hypo clearing agent

andrewmetz · Oct 31, 2008

I would like to ask if you can reuse hypo clearing agent with film. After I fix and rinse I add hypo clearing agent for about 2 minutes and then wash for about 10 minutes. Can the solution be reused safely? If so, how many rolls can I reuse it on?
Thanks for any info

Vaughn · Oct 31, 2008

When rinsing between fix and HCA, a quart of HCA working solution can treat 35 to 50 rolls of 35mm 36-exp film. Keeping time in a capped bottle should be at least a month.

Vaughn

bill spears · Oct 31, 2008

In theory, yes, but hypo clear is not generally used for film anyway. It washes sufficiently well in fresh running water or using the Ilford method of tank inversions of frequently changed water. Hypo clear is usually for FB paper because it absorbs alot of fixer. It converts the fixer into a more soluble compound so washing is more efficient.

Bil

kodachrome64 · Oct 31, 2008

Yes, it's not necessary for film. Just use the Ilford wash method and all will be fine. Contrary to what you may read, you don't have to leave your film under running water for 30 minutes and then use HCA for 10 minutes. A few changes of water and the correct number of inversions will yield archival results.

Nick

jgcull · Oct 31, 2008

>>>In theory, yes, but hypo clear is not generally used for film anyway.<<<

It's not? I always use it. Not necessary? I'd love to skip a step!

Jeff L · Oct 31, 2008

I was always taught to wash the film for an hour.... I now use hypo clearing agent and wash for 5 minutes. I am glad to hear that my films are in fact, well washed. Any other info I would read and welcome.
Thanks,
Jeff

rwyoung · Oct 31, 2008

Switch to TF4 (or make your own TF3) fixer and speed things along even more.

T Hoskinson · Oct 31, 2008

I use 20 grams of sodium sulfite per liter of water as a one-shot wash aid for fiber prints - cheap, easy and effective.

kodachrome64 · Oct 31, 2008

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry 8300: BlackBerry8300/4.5.0.55 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

jgcull said:
>>>In theory, yes, but hypo clear is not generally used for film anyway.<<<

It's not? I always use it. Not necessary? I'd love to skip a step!

Well, you can skip a step because it's not necessary for film. It can't hurt, but it's not necessary. Either is washing film under running water. Fix your film well and use the Ilford wash method for inversion tanks and you will be good to go. This has been proven in lab tests but I can't search for the findings from my phone.

Nick

Robert Hall · Oct 31, 2008

I use it for film for 2 reasons. First is it's a safety net. I use it for 2 minutes after fixing, then I wash for 6 minutes, constant changes of water. (I use a jobo). If you can find simple sodium sulfite, it is much cheaper than HCA from Kodak. If you want to go the whole 9 yards, you can ad a few grams of Sodium Metabisulfite to balance the PH. Some think it keeps film from curling a bit. I develop sheet film and have no such issues.

To answer your other question, HCA is good in the tray for up to 4 hours. It oxidizes quite quickly to sulfate and for practical purposes stops working. If you want to make up a batch from scratch with just sulfite and metabisulfite to about a 10x strength and then keep it in an airtight container it can last for a few months. One could then mix that as a 1+9 working solution. See Steve Anchell's Darkroom cookbook for the formula.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...s_9780240804231__Book_Darkroom_Cookbook_.html

I use whatever precautions I can on my negatives as it is always easier to make another print, but I happen to have several negatives which can never be replaced.

Use your best judgment.

Regards,

removed account4 · Oct 31, 2008

i'm with robert ..
i have been using perma wash with film and prints
for years, and see no reason why i shouldn't.
i use a rapid fix as well ...

dancqu · Oct 31, 2008

Mine is a relaxed somewhat protracted Ilford sequence;
three changes of Room temperature water. Each change
receives some agitation. In between I tend to lab cleanup
and shelving. Relax. Save water. Three changes will do
the job and room temperature water will clear more
thoroughly and in no more time. Dan

Nicholas Lindan · Oct 31, 2008

andrewmetz said:
I would like to ask if you can reuse hypo clearing agent.

I don't. I find the stuff goes off very quickly once it is diluted to working strength. KHCA is cheap even if you buy it from Kodak. It is very cheap if you use just S. Sulfite bought in bulk. I use the DIY formula with S. Metabisulfite and S. Citrate (+ EDTA) and find it results in faster complete washing as compared to just S. Sulfite. If the hypo clear doesn't feel very 'soapy' it has gone bad.

A big plus of using KHCA with negatives is that it washes the purple dye out of TMax films. I don't like over-fixing just to get the dye out, nor do I like overwashing. Only ten minutes or so of washing are needed to wash the fix out of film, with or without a wash aid.

I have had bad experience with PermaWash/Orbit/etc.: the stock doesn't last very long - a few months at most - and there is no indication that it has gone off. If you use one of these be sure to use a residual fixer test to insure the product is still working. But even with a fresh newly opened bottle of PermaWash or Orbit I find KHCA results in half the wash time of these 'miracle' products.

fschifano · Oct 31, 2008

I've found HCA, or any other sodium sufite based wash aid, completely unnecessary for both film and for RC papers. The Ilford wash method is more than sufficient to clear the film of any residual fixer. I don't really have much of a problem with TMax films and residual dyes either. Overfixing isn't necessary, though it can be difficult to remove the dyes if your fixer is near exhaustion. TMax dyes will completely leach out of the film with nothing more than an extended version of the Ilford wash method. It is important to use water at processing temperature or perhaps a little warmer. I run all my B&W film processing at 75F instead of 68F, and at that temperature, the dye leaches out more quickly.

hypo clearing agent

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