How To: Negs from a Grocery Store

SteveH · Nov 2, 2006

All,
Im not quite sure why Im on this whim...But here we go:
I want to be able to have the option of developing film at anytime, anywhere (que 007 music...). So, what are some formulas that I can make; using items found only at the common grocery store ? Im not even sure if this is really possible....but...
Paracetamol could be made using Tylenol tablets, Lye, and _______. I need to find a substitute/source for NaSO3 (Sodium Sulfite). I know of the caffenol recipe too; but I tend to shy away from staining developers.
The stopbath can be vinegar. Other suggestions ?
As for the fixer, Im at a loss. I think this may be the sand in the gearbox.

Thoughts ?

SteveH · Nov 2, 2006

Oh...I *guess* if I have to stop at the drug store, that would be OK too

Markok765 · Nov 2, 2006

have a small bottle (100ml) of rodinal for developer.
dont know about fixer

SteveH · Nov 2, 2006

Thanks, I would have never thought of that :rolleyes:

glbeas · Nov 2, 2006

Some of the chlorine removing chems at the pool supply are sodium sulfite and sodium thiosulfate, check your nearest pool supply and see what they have available, and see if they have the MSDS sheets for the ones you can't tell by the label, the info will be on them.

Nick Zentena · Nov 2, 2006

I bet you can use beer for stop -)

gainer · Nov 2, 2006

Upon occasion, I carry a bottle of developer concentrate and a bottle of TF4 fixer concentrate. I use a 250 ml tank for 35 mm which does one roll, or maybe two if you have mastered the black art of loading two in the same reel back-to-back. At the end of development, I dump an ounce of developer and add an ounce of TF4 concentrate. Agitate vigorously for 2 or 3 minutes, inspect to make sure the film has cleared, and dump the chemicals.

removed account4 · Nov 2, 2006

SteveH said:
All,
Im not quite sure why Im on this whim...But here we go:
I want to be able to have the option of developing film at anytime, anywhere (que 007 music...). So, what are some formulas that I can make; using items found only at the common grocery store ? Im not even sure if this is really possible....but...
Paracetamol could be made using Tylenol tablets, Lye, and _______. I need to find a substitute/source for NaSO3 (Sodium Sulfite). I know of the caffenol recipe too; but I tend to shy away from staining developers.
The stopbath can be vinegar. Other suggestions ?
As for the fixer, Im at a loss. I think this may be the sand in the gearbox.

Thoughts ?

hi steve

didn't some people use seawater as fixer ?
i don't know where i read that ...

good luck!
john

jim appleyard · Nov 2, 2006

I've read where the navy used seawater to fix film during WWII aboard subs as fresh water was in ever short supply. Apparently it works, but *SLOWLY*.

I think you'll have to bite the bullet and buy fix. I've read on other threads that fix cannot be easily duped with "home" ingredients.

Zathras · Nov 2, 2006

jim appleyard said:
I've read where the navy used seawater to fix film during WWII aboard subs as fresh water was in ever short supply. Apparently it works, but *SLOWLY*.

I think you'll have to bite the bullet and buy fix. I've read on other threads that fix cannot be easily duped with "home" ingredients.

The Navy used seawater to WASH films and papers, followed by a short rinse in fresh water. During the war, it was discovered that the prints and films washed in seawater actually washed more thoroughly than film and prints washed in fresh water only, at shore based labs. The resulting photos were found to be more resistant to fading and yellowing, prompting a chemical analysys of seawater that resulted in the formulation of hypo-clearing agents such as KHCA and Perma-Wash. At least that's what I was told in Navy Photo School back in the late '70s.

Mike Sullivan

David A. Belew · Nov 2, 2006

Zathras said:
The Navy used seawater to WASH films and papers, followed by a short rinse in fresh water. During the war, it was discovered that the prints and films washed in seawater actually washed more thoroughly than film and prints washed in fresh water only, at shore based labs. The resulting photos were found to be more resistant to fading and yellowing, prompting a chemical analysys of seawater that resulted in the formulation of hypo-clearing agents such as KHCA and Perma-Wash. At least that's what I was told in Navy Photo School back in the late '70s.

