Formula for Acufine, Anyone??

[Cluster]

I've been looking far and wide for this formula. I found this but don't know if it's correct/. can anyone confirm or give an updated version??

Farber's Conversion (Formula to grams)

Water (125F) 2.5 cups 2.5 cups

Phenidone 1/8 tsp 0.25 g

Sulfite 2 tbs + 1 tsp 53.2 g

Hydroquinone 1 1/2 tsp 4.5 g

Borax 1/2 tsp 2.5 g

Sodium Carbonate 3/8 tsp 2.25 g

Potassium Bromide 1/8 tsp 0.8 g

WTM 1 qt 1 qt=0.946Litre

---------------------------------​

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I’ve used the Paul Farber Acufine substitute formula quite a lot, though not so recently (since moving from New York to Hawai’i, I shoot more in daylight and don’t really need a speed developer so often). If you search for it, I think the formula is around here somewhere.

 

[Ian Grant]

Well that formula is rather like Microphen/ID68 with reduced Sulphite that in itself will give better film speed and then a small amount of Carbonate to increase the Alkalinity again giving more speed but also more grain.

Ian

 

[Cluster]

Thanks so much!! I bought a couple of cans for now but would like to mix my own formula one day. UFG is another developer formula I would like to get my hands on.

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

UFG and Acufine were both formulated by the same fellow; I believe the UFG is considered more closely true to his original thoughts of a speed enhancing developer. Acufine apparently was a patent dodging formula change that was made to be as close as UFG without infringing on the original formula. In practice having used many gallons of each one shot and replenished they can be used interchangeably; I did find replenished UFG to be the most flexible with a sharper grain, Acufine seemed to have less dynamic range when pushed and had a less crisp grain. Both were hard to distinguish when 8x10 prints were side by side.
I agree with Ian Grant that either Ilford Microphen or ID-68 would be an easier route to the same photographic area. You may also find the ID-68 a good general starting point for experimenting to get to a UFG or Acufine formula; UFG had a characteristic smell that Acufine did not have; I think either Glycin or PPd or both is in UFG.
Good luck and nice to see a bit of interest in this area of developer chemistry, I got really into extreme pushing in the 1980's/90's when I did news/sports and side projects of night streets and clubs. Black on black in the shadows etc.

 

[Cluster]

UFG and Acufine were both formulated by the same fellow; I believe the UFG is considered more closely true to his original thoughts of a speed enhancing developer. Acufine apparently was a patent dodging formula change that was made to be as close as UFG without infringing on the original formula. In practice having used many gallons of each one shot and replenished they can be used interchangeably; I did find replenished UFG to be the most flexible with a sharper grain, Acufine seemed to have less dynamic range when pushed and had a less crisp grain. Both were hard to distinguish when 8x10 prints were side by side.
I agree with Ian Grant that either Ilford Microphen or ID-68 would be an easier route to the same photographic area. You may also find the ID-68 a good general starting point for experimenting to get to a UFG or Acufine formula; UFG had a characteristic smell that Acufine did not have; I think either Glycin or PPd or both is in UFG.
Good luck and nice to see a bit of interest in this area of developer chemistry, I got really into extreme pushing in the 1980's/90's when I did news/sports and side projects of night streets and clubs. Black on black in the shadows etc.

Wow!! Thank you so much . Seems like I really need to learn the basics of what each chemical component does so as to be able to play around with the formula to achieve the results. Can anyone point me to a source that explains the function of each component in the film developer does. Sound more like a study in chemistry

 

[Nokton48]

I've been replenishing a gallon of Acufine in a gallon brown glass bottle for over a year.

Jun made a run with it yesterday and it is still quite active

 

[Kino]

Wow!! Thank you so much . Seems like I really need to learn the basics of what each chemical component does so as to be able to play around with the formula to achieve the results. Can anyone point me to a source that explains the function of each component in the film developer does. Sound more like a study in chemistry

The Film Developing Cookbook 2nd Edition by Bill Troop (Author), Steve Anchell is a good place to start...

