Homebrew wetting agent?

[Monday317]

Well yeah; I’m not a user, either.

About four drops of Tween 20 and a half-cup of isopropyl alcohol in a gallon of distilled water from Walmart would probably do a decent job, but LFN has never let me down. No need to brew up my own, thank you...

 

[Photo Engineer]

The WW Fluid has a blue dye in it around here. DON'T USE ANYTHING WITH DYES IN IT!!!

The dye will remain in the film at whatever level used in the mix.

Rubbing alcohol contains a material that precipitates out in water. To check this out, add some to water and if it turns cloudy, DO NOT USE IT. However, additives vary around the world, so this may not be true as the blue dye above may not hold everywhere.

Just TWEEN 20 will do.

PE

 

[mshchem]

Do not use Calgon! Do not use Formladehyde. It was only used for color and has been replaced.

The ingredients in Photo Flo are non-toxic at the common dilutions used in processing. In fact, the Propylene Glycol is used in the dairy industry as a cooling agent due to its low toxicity. Of course, no raw organic chemical is good for you, but it is as safe as is practical at use dilution.

Fomaflo from the Formulary is good stuff.

PE

True story propylene glycol is a food additive. I couldn't believe it first time I read the label on soft cookies, used in ice cream. It's in a lot of junk food.

 

[mshchem]

I am a minor toxic waste dump. People always bring me left over darkroom chemicals. I have at least 7 bottles of photo flo. I usually end up with stop bath, wetting agents, hypo clear and old stinky fixer. What I don't use I give to newbies.

 

[Monday317]

The WW Fluid has a blue dye in it around here. DON'T USE ANYTHING WITH DYES IN IT!!!

The dye will remain in the film at whatever level used in the mix.

Rubbing alcohol contains a material that precipitates out in water. To check this out, add some to water and if it turns cloudy, DO NOT USE IT. However, additives vary around the world, so this may not be true as the blue dye above may not hold everywhere.

Just TWEEN 20 will do.

PE

Whatta killjoy!

Maybe some tween 20 and a dash of Everclear? In fact, you could just omit the Tween 20. And the water.

This anti-fog solution, ingested undiluted, would take the pain out of finding one had blown an important roll of film trying to use WD-40 to keep water from it. I don’t know if that would work, but with enough ethanol, anything is possible!

 

[ruilourosa]

what about the anti fungical and anti bacterial properties of tetenal mirasol? how could we arrange that in a home brew? phenol?
thanks!

 

[RalphLambrecht]

My crystal ball tells me that I'll eventually be using chems mixed from bulk ingredients exclusively. I'd like to wean myself off Photoflo. The whole "pouring formaldihyde down the drain" thing, not to mention covering my negs with something after they're all "clean" from the wash is something to which I'd like to explore alternatives.

Is there a homebrew wetting agent out there? I think I remember there's some folks who just give their film a distilled water rinse, then hang it to dry. What are the procedural and chemical alternatives to photoflo?

-KwM-

[added later]
Should have done a search first. Found (there was a url link here which no longer exists), where non photoflo folks seem to use a combo of distilled/filtered water, isopropal alchohol and something called LFN. What's LFN?

there are some alternatives but most use a bit of Triton 100; not sure if that makes it any safer. Why not stock up on Photoflo? the stuff will last you forever because you need so little. BYW, that may also be the solution to your concerns. Use Photoflow200 aas 1+400; it will still do the job and cut down on possible contamination a subsequent dip in distilled water and Bob's your uncle.

 

[Photo Engineer]

what about the anti fungical and anti bacterial properties of tetenal mirasol? how could we arrange that in a home brew? phenol?
thanks!

You do not need an anti "bug" additive for B&W films. Silver itself is a powerful biostat. The situation is different for color film where all of the Silver is removed.

This is a common misconception, that B&W films need the same treatment as color.

PE

 

[Monday317]

This is a common misconception, that B&W films need the same treatment as color.

PE

If you say so, sir.... Personally, I refrain from self-developing color due to the high PITA factor, and just send it out.

I’m perfectly willing to screw up my monochrome on my own, since it’s easier to do...

 

[Photo Engineer]

And I avoid driving through Pittsburgh, especially in snow!

PE

 

[Agulliver]

Tween 20 would probably work at about 1 drop / liter.

PE

I've used Tween 20, probably a little stronger than 1 drop per litre but it does work. Not as good as Photo-Flo nor as good as the recipe I quoted above....but if you happen to have Tween 20 to hand, it does the job.

 

[Arklatexian]

True story propylene glycol is a food additive. I couldn't believe it first time I read the label on soft cookies, used in ice cream. It's in a lot of junk food.

Well all of you have convinced me. No more PhotoFlo after this bottle is gone. At the current use rate, I should be 140 years old at that time.........Regards!

 

[Monday317]

And I avoid driving through Pittsburgh, especially in snow!

