Doing a MacGyver

[Mats_A]

There was a Myth Buster episode once where they had to develope a film MacGyver style. Using only ordinary household items. How realistic is this?
Could you (in theory) develope a film with what you find in a normal kitchen/bathroom? Let's assume you have the film loaded in a tank. And you need the film to be fixed so it can survive light for at least a few days.

I vaguely remember there were some orange juice involved in the MB-procedure.

r

 

[Krzys]

I vaguely remember c41 film in that episode....

 

[Mats_A]

I vaguely remember c41 film in that episode....

Would not B&W be simpler? But I suppose the real MacGyver could develope c41 using nothing but sweat and shampoo.

r

 

[cdowell]

I watched that episode and the kids wanted to try this. I didn't hear anything about c41, but may have missed it. I think it was orange juice to develop and something else to fix... ammonia?

I'd be happy just trying the juice and fixing in the normal way.

 

[gurkenprinz]

Hi, Development is no problem. Instant coffee+washing soda will make a nice developer (google for Caffenol if interested).

I believe that fixer is the bigger problem.

 

[Steve Smith]

I'd be happy just trying the juice and fixing in the normal way.

The orange juice is acidic and would need to be buffered to an alkaline. Some baking soda or washing soda could do this.

Not sure what kitchen substances could be used to fix though - unless you keep your swimming pool chemicals in the kitchen cupboard.


Steve.

 

[Mats_A]

Hi, Development is no problem. Instant coffee+washing soda will make a nice developer (google for Caffenol if interested).

I believe that fixer is the bigger problem.

Should u mix the instant coffee with the soda? Yuck! Could be the first time I find any use for instant coffee though

r

 

[Whiteymorange]

Should u mix the instant coffee with the soda? Yuck! Could be the first time I find any use for instant coffee though

r

8 oz. water
4 slightly rounded tsp. instant coffee
2 tsp. washing soda
1000 mg Vitamin C (1/4 tsp powder)

Mix the soda first to get rid of the grit, then the coffee. As jnainian has proven to me many times, measurements in this are suggestions, not rules. The vitamin C is to speed up the process and make things a bit sharper. I found that EFKE 50 really stained with this, but others have had different results. My negatives printed beautifully but looked like ... well, they were brown and the process is smelly.

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Earlier this year I couldn't resist trying caffeinol for laughs. It actually works. Do Google, there are tons of places that describe various methods. Here's 4x5 I took while experimenting. Oh, I did use a standard fixer. I'm not aware of any household substitute.

 

[Fotoguy20d]

Can the coffee be decaf? MY GF keeps buying jars of instant decaf - don't know why since nobody drinks the stuff. So, it's either Folgers decaf or some instant espresso - tastes like **** anyway.

And, what is "washing soda"?

Development time for something like HP-5?

Dan

 

[Mike Wilde]

Washing soda is an ole fashion laundry cleaning booster, otherwise known as sodium carbonate (decahydrate, I am pretty sure) . Arm and Hammer markets it in the USA in a yellow box arranged alongside laundry detergents last time I bought any. Gives the customs guy something to look at on retuning from a road trip to the US. Hard to find in Canada; sometimes at a Sobeys.

 

[Mats_A]

So developement is no problem. What is the critical ingredient in fixer? Any resident chemists?

r

 

[removed account4]

hey dan

i think it can be decaf, the coffee just contains caffic acid, which has nothing to do with caffeine or even good coffee.

washing soda is carbonate of soda, it is baking soda but with less moisture, in fact you can spread baking soda out on a cookie
sheet and evap the moisture out in your oven if you want. much cheaper at your local grocery store in the laundry aisle. arm and hammer is good.
if you are in france, good luck! i wasn't able to find any cheap, and had to go to a pharmacy to get some, which of course cost a kings ransom.

whitey is right, exact measurements aren't essential
i never measure... and use coffee stuff every time i process film.

not sure what your development time would be, i usually stand develop for about 25 minutes, if you are using regular small tanks
or a rotary thing, you might look at around 15 mins but your mileage will vary.

