Minimizing Developer Contamination in Mixing Equipments

[Richard Man]

Hello. I do C-41, E6 and B&W development. With B&W, I use one solution and also sometimes two bath solutions.

So:
C-41 - Color developer
E6 - First Developer, Color Developer
B&W one-bath: Developer
B&W two-bath: Developer A, Developer B

So how should I minimize contamination in my mixing equipments? e.g.

Set A: C-41 CD, E6 CD ?, B&W One-bath Dev
Set B: E6 FD?,

Are the E6 chemicals in the right place? Where should I put the B&W two bath developers?

Thanks

 

[Neal]

Dear Richard,

I'm not 100% sure what you are asking. The vast majority of commercial chemicals used in the processes you mention are soluble in water. Good washing and rinsing techniques should prevent problems.

Neal Wydra

 

[bdial]

Rinsing is all I've ever done, and it works just fine, but you need to be anal about it.

OTH an accepted best practice is to use graduates and other gear that are dedicated for the sort of chemistry they are used with.

However, there is no particular reason that the BW developer gear cannot be shared, so that would be the E6 first dev, and the B&W one and two-bath. Then another for color dev and then yet another for everything else, with possibly one more for color bleaches.

No matter what, you need to rinse any of them thoroughly after using.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Usually a good rinse is all that is needed. However you can soak the equipment in a 1% solution of sodium carbonate (washing soda) and then rinse.