Mixing B&W chemicals from scratch.

arriflex · Oct 25, 2006

Hi Film crew! I've just joined this forum - I live in UK and have been home processing film and photos since 1975. I just started mixing my own equivalent of Kodak D76. Developed a film, Ilford FP4. Perfect results. But...can anyone tell me why the developer is cloudy? It's a fresh brew and I'm using it as a stock solution so I can't understand why it's cloudy. I'm pleased the negs came out to my liking as this is something new I've been wanting to try. This is a great site, I was starting to think film was becoming a thing of the past. I've got nothing against digital manipulation but I much prefer to have the original pictures on film.

Dave Miller · Oct 25, 2006

I cannot answer your question, but welcome to the forum.

arriflex · Oct 25, 2006

Thanks for the quick response Dave. I just had a look at the pics you've got on English Eye. Stunning! I use a Bronica GS1 and shall have to start doing some B&W landscapes. Most of my work is Female Models and Railways. Must try some of that landscape stuff.

Bob F. · Oct 25, 2006

Hi there from London...

Would probably need more details to be sure, but it sounds like something did not go fully in to solution. I'll bet a fiver someone here will be able to tell you exactly which chemical if you tell them the sequence you mixed the developer up in...

Are you using the developer one-shot and pouring the used developer away - i.e. not putting it back in the stock solution?

Have fun, Bob.

P.S. "Female Models and Railways" - interesting combination

Keith Tapscott. · Oct 25, 2006

arriflex said:
Hi Film crew! I've just joined this forum - I live in UK and have been home processing film and photos since 1975. I just started mixing my own equivalent of Kodak D76. Developed a film, Ilford FP4. Perfect results. But...can anyone tell me why the developer is cloudy? It's a fresh brew and I'm using it as a stock solution so I can't understand why it's cloudy. I'm pleased the negs came out to my liking as this is something new I've been wanting to try. This is a great site, I was starting to think film was becoming a thing of the past. I've got nothing against digital manipulation but I much prefer to have the original pictures on film.

I`m not sure if it makes a significant difference, but you could try adding a sequestering agent such as Sodium Hexametaphosphate (Calgon) to the water before dissolving the main constituents, about a gram or two should be enough.

fhovie · Oct 25, 2006

A lot of my mixes are cloudy at first and then after a half hour or so they clear up. I mix D76 at 125F - it helps the Metol blend in - as well as other chems. I also add some of the Sodium Sulfite first, about 1/3 or less. Then add the rest after the rest of the chemistry goes in. Some chemicals mix better when the mixture has a slightly raised ph. All this of course is anecdotal - I am not one of the real chemists that lurk here. They could probably give you even better info.

Tom Hoskinson · Oct 25, 2006

Post your developer recipe and tell us your mixing sequence/procedure.

Most D-76 recipes call out 100 grams per liter of sodium sulfite and it can be slow to completely dissolve. If your mixing water is Hard (contains calcium and/or magnesium salