Making and Using a Kodak PhotoFlo Stock Solution

[MattKing]

MattKing submitted a new resource:

Making and Using a Kodak Photo-flo Stock Solution - A convenient way to ensure the right concentration of Photo-flo

I always find it challenging to mix up small quantities of the 1:200 dilution prescribed for Kodak Photo-flo (the standard stuff - not the extra concentrated 1:600 stuff that labs use). If I'm trying to mix up 300 ml of working solution, I don't have a good way of accurately and repeatably and cheaply and easily measuring the necessary 1.5 ml of the concentrate. And I'm reluctant to solve the measurement challenge by mixing up larger quantities of working solution and keeping the unused...

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[mshchem]

Great idea. Really great idea. PhotoFlo gunks up plastic reels. It's a great product, most people that have problems with PF are simply using too much. 70% isopropyl is available at Walmart for a couple bucks.

 

[MattKing]

And 99% isopropyl alcohol is available in 4 bottle packs at Costco for just a few bucks more

 

[ic-racer]

Photoflo does not harm plastic or rubber, seems to preserve it in fact. So a ten-cent syringe like this can last years. Mine is about ten years old and the rubber is still pliable.

 

[ic-racer]

...cheaply and easily measuring the necessary 1.5 ml ...

1.5ml is a common measure in some settings, so special syringes with a stop at 1.5ml are also available for pennies.

 

[mshchem]

I still use my old little brown glass bottle, has a tiny metal lid, supposed to be 1 capful to 20 ounces of water. I use about half that for my RO water. I refill the little brown bottle. I have enough photo flo to make working solution for the next summer Olympics. People give me, Photoflo, hypo clear, stop bath, Dektol, XTOL or the Ecopro equivalent, C41,RA4. I pass it on to kids or use it. I haven't bought indicator stop bath since the late 70's, early 80's. The square plastic bottles. Dektol, Selectol etc, in cans is always good Dektol in the paper laminate bags is always bad.
Be careful with pure alcohol, it's flammable as hell. 70% is safer to handle (a bit lower vapor but flammable) , pure isopropyl is used in histology to dessicate tissue. As bad as acetone.

 

[removed account4]

1.5ml is a common measure in some settings, so special syringes with a stop at 1.5ml are also available for pennies.

View attachment 224480

they are FREE at the pharmacy.
it took me nearly 30 years to use up a bottle of PF, it just takes a couple of drops..

 

[markbau]

I've always used an eyedropper, 2 drops in 500ml of water seems to do the trick.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Thanks, Matt. I've always used isopropyl alcohol in the mix... I've never used Photo-Flo, though. I've always used Fujifilm's version, DryWell, which my sister-in-law sends over from Japan for me.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Great idea. Really great idea. PhotoFlo gunks up plastic reels. It's a great product, most people that have problems with PF are simply using too much. 70% isopropyl is available at Walmart for a couple bucks.

I remove the film from the reels and drums and put them in a plastic container with the diluted PhotoFlo. That keeps the reels and drums from getting gunked up.

 

[mshchem]

I remove the film from the reels and drums and put them in a plastic container with the diluted PhotoFlo. That keeps the reels and drums from getting gunked up.

I always use RO water and just a wee bit of PhotoFlo. I leave the film on the reels when I use the final rinse on all processes. I'm so fumble fingered at times. I am afraid of scratches or some other catastrophic incident. I learned as a kid not to use a freaking squeegee. If I need new reels I will buy them. I don't have a problem, but I use very little surfactant. I have some awesome Pako film clips, I air dry my film. Wash the reeks off in hot water when through.
I picked up a beautiful film dryer cabinet from my wonderful photo shop that closed. It works well, but mostly I've used it when processing a lot of film with friends.
I only dunk one reel at a time in a separate tank.
I like the idea of dilution with alcohol. What I might do is just dilute it to 30 or 50% and use a medicine dropper.

 

[guangong]

One conservative capful in a quart of water seems o.k. Been doing it this way for over 60 years. Swish film on reel for a couple seconds. When developing session ends, just pour down the drain. I find it helps maintain plumbing. A bottle lasts forever.

 

[Vaughn]

I have mentioned this before, but PhotoFlo200 and 600 are two different beasts. The PhotoFlo600 is toxic and the 200 is not.

I had a gallon of PhotoFlo2100 which is the same stuff as the 200. It (the 2100) would last the university darkroom until the end of film. I made a stock solution using 7 oz to make a gallon -- which in turn was used at 1oz to make a gallon of working solution. I had fun with the math to figure that all out!

I now see-saw my 120 film in a bowl of weak PhotoFlo200, sheet film is given light aggitation in a tray of PhotoFlo.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I remove the film from the reels and drums and put them in a plastic container with the diluted PhotoFlo. That keeps the reels and drums from getting gunked up.

I always use RO water and just a wee bit of PhotoFlo. I leave the film on the reels when I use the final rinse on all processes. I'm so fumble fingered at times. I am afraid of scratches or some other catastrophic incident. I learned as a kid not to use a freaking squeegee. If I need new reels I will buy them. I don't have a problem, but I use very little surfactant. I have some awesome Pako film clips, I air dry my film. Wash the reeks off in hot water when through.
I picked up a beautiful film dryer cabinet from my wonderful photo shop that closed. It works well, but mostly I've used it when processing a lot of film with friends.
I only dunk one reel at a time in a separate tank.
I like the idea of dilution with alcohol. What I might do is just dilute it to 30 or 50% and use a medicine dropper.

Jobo categorically states not to use PhotoFlo on its reels and drums. When the film is wet and your hands are wet, you will not scratch the film when removing film from reels or drums.

 

[mshchem]

Jobo categorically states not to use PhotoFlo on its reels and drums. When the film is wet and your hands are wet, you will not scratch the film when removing film from reels or drums.

I know and I categorically don't give a hoot in hell what Jobo says about surfactant. The most important thing about loading a Jobo reel is trimming the leading corners of the film you are loading. I use a 3 or 5 mm corner rounder. I don't have ANY trouble loading the reels. I just push the film on slicker than snot on a door knob.
Jobo reels are designed to hold the film loose, that's why the corner rounding is so important. I have absolutely no issues sliding two 120 films on the reels. As long as I use my corner rounder.
An Engineer friend of mine is always quoting the 2nd law of thermodynamics to me. Entropy, blah blah. Bottom line less times I handle it the less chance I have to screw up.