How To: Negs from a Grocery Store

[SteveH]

Thanks. I was thinking of the tylenol approach to development, and I usually use water for a stopbath (efke 25)...So the fixer was holding me back. But pool stores seem pretty common, maybe I'll give it a shot this evening (I wonder if Walmart carries it, I know they carry chlorine...). On second thought, I wonder if the stuff pet stores sell to get the chlorine out of aquarium water is sodium thiosulphate ?

 

[SteveH]

Also,
Any thoughts on subsitituting Ascorbic Acid in the place of the Sodium Sulfite ?

Thanks again.

 

[SteveH]

For the fixer, it looks like success CAN be found in the pet store; as I found this:
http://www.fritzpet.com/chlrem.html

"....sodium thiosulfated based solution..."

Now I just have to get the mixing quanities correct. Im thinking I'll start with 4 parts water with 1 part chlorine remover on a blank sheet of film and see what happens.

 

[srs5694]

Any thoughts on subsitituting Ascorbic Acid in the place of the Sodium Sulfite ?

You might find it informative to read Patrick Gainer's article on Unblinking Eye, Non-chromogenic Antiscorbutic Developers for Black-and-White (originally published in Darkroom & Creative Camera Techniques). He started thinking along those same lines and created some simple sulfite-free formulas -- but his developers use phenidone or metol. I'd speculate that it might be possible to do something similar using p-aminophenol derived from Tylenol, but I've not tried this, and I can't be sure it'd work.

On the same site, there's another Gainer formula described in a sidebar in Appreciating Rodinal. That formula includes p-aminophenol hydrochloride, ascorbic acid, sodium sulfite, and sodium hydroxide. I'm sure it'd be possible to create a Parodinal-style variant, but this formula does include sodium sulfite. I have no idea what the effect of eliminating it would be.

 

[Maine-iac]

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 ?

I won't speak for the fixer; you may have to get your thiosulfate and/or sulfite elsewhere than your grocery store. But it is very possible to get most of your developer ingredients there (if not at your "common" grocery store, then at your "natural foods" grocery store. I've been doing it for years.

Arm & Hammer Washing soda=sodium carbonate
Baking soda=sodium bicarbonate
(combined in a certain way--see Gainer's articles or posts on this-- you can make sodium metaborate)

Vitamin C crystals or powder=ascorbic acid.

90% isopropyl alcohol for dissolving and preserving your Phenidone.

Myself, I'd forget the Tylenol and just buy your Phenidone from Formulary or somewhere.

Larry

 

[jim appleyard]

Vitamin C crystals or powder=ascorbic acid.

Larry

Sometimes! I'm no chemist, but I recall reading here that there are several forms of Vit. C that are good for the body, but not so hot for developing.

My local health store sells a Vit. C powder that is good for me, but when mixed leaves a healthy amount of precipitate and doesn't do as good a job on film/paper that "proper forms" of Vit. C do. Others more knowledgeable in the specific names can fill us in.

 

[removed account4]

Sometimes! I'm no chemist, but I recall reading here that there are several forms of Vit. C that are good for the body, but not so hot for developing.

My local health store sells a Vit. C powder that is good for me, but when mixed leaves a healthy amount of precipitate and doesn't do as good a job on film/paper that "proper forms" of Vit. C do. Others more knowledgeable in the specific names can fill us in.

when i make my caffenol C
i use store brand washing soda
and whole foods vit. c. (THANKS WHITEY!)
i don't think there is much else in there and i have only had one
problem with coffee based developer

 

[srs5694]

Myself, I'd forget the Tylenol and just buy your Phenidone from Formulary or somewhere.

For most practical purposes (as opposed to the novelty value of being able to develop film using materials you buy at a grocery store), this is good advice. Keep in mind, too, that phenidone in particular is used in very small quantities, so a little bit goes a long way. To give an example, Mytol uses 0.15g per liter. If you dilute it 1+1 and use 250ml of working solution to develop a roll of film, that works out to 0.01875g per roll. Photographer's Formulary (to use the retailer you mention) sells 1 pound (453.6g) of phenidone for $78.74. That amount will then process 24,197 rolls of film. Assuming a (huge for hobbyist) 10 rolls a day photography "habit," that works out to a 6.6-year supply of phenidone for $78.74. Assuming a more sedate 1-roll-a-day shooting speed, your $78.74 purchase will last for 66 years. Of course, you can also buy phenidone in smaller quantities, if you're not looking a lifetime supply! If you just want to hedge your bets against photochemistry becoming hard to come by, you could stock up on phenidone and then plan on making simple formulas, such as PC-Glycol, using your stock of phenidone and locally-bought ingredients.

Of course, the quantities of other developing agents used in common formulas vary. Metol-based formulas typically use about ten times as much metol as phenidone-based formulas use phenidone, for instance. Thus, you might need to buy more of such agents if you want to use developers based around them.

IMHO, the main practical advantage of formulas like Caffeinol and Parodinal is for people who live in areas where phenidone, metol, and other such items are hard to find. A second advantage would be if you need to mix something up on the spot and on short notice for some reason.

 

[SteveH]

Another update:
Thanks to Ron, I will be finding my supply of sulfite and thiosulfite @ the local pool supply. While this isn't a grocery store item, pool supply houses are much more common than a photography supply store, so almost anywhere in the US there should be one close by.