Mike Sullivan

This is correct.
One of my friends was on one of Steichen's photo teams in WWII. Unfortunately, he recently passed away (at age 96). He actually learned
of this process while a Merchant Marine officer prior to WWII. Pictures he had taken in Japan a month before 12/41 and submitted to the Navy resulted in his being drafted into the Navy as a photographer.

eric · Nov 2, 2006

jnanian said:
hi steve

didn't some people use seawater as fixer ?
i don't know where i read that ...

john

A few years ago, I read on one of the alt-photo mailing lists, that someone processed film with Charles River water.

greybeard · Nov 2, 2006

There is (or was) a fairly extensive discussion of nontraditional developer formulation on the unblinkingeye.com site. You could also check the alternative processes forum on photo.net; the topic has come up there at least once. (Not sure if there has been anything recently, since both sites are blocked where I work and are too complex to be worth following on the dialup line from home.)

eric · Nov 2, 2006

eric said:
A few years ago, I read on one of the alt-photo mailing lists, that someone processed film with Charles River water.

Oh let me add, I've also read that some people have success with Tea developer and Coffee developer.

Alex Bishop-Thorpe · Nov 2, 2006

Coffee Deveoper's pretty effective actually...as for fixer, I've heard salt water doesnt actually do anything in the fixing process. Are there any alternatives to Hypo at all? I've been curious about this for a while myself.

jim appleyard · Nov 2, 2006

Mike, thanks for correcting me on that point.

BrianShaw · Nov 2, 2006

eric said:
A few years ago, I read on one of the alt-photo mailing lists, that someone processed film with Charles River water.

Which part of the Charles -- above the Waltham dam or below?

szazs · Nov 2, 2006

re: Negs from a Grocery Store

Steve - I asked pretty much the same question here several months ago. From what I could glean you have to go with sodium thiosulfate as a fixer; salt water is a wish at best. Pool supply houses, like for municipal pools, carry it as a dechlorinator. There are a million things (well...) that you can use as developer (swamp water), but sodium thio is your fixer...

removed account4 · Nov 2, 2006

thanks for correcting me regarding the seawater!
i knew it was used for something, just a matter of
remembering what

szazs · Nov 3, 2006

jnanian said:
thanks for correcting me regarding the seawater!
i knew it was used for something, just a matter of
remembering what

You did read that seawater was used for fixer (a long time ago), so did I. I thought I was really onto something. The consensus from the gentle/wise souls here was that it would take a real loooong time to do any "fixing", and it wouldn't really be "fixed", as in "not going to fade." Nuts; that would be too easy now, wouldn't it?

removed account4 · Nov 3, 2006

eric said:
A few years ago, I read on one of the alt-photo mailing lists, that someone processed film with Charles River water.

that's pretty cool!
i've heard of making salt prints out of sea water ... but not processing film in charles river water

-- john

PhotoPete · Nov 4, 2006

jnanian said:
that's pretty cool!
i've heard of making salt prints out of sea water ... but not processing film in charles river water

-- john

John-

If someone will let me know which side of the dam to draw from, I'll bottle you some today.

SteveH · Nov 4, 2006

Hehe, if I tried to process anything in the Delaware river, I think the polymer base would dissolve

JBrunner · Nov 4, 2006

Markok765 said:
have a small bottle (100ml) of rodinal for developer.
dont know about fixer

Although you can't get either from a grocery store, a premeasured amount of a concentrated developer(liquid or powder), and a premeasured amount of a concentrated fixer(liquid or powder), a minute amount of wetting agent and a decent water source(stop and wash) would be all you need. Sort of a one shot processing kit. Make up as many as you think you will need, or are willing to carry.

fhovie · Nov 6, 2006

Caffinol - is instant coffee and washing soda (sodium Carbonate)- both from the grocery store - I don't remember how many spoons of each - does tri-x in 18 minutes I think. Fixer is pool chlorine reducer (sodium Thiosulphate) - have to go to a pool store I think - most grocery stores only carry a few pool chems and this usually is not one of them. Sodium Carbinate is also often pool - Ph up. So - it is quite feasable to do grocery store film developing. It will likely be a little low on the contrast and will be a stained neg.

How To: Negs from a Grocery Store

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