PE

Very wise—especially the darn near vertical Capitol Avenue hill!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Hah, I know of a few more. Louie Anaskevich was clocked at 300 MPH down one, but it turned out to be a metal garbage can from his truck that triggered the radar.

If you don't get that try Greasy Thumb McGilligan, or Carmen Monoxide and Carl.

More later.

PE

 

[Monday317]

Oh, there’s no doubt Pittsburgh has its fair share of Darwin Award contestants.

Been around here much? I pegged you as a Ninth Ward denizen from Roch-a-cha...

 

[Photo Engineer]

I'm a native of the Pittsburgh area. Lived there on and off for about 25 years.

IDK where the 9th ward of Rochester even is.

BTW, my comments are from Rege Cordic, a noted Pittsburgh comic and radio host. Look him up. His humor should never be lost.

PE

 

[Ian Grant]

I've used Tween 20, probably a little stronger than 1 drop per litre but it does work. Not as good as Photo-Flo nor as good as the recipe I quoted above....but if you happen to have Tween 20 to hand, it does the job.

Many years ago I bought the stock of specialist Photo Chemicals from my lab supplier, it had been a speciality of the owners late father and they'd publish a specific photo chemical list. They sold Wetting agent, essentially this was Tween 20 and IPA plus some distilled water.

Ian

 

[RalphLambrecht]

The WW Fluid has a blue dye in it around here. DON'T USE ANYTHING WITH DYES IN IT!!!

The dye will remain in the film at whatever level used in the mix.

Rubbing alcohol contains a material that precipitates out in water. To check this out, add some to water and if it turns cloudy, DO NOT USE IT. However, additives vary around the world, so this may not be true as the blue dye above may not hold everywhere.

Just TWEEN 20 will do.

PE

I will defiately give that a try.

 

[Ian Grant]

The WW Fluid has a blue dye in it around here. DON'T USE ANYTHING WITH DYES IN IT!!!

The dye will remain in the film at whatever level used in the mix.

Rubbing alcohol contains a material that precipitates out in water. To check this out, add some to water and if it turns cloudy, DO NOT USE IT. However, additives vary around the world, so this may not be true as the blue dye above may not hold everywhere.

Just TWEEN 20 will do.

PE

Rubbing alcohol as sold in a chemists shop (pharmacy/drug store) may also have deliberate trace oils in them, I had a discussion about this with a pharmacist many years ago who warned me not to use it for photographic uses. So I agree with you, unless the user knows it's pure IPA then don't use it.

If you can get un-dyed methylated spirits that will work as well. I buy Meths and leave it in direct sunlight to bleach the dye, or filter through active charcoal however I'm using it for French polish to restore wood/brass cameras.

Ian

 

[Monday317]

I'm a native of the Pittsburgh area. Lived there on and off for about 25 years.

IDK where the 9th ward of Rochester even is.

BTW, my comments are from Rege Cordic, a noted Pittsburgh comic and radio host. Look him up. His humor should never be lost.

PE

We shouldn’t hijack the thread over geography trivia, but neither is it a surprise you are familiar with the old Yellow Box HQ. The 9th is on the west side not far from the airport.

I’ll look into this Cordic or Kodak or whomever, but for serious comedy, Dangerfield always busted my hump.

Just finished some GAS for an RB67 system to do The Steeler Capitol justice, and got a new copy of The Negative (not reference much by a lot of current practitioners, if much of what I see on Flickr is any indication...) to refresh some lost photo files in my memory. Giving Germain Fine Grain a shot with Fomapan & T-Max for openers.

 

[Photo Engineer]

I'm about 1 mile from the lake on the west side.

Best wishes.

PE

 

[Agulliver]

Many years ago I bought the stock of specialist Photo Chemicals from my lab supplier, it had been a speciality of the owners late father and they'd publish a specific photo chemical list. They sold Wetting agent, essentially this was Tween 20 and IPA plus some distilled water.

Ian

Sounds plausible. I might give that a go too as I have a bottle of Tween 20 at work which has been knocking around for about 30 years. The only time it was used was when I experimented using a few drops as wetting agent for film. Effectively free wetting agent for me

 

[ruilourosa]

i have seen fungi in BW negatives... is there anything i can put in the wetting agent to avoid it?

 

[MattKing]

i have seen fungi in BW negatives... is there anything i can put in the wetting agent to avoid it?

Fungi are of course different from bacteria.
Hmm - what sort of anti-fungal agent be harmless for film?

 

[darkroommike]

Many years ago I bought the stock of specialist Photo Chemicals from my lab supplier, it had been a speciality of the owners late father and they'd publish a specific photo chemical list. They sold Wetting agent, essentially this was Tween 20 and IPA plus some distilled water.

Ian

To be clear, IPA = isopropyl alcohol and not India Pale Ale?