Fixing time, dilution and washing time for wet plate collodion?

I am going to try my first wet plates and will use Adofix, ammonium thiosulfate based, fixer.

What dilution should I use? I have read that wet plate collodion needs a stronger solution than film but by how much?

Fixing time. Is it enough when the emulsion is cleared or do the plate need more time in the fixer after? How long is recommended?

Washing time. What is the recommended washing time with ammonium thiosulfate based fixer?

Dilution isn't very critical. Anything from 1+4 to 1+10 should be OK. You can see the plate clear, so fixing time is basically the time it takes for to be happy with the end result. The thick drop of emulsion in the corner will be the last to clear; by that time the rest of the plate is fixed liberally.
Wash like you would wash film; doesn't have to be more extensive or longer. It's a thin emulsion with no top coat, so it washes rapidly.

PS I can't quite recall what dilution I used, only that the plate clears super fast anyway. If start with 1+10 or so, maybe even higher, like 1+20. If the thick drop/edge doesn't clear, add a little bit of fixer concentrate and keep going.
Fixing takes (much)less than a minute for most of the image as I recall.

Thank you, koraks.

I made my first wet plate today. Very addictive and a lot to learn

Fixer dilution was 1+4 and the plate cleared fast. I will try 1+10 next time to save a bit on the fixer solution cost.

Congratulations, well done! If that's your first plate, ever, you've really done a perfect job preparing everything. I bet that plate already looks very nice against a black background.
Don't hesitate to pour out a little more collodion on your next plate so it's easier to cover right up to the edges; you can let the excess flow back into the bottle.

-chrille- said:

Fixer dilution was 1+4 and the plate cleared fast. I will try 1+10 next time to save a bit on the fixer solution cost.

Click to expand...

Sounds good; you could probably dilute even further. Just try it out; you now know how easy it is to see what's happening.

Have fun with that! I'm tempted to mix up some collodion myself again, looking at this!

Thank you, very encouraging

Everything except pouring the plates went very smoothly. Afterward I found out why. I poured the plates outside and the box with the cleaned glass plates was laying in the sun and I think the temperature of the plates was over 40 degrees Celsius. I think the ether and alcohol evaporated too quick when poured on the plate. I did 6 plates today and the first one was the best.

I use plain ammonium thiosulfate 1:3 for fix. I fix until the blue drip edge has cleared, then give it two quick washes with lots of agitation. I keep them in water until I get home and wash better.


Kent in SD

-chrille- said:

the temperature of the plates was over 40 degrees Celsius. I think the ether and alcohol evaporated too quick when poured on the plate.

Click to expand...

Yeah, that sounds like a good analysis.

Two23 said:

I use plain ammonium thiosulfate 1:3 for fix.

Click to expand...

Sodium thiosulfate, I guess?
I started out with that as well, but ultimately settled on simple rapid fixer because I found it overall more convenient and faster.

Have you noticed some differences in colour on plate depending on what kind of fixer you use? I have read that cyanide fixer yield a more yellow/creamy colour.

I was surpriced that my plates came out with an almost golden tone against a black background. The collodion I use contains cadmium bromide and ammonium iodines.

-chrille- said:

Have you noticed some differences in colour on plate depending on what kind of fixer you use? I have read that cyanide fixer yield a more yellow/creamy colour.

I was surpriced that my plates came out with an almost golden tone against a black background. The collodion I use contains cadmium bromide and ammonium iodines.

Click to expand...

I have used all kinds of fixers on wet plate, and to be honest, I don't see a whole lot of difference in the result, color-wise. I refuse to play with potassium cyanide as a fixer - it's just too risky for my liking: if you accidentally expose the KCn to an acid, it liberates cyanide gas, and you do NOT want that to happen.

Washing time for plates is 30 minutes if you use Sodium thiosulfate as your fix, and for Ammonium thiosulfate (rapid fix), 20 minutes should be plenty. If you try Potassium cyanide for your fixer, then 10-15 minutes is what is generally recommended for washing. You can use a hypo clearing agent to shorten wash times if you like: 10 grams Sodium sulfite in a liter of water, and soak the plate in that for 2-3 minutes before the final wash (which you can cut to half the recommended times)

I have been working with Collodion since 2017 and have made loads of tintypes, ambrotypes and negatives. I have read (as I'm sure you have too) loads of writings on the Web about how this developer or that fixer will dramatically affect the look of your plates, and it is my opinion that you should take 95% of that information with a huge grain of salt. Most of it is exaggeration. Even different recipes of Collodion (different salts in different ratios) will have only a limited effect on your results. Collodion is Collodion. Yes, there are better recipes for tintypes/ambrotypes VS negatives, but even then, the differences are fairly subtle and in a pinch, ANY recipe can be used for any purpose, if you know how to use it properly.

There's a lot of mythology and mystery on the web about the Wet Plate Collodion process. It can be very difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff. I recommend skipping the internet and get a tutorial book and rely on that for guidance. John Coffer's "Doer's Guide" is an excellent choice, and Quinn Jacobson's book is pretty good as well (though I wish he'd hired an editor to organize the book better). Either book will provide you with 99.5% of the information you will ever need. (And yes - I know John Coffer advocates for Potassium cyanide fixer, and that's fine. But I wouldn't have it in MY darkroom)

@retina_restoration this echoes my experiences as well!

Fixed in 1+10, no problem! Bit it was too hot at 30 degrees Celsius pouring collodion resulting in all kinds of imperfections. At least I got some practice

I need to pour collodion outside as my darkroom is a small 8 square meter basement containing the geothermal heat pump. I am afraid that the electronics like contactors and relays my cause sparks. Otherwise the darkroom have an almost constant temperature of 17-18 C.

Looking good! Yeah, be careful with the ether vapors. You won't get a combustible mixture of air and ether just by pouring a handful of plates, but if you happen to drop a bottle, you have a recipe for disaster. Ventilation would also be a good idea and the kind of space you describe often lacks this.

But...the plate looks great! You're getting the hang of this.