Hardening after developing?

[likemarlonbrando]

I just developed a roll of efke kb25 and midway through realized i was out of the kodak fixer with hardener so I used the non-hardening ilford stuff. Hoping it would be ok I continued. Long story short, I cut off the leader after developing and scratched the emulsion off quite easily. The film is drying now Is there any way to harden after the fact? maybe get some kodak fixer and re fix for a minute or two? or do I just need to be realy careful?

 

[jeffreyg]

I never use hardener but also avoid touching wet film except on the leader. Handle dry film with cotton gloves and still try to avoid touching the image.

 

[CuS]

i also avoid hardener - except for tray-processed 4x5 film - hardener makes my 35mm films curl like the letter 'C'

i hate it when that happens.

 

[nworth]

You can use a separate hardening bath after the developer for those few films that require it. Hardening stop baths used to be pretty common. Allow enough time for the hardening to be effective. Here are a couple of examples:

Stop/Hardening bath #3
Sodium acetate (anh) 20 g
Potassium alum 30 g
Acetic acid (glacial) 10 ml
WTM 1 l

Defender 2-S Chrome Alum Hardener and Stop Bath for Film
Water 500 ml
Potassium chrome alum 15 g
Acetic acid (28%) 24 ml
WTM 1 l
Treat films 3 to 5 minutes.
Color changes from violet-blue to green on exhaustion.

AR-2 Hardening Stop Bath
Originally used in the GAF AR-2 process for reversal motion picture film. This stop bath is both buffered and hardening.
Potassium alum 20 g
Sodium sulfate (anh) 20 g
Boric acid 4 g
Sodium acetate (anh) 25 g
Acetic acid (glacial) 12 ml
Water to make 1 l
Ref: Dignan Photographic Newsletter, November 1975

 

[likemarlonbrando]

Thanks for the info nworth I appreciate that info and im sure it will come in handy, i was more looking for something after fixing/photoflowing/drying.

 

[Vaughn]

The emulsion will harden some on its own as it dries and cures over a few days. Check the hardness on that leader if you still have it around to see if it hardens enough to be handled for enlargement, etc..

Vaughn

 

[Ian Grant]

I nearly always used a hardener with Adox/EFKE films before I began using Pyrocat, Pyrocatechun has a tanning effect so helps harden the emulsion slightly.

But in the past I'd add a couple of drops of Formaldehyde in the developer or us a Chrome alum stop bath, but the films were far softer then, they have a degree of hardening now.

If I were to use mainly Adox/EFKE films then I'd definitely use a hardening fixer, but my useage is sporadic.

Ian

 

[nworth]

Thanks for the info nworth I appreciate that info and im sure it will come in handy, i was more looking for something after fixing/photoflowing/drying.

You can use something like Kodak liquid hardener (the hardener that goes with Kodak rapid fixer) as either a hardening stop bath or as a hardener in the fixer. It is acidic, and it will change the pH of the fixer, which may change performance. As a stop bath, just dilute it to the same volume as the equivalent amount of fixer.

You can also use a formaldehyde or alum base hardener after fixing. Here are a couple:

Kodak SH-6a hardener
Water 1 l
Calgon 750 ml
Sodium carbonate (mono) 8.8 g
Foraldehyde (37%) 25.5 ml

Kodak F-53 hardener
Water 600 ml
Sodium sulfite 50 g
Acetic acid (glacial) 75 ml
Potassium alum 100 g
WTM 1 l