Developer for higher temp areas

[dehk]

Get a Brita for your fridge.

 

[Rudeofus]

I took the UK & US prices from leading photographic suppliers, in fact it's cheaper elsewhere here in the UK but still over £13 +20% VAT for 500g, that drops to around £8 per Kg + 20% VAT if you buy 25kg. There's something going on with the prices as my main supplier lists it as POA (so the prices are varying).

I have noticed that trivial chemicals are suddenly costly gems when you order them online, my best guess is that they price in shipping into the chemical cost so that they can offer a (seemingly) flat shipping rate. For such common substances it is usually much cheaper to ask local pharmacies, chemistry or pool supply stores. That's where I paid 2€/kg of Na2SO4 + cost of container.

A far cheaper option which I used regularly with EFKE/Adox films in the 70's and 80's, (before their hardening was improved), is to add a few drops of Formaldehyde to the developer just before use.

If a few drops of formalin have the same effect as 50g/l Na2SO4 then formalin is certainly the easier and cheaper solution. One needs to watch out that formalin is both toxic and considered a carcinogen, so it may not be available as easily as Na2SO4. Could you provide some hint how much to add to get the same effect as 50g/l Na2SO4 ?

 

[Paul Howell]

I live in the Phoenix area, getting a developer down to 68 or 70 is not a problem, many good suggestions, in my 25 years living in the Southwest the problem is wash temp. My townhome was repiped so that pipes now run in the ceiling, flat roof with good installation, but my tap runs 90 degrees in the summer, already up to 80 degrees. I used Dinafine for several years, but even a short wash in 90 degree water, I had emlusion just peel off. I now use a a home made chiller, 10 gallon bucket, copper tubeing coilied in the bucket sealed at the top from the source and at the bottom around the tube with is connected to a film washer. Add one bag of ice fill with tap, in at 90 out at 66, one bag of ice will last long enough to wash one set of 5, 35mm or 3 120s or in a seperate converted open tank 12 sheets of 4X5 at a time. I use a hypo clearning agent to reduce wash time. To cool deveoper, stop, fix, perma wash and wetting agent, I just use a tub with an Ice Bath to bring temp down to 68.