some other interesting threads on a similar subject are:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

and : (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

it is the fixer that is the sticking point ...
i don't think there is a substitute for hypo

have fun!
john

 

[gurkenprinz]

about the fixer: I now remember reading somewhere that some type of swimming pool chemicals should work. In the course of the discussion, however, it turned out that the swimming pool stuff is actually more expensive than fixer ;-)

 

[removed account4]

about the fixer: I now remember reading somewhere that some type of swimming pool chemicals should work. In the course of the discussion, however, it turned out that the swimming pool stuff is actually more expensive than fixer ;-)

i believe it is dechlorinator / chlorine "shock"
i checked my local pool stores, and they didn't carry it
and when i was overseas "spa/ pool stores "
didn't have any either ...

but some have had great success both finding it and using it ...

 

[bobwysiwyg]

Can the coffee be decaf? MY GF keeps buying jars of instant decaf - don't know why since nobody drinks the stuff. So, it's either Folgers decaf or some instant espresso - tastes like **** anyway.

And, what is "washing soda"?

Development time for something like HP-5?

Dan

If you check (Google) most say not to use Decaf, but the instant doesn't have to be Starbucks either. Research I did before trying it suggested at least one stop more exposure. The development time is fairly long, mine was 30 min. as I recall and it does smell up close. It was kind of fun though and I will likely do it again from time to time. As mentioned, I think many aspects are loosy-goosy so experiment.

 

[Photo Engineer]

There is a thread on this topic about MacGyver's developer about a year ago. It has some good information.

And yes, Mythbusters did a show segment on this.

PE

 

[removed-user-1]

I did this recently using the Caffenol-C formula at digitaltruth.com. I used ordinary Kodak fixer. A 35mm roll of Fuji Neopan 1600 came out nicely at 72 F and 15 minutes with 5 seconds of agitation every minute; very little staining but lots of base fog. May try it again with a pinhole camera and a box of 4x5 Arista Ultra 100 I have.

 

[gainer]

Don't forget Tylenol. A few ground up Tylenol tablets, some Vitamin C, some washing soda and a bunch of water can make a decent developer. The Vitamin C takes the place of both hydroquinone and sulfite but without appreciable solvent action. Use a coffee filter to remove the insoluble stuff. I seem to remember that saturated table salt solution was a fixing agent.

 

[Steve Smith]

In the Mythbusters episode, the instructions for the next task were on the film. I suppose that if they had managed to develop it they could probably have got away with stopping development rather than having to fix it.

A developed and stopped but un-cleared film would probably be just about readable.


Steve.

 

[neelin]

Ammonium Thiosulfate (Rapid Fixer) solution is sold as a liquid fertilizer in the sod related industry. It has no other additives.

www.plantfoodco.com has it on page 30 of their catalog.

I paid CAN$55 for 2.5 USG last year.

Can't imagine wasting it on golf turf.

 

[ntenny]

Ammonium Thiosulfate (Rapid Fixer) solution is sold as a liquid fertilizer in the sod related industry. It has no other additives.

Do you know how much dilution it takes to make a reasonable fixer in practice?

Thanks

-NT

 

[MartinP]

Do you know how much dilution it takes to make a reasonable fixer in practice?

Just try a few different strength solutions until you get a film clearing time of a minute or so.

 

[Anon Ymous]

Do you know how much dilution it takes to make a reasonable fixer in practice?

Thanks

-NT

A reasonable amount of ammonium thiosulfate is about 120g/l. So, if you can see the concentration of the liquid fertiliser on the label, in weight/volume, adjust dilution to get to 120g/l. Add about 20g/l of sodium sulfite to improve it's keeping properties and you'll probably have a reasonable alkaline fixer.

 

[McFortner]

While slower, sodium thiosulfate is found at pool supply stores and was the original fixer. I use it to fix my film that I develop at home with Caffenol C.

So yes, under the right conditions you can develop film with nothing but what you have at home.

Michael