How to tell if this is developer

[mistercody]

Hi,

I am at a shared lab, and I am not sure this tub is filled with fresh developer or if water is sitting in it for cleaning. It seems rather clear and colorless, and I can't smell anything (though I am a bit congested). I sometimes notice that dried drops of developer turn white on some surfaces, so I tried this, but I am not seeing that happen as it dries.

Is there any sure fire way to tell if this is developer (D76 1:1 by the way). I'm not up to tasting this.

 

[removed account4]

you could do a clip test ..
take a piece of film like the leader of 35mm film
( it doesn't need to be a big piece ! )
or even a clipping of photo paper ...

in room light, put some of the mystery- liquid on it
and see if it ( film or paper ) turns color / darkens &C
water won't do anything ...

good luck !
( and good luck with your allergies ! )
john

 

[mistercody]

Thank you good sir. I should have though of that. I took a test strip of some RC paper, and lo and behold the paper turned purple and dark. Off to develop. Thanks again.

 

[Newt_on_Swings]

clip test is probably the best bet, but then you shouldnt be taking your chances on developer you dont even know.

not sure if its just me, but developer on the hands always feels a bit slimy too

 

[brucemuir]

clip test is probably the best bet, but then you shouldnt be taking your chances on developer you dont even know.

not sure if its just me, but developer on the hands always feels a bit slimy too

yep.
dev is usually slippery between the fingers and stop/fix will be squeaky/rough.

 

[yeknom02]

yep.
dev is usually slippery between the fingers and stop/fix will be squeaky/rough.

Just curious... is this due to the pH of the developer and stop/fix, respectively? Or is there more complex reasoning?

 

[brucemuir]

I think it is PH related but not entirely sure.
I had a adjunct professor teach me this trick so hopefully it holds up.
For stuff like D76 it's pretty easy to tell.

IDK if some other developers it is as easily distinguishable.

 

[MattKing]

Neither suggested test will tell you which developer it is, or how dilute it is, or how much capacity might remain.

Personally, I wouldn't risk film in it. Printing paper might be fine, because one can always reprint.

 

[Bob-D659]

Alkalies feel slippery, it's due to the way they attack the tissue. Most developers are alkaline, but not all.

 

[mistercody]

Knowing what developer it was wasn't a problem. This shared lab only fills the tank with D-76 1:1. It was just a matter of whether it was developer. It was filled higher than usual, so I was curious if it was soaking with water. Guess it was a fresh batch. The clip test proved good, and the roll turned out just fine. I appreciate the quick replies to this subject, everyone is always so willing to help. It is wonderful.

 

[2F/2F]

The sure fire way would have been to have asked someone who knew what was in the tub.

 

[Chirs Gregory]

The sure fire way would have been to have asked someone who knew what was in the tub.

That's assuming anyone actually did know. My high school photo lab frequently had huge tanks of "Dektol" that ended up being either water or fixer. And that problem was compounded by the fact that half the people responsible for mixing chemicals had no idea what the different ones did.

"You pour the stuff in first to fix the picture up, then you dump hypo in to develop and then you stop it with that jug of clearing stuff, right?"

I know this isn't the digital forum, but can anyone help me reboot my brain?