer solution for about 5 to 10 seconds.

 

8.      After the development is complete, lift the rack(s) up above the developer solution to drain for a few seconds. Then transfer the racks(s) to the water rinse tank behind it, water tank #1. See above diagram.

 

9.      Set the timer for 30 seconds to rinse films in the first rinsing tank. At the end of the 30 seconds, lift rack(s) to drain. Note if any films are sticking together or are missing. Separate them if any are stuck. If any negatives are missing, they may have fallen into the developer tank or the rinsing tank. Then, with a gloved hand, try to fish it out. Then transfer the rack(s) to the fixative tank for 4 minutes.

 

10.  Once the racks are in the fixative, the set the timer for the 4 minutes. During the first 40 to 60 seconds, you must agitate the rack(s) continually. Just move them up and down gently in the fixative solution. Then during the last 3 minutes, agitate only every minute for 15 seconds of agitation.

 

11.  At the end of the 4 minutes of fixation, lift the racks over the fixative solution to drain for a few seconds. It is now safe to turn on the room lights if desired. Be sure that any unexposed negatives are protected, however.

 

12.  Transfer the rack(s) into the water tank behind the fixative, water tank #2.

 

13.  Allow the rack(s) to sit in this rinse for 4 minutes.

 

14.  At the end of the 4-minute water rinse, transfer the rack(s) to the Perma-Wash solution tank for 2 minutes. Set the timer. During this two minutes, agitate every 45 seconds, for 15 seconds.

 

15.  After the 2 minutes are up, lift the rack(s) to drain a few seconds and then transfer the rack(s) back into the #2 water rinse tank again for another 4 minute rinse.

 

16.  Lift the rack(s) to drain a few seconds. Then transfer them to the Foto-Flow solution for several quick dips. Lift the racks to drain.

 

17.  Place the rack(s) in the film dryer and set the dryer timer to 15 to 20 minutes.

 

18.  When the film negatives are thoroughly dry, place each negative in a Glassine envelope. Label each envelope with the negative # and any other pertinent information.

 

19.  When finished with the darkroom chemicals, turn off the running RO water. Disconnect its hose connections to the tanks. Pour out the water from the rinse tanks into the sink. Add 4 ounces of stock D-19 developer (a gallon of it is located under the sink) to the developer tank. This will replenish the depleted developer. Rinse the 4 ounce plastic cup out well with tap water.

 

20.  Cover all the tanks with their appropriate covers.

 

21.  Log in your name and the number of film sheets developed. Also, write the total number of films developed.

 

22.  Clean up any chemical spills with towel paper. Report any major chemical spills.

 

23.  Turn off all lights in darkroom when done. Remove "Do Not Disturb" sign from outside door.