Home replacement for photoflo

[wogster]

Is there anything at home that could be used as photoflow, if you don't have any? It's my week for dumb questions.

 

[Kirk Keyes]

Yeah, get some photoflow. If you use the wrong thing, you'll screw up your film.

If you are worried about water spots from minerals in your water, and you can't get some photoflow (like right now), get some distilled/deionized water and rinse your film in that as a final rinse, and then you shouldn't get any mineral deposits on your film.

 

[Anon Ymous]

Distilled water for the final wash and dry the film at a clean place. You can let hot water flow for some time at the bathtub and humidity will take care of the dust. I wouldn't bother using anything else.

 

[DutchShooter]

A DIY solution is using the quick-dry stuff for the dishwasher. It is (just like photo-flo) ionic surfactant in water without any additives (at least the one I have at home). 1 drop in 500mL is enough...

 

[Photo Engineer]

FYI, Photo Flo is Non-Ionic to minimize interaction with salts present in tap water.

PE

 

[DutchShooter]

Typo on my side, just look at the bottle and it says 10% anionic surfactants...

 

[Photo Engineer]

http://www.stcloudstate.edu/osh/msds/documents/PhotoFlo200Solution.pdf

Non-ionic according to the MSDS.

PE

 

[JBrunner]

I would probably do a rinse in distilled water. If anything did show up I could always wash again once I had photoflow, rather than chance my film with an untested solution. (hey, I made a pun!):d Well, unless I didn't care so much.

 

[brofkand]

I'd bet that Jet-dry is similar to photo-flo, but Jet-dry has colorants and probably other junk in it I wouldn't touch with my negatives.

Use Photo-Flo if you have issues with spotting. If you don't have issues, then just use plain tap water or distilled water. I personally don't have problems with spotting, so I don't use Photo-flo. Freestyle sells their brand of Photo-flo, and there are several other producers that make a similar product that is cheaper than Kodak's, but in reality you use the stuff in such high dilutions and it lasts so long that I would just buy Kodak to avoid any possible QC issues.

 

[removed account4]

i've never used anything but photoflo ..
i have a bottle i have been using since 1982

it seems to have been a lifetime supply

 

[Sirius Glass]

Distilled water for now, PhotoFlo when you can get it.

Distilled spirits tonight.

Steve

 

[Chazzy]

Is there anything at home that could be used as photoflow, if you don't have any? It's my week for dumb questions.

Any special reason you are avoiding buying one of the cheapest chemicals in photography? Used half-strength in distilled water, even a small bottle will last for years, unless you are processing a lot of film.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Wirelessly posted (BBBold: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Liquid dishsoap can replace Photo-Flo.

 

[removed account4]

Any special reason you are avoiding buying one of the cheapest chemicals in photography? Used half-strength in distilled water, even a small bottle will last for years, unless you are processing a lot of film.

wow, you use it half strength ?

i have a film processing tube or rack of film in a washer
and i use about 3 drops of the stuff .
i had a teacher who was militant about that stuff.
his TA was the only person allowed to photoflow people's flm
he poured a tiny bit in the cap and drizzled it in about 3 people's film ..

i guess it made an impression on me, cause i was a lab rat for a guy for a very
small amount of time, and he mixed it full strength as the bottle suggested ..
i had never seen that before, and thought he was crazy!

 

[removed account4]

Liquid dishsoap can replace Photo-Flo.

not sure about that ...

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

unless you want "soap scum" on your film

 

[wogster]

Any special reason you are avoiding buying one of the cheapest chemicals in photography? Used half-strength in distilled water, even a small bottle will last for years, unless you are processing a lot of film.

Yeah, because I don't know when I can get to a shop that has it, in the near term.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Wirelessly posted (BBBold: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Liquid dishsoap can replace Photo-Flo.

Nope, sorry.

Liquid soap contains scent and coloring matter. Both can leave scum and color on your film.

PE

 

[Photo Engineer]

Paul;

If you ever come to Rochester, I will give you 1 pint of Photo Flo 600 as a gift. You need it!

PE

 

[removed account4]

Nope, sorry.

Liquid soap contains scent and coloring matter. Both can leave scum and color on your film.

PE

i love that!

even after i posted the link, he said the exact same thing as he did before!

thanks ron!

john

 

[Sirius Glass]

Any special reason you are avoiding buying one of the cheapest chemicals in photography? Used half-strength in distilled water, even a small bottle will last for years, unless you are processing a lot of film.

OP said that he cannot pick it up until after the weekend.

Steve

 

[Photo Engineer]

i love that!

even after i posted the link, he said the exact same thing as he did before!

thanks ron!

john

I answered before I read the reference. I tend to shorten my answers after the 50th or 100th repeat of the same old question!

Glad you remembered it.

Thanks.

PE

 

[Christopher Walrath]

Wirelessly posted (BBBold: BlackBerry9000/4.6.0.167 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102 UP.Link/6.3.0.0.0)

Then I will stand corrected.

 

[MattKing]

i've never used anything but photoflo ..
i have a bottle i have been using since 1982

it seems to have been a lifetime supply

John:

I just finished my bottle from 1967 or so - so not a lifetime ....

Matt

 

[Sirius Glass]

John:

I just finished my bottle from 1967 or so - so not a lifetime ....

Matt

Now would not be a good time for you to step in front of a moving bus. Instead, get a second lifetime by buying another bottle of PhotoFlo.

Steve

 

[MattKing]

Now would not be a good time for you to step in front of a moving bus. Instead, get a second lifetime by buying another bottle of PhotoFlo.

Steve

Steve:

Already did - a year ago!

Matt