Kodak Flexicolour Fixer for B&W

[Stan160]

Just picked up a pair of 2x5L packs of Flexicolour Fixer in Jessops clearance (and a very good deal on MGIV FB matt paper ).

I've already seen past threads on APUG that confirm this fixer works fine for B&W film and paper, but obviously Kodak don't provide any documentation on usage with B&W materials.

I know how to test the clearing time for film, but not sure how to test paper. Normally I use Hypam, can I make the assumption that if (for example) clearing time is the same for a given type of film for the Kodak and Ilford fixers, then paper fixing time, using the same dilution as the film, will also be equivalent? If the film clearing times are different, can I scale the paper fixing times in proportion?

Thanks,
Ian

 

[Tom Kershaw]

Ian,

Do you have the Kodak catalog code for the flexicolour fixer?

Tom

 

[Stan160]

Hi Tom,

Catalog number is 527 6613.

Thanks,
Ian

 

[fschifano]

I use the stuff all time. It is my standard fixer for just about everything. It's fast, and it lasts a long time, and as you've learned, is inexpensive to boot.

For B&W work, I dilute it to half the normal working strength and find that it still works fine. Use it just the same as you would any other rapid fixer and it will be fine. A little more time in the fixer than necessary won't do any harm, so if you err on the side of caution, that's good too.

 

[L Gebhardt]

I just tested this for the first time this evening. It fully cleared the paper (Polymax Fine Art) after 20 seconds, so I will use 20 secs in each fixing bath. It seems to take much longer to wash out than TF4. 60 minutes seems about the minimum to get a clean spot with a residual hypo test.

I mixed up 12oz concentrate to make 64oz of working strength, which is about what the bottle recommended for film. I'l probably try half strength next.

I really like the low odor compared to TF4. The long wash times are not so nice. The cost is certainly right.

 

[john_s]

.......It seems to take much longer to wash out than TF4. 60 minutes seems about the minimum to get a clean spot with a residual hypo test.

I mixed up 12oz concentrate to make 64oz of working strength, which is about what the bottle recommended for film. I'l probably try half strength next.

I really like the low odor compared to TF4. The long wash times are not so nice. The cost is certainly right.

I wonder why the washing time would be very different.

The strength of these liquid fixers is pretty much the same. They are nearly entirely ammonium thiosulphate and they have about the same specific gravity (=concentration). The other ingredients are sulphite, metabisulphite etc.

The pH of the colour fixers is close to neutral (Kodak just a little on the acid side, Agfa and Fuji just on the alkaline side) so I wouldn't expect much difference.

FWIW, Agfa in Australia (just before their demise) started labelling Universal Fixer (i.e. colour fixer) with dilutions for black and white. Copy attached.

 

[L Gebhardt]

I wonder why the washing time would be very different.

The strength of these liquid fixers is pretty much the same. They are nearly entirely ammonium thiosulphate and they have about the same specific gravity (=concentration). The other ingredients are sulphite, metabisulphite etc.

The pH of the colour fixers is close to neutral (Kodak just a little on the acid side, Agfa and Fuji just on the alkaline side) so I wouldn't expect much difference.

FWIW, Agfa in Australia (just before their demise) started labelling Universal Fixer (i.e. colour fixer) with dilutions for black and white. Copy attached.

I am guessing it's due to the different pH of Flexicolor fixer. I don't have a pH meter, but I hear it's more neutral compared to the alkaline TF4.

Or it could be that all my washing times have gone up for some reason, and I didn't catch that when I was last printing with TF4. I don't test these things that often, and I usually at least soak most most prints for an hour or more. I also last tested wash times for Forte papers, so that could be another difference. Given my less than consistent testing methodology I can't say for sure if things are really different. I do know I need to wash this paper 60 minutes with this fixer (or use hypo clear and retest the time).