 

[Christiaan Phleger]

I 2nd Film Developing Cookbook and read APUG! This forum is pretty deep at this point.
Nice to hear others are doing Acufine replenished. I came to the conclusion that Acufine and its replenisher was the currently easiest way to achieve this type of look. I don't recall ever trying the most current TMY emulsion so maybe I'll find the few cans I have around. I do wish we could get fresh UFG that was the real deal.

 

[albada]

I did lots of work on developers around 7 years ago, and then got redirected by other projects, including writing a book about software. But I kept notes about many developers, and here's some info on Acufine contributed by Gerald Koch:

Posting by Gerald Koch: http://www.apug.org/forums/forum37/116009-acufine-diafine-company-history.html
Here are the 3 suggested substitute formulas for Acufine that I have.
[Dign] This formula appeared in the Dignan Newsletter.
[Farb] This formula was suggested by Paul Farber in Photographic (Oct 1984). The published formula has been adjusted to yield 1 liter of solution.
[Unknown] I do not have a citation for the following formula.

Dign Farb Unknown​

Distilled water (50 C) ........ 750 750 750
Phenidone ..................... .25 .28 .25
Sodium sulfite (anhy) ......... 60. 60. 50.
Hydroquinone .................. 2.5 5.0 5.0
Borax ......................... --- 2.8 2.5
Sodium metaborate ............. 2.0 --- ---
Sodium carbonate .............. --- 2.5 ---
Sodium bisulfite .............. 0.5 --- ---
Potassium bromide ............. 0.5 0.9 0.5
Distilled water to make ....... 1.0 1.0 1.0 Litre​

Like others, I recommend the book, The Film Developing Cookbook (2nd ed).

Here is a traditional fine-grain formula published by Ilford in 1954. It's similar to Acufine, but has more sulfite to give finer grain.
"Fine grain developer for plates and films"

Sodium Sulphite (anhyd) .... 100 g
Hydroquinone ............... 5 g
Borax ...................... 2 g
Boric Acid ................. 1 g
Potassium Bromide .......... 1 g
Phenidone .................. 0.2 g
Water to make .............. 1 litre​

The large amount of sulfite dissolves grains more, giving finer grain.
Hydroquinone and Phenidone are developers that work together. "Superadditive" is the word describing such developer-partners.
Borax is an alkali (and so is Sulfite). Developers need an alkaline solution, so an alkali is called an "activator" in a developer.
Boric acid reduces alkalinity a little, and strengthens the buffering (stability of pH) of the solution.
Pot bromide is an anti-fogging chemical. I suggest omitting it, as modern films might have low enough fog without it.

Mark Overton

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

This one was developed in the Farber Acufine substitute-- https://www.photrio.com/forum/media/wollman-rink-noblex-6-150f.19321/

 

[john_s]

.......

.....Here is a traditional fine-grain formula published by Ilford in 1954. It's similar to Acufine, but has more sulfite to give finer grain.
"Fine grain developer for plates and films"

Sodium Sulphite (anhyd) .... 100 g
Hydroquinone ............... 5 g
Borax ...................... 2 g
Boric Acid ................. 1 g
Potassium Bromide .......... 1 g
Phenidone .................. 0.2 g
Water to make .............. 1 litre​

The large amount of sulfite dissolves grains more, giving finer grain.
Hydroquinone and Phenidone are developers that work together. "Superadditive" is the word describing such developer-partners.
Borax is an alkali (and so is Sulfite). Developers need an alkaline solution, so an alkali is called an "activator" in a developer.
Boric acid reduces alkalinity a little, and strengthens the buffering (stability of pH) of the solution.
Pot bromide is an anti-fogging chemical. I suggest omitting it, as modern films might have low enough fog without it.

Mark Overton

Yet another Ilford developer, in addition to ID-68, IRD and Autophen. Looks like it's a bit less alkaline, presumably leading to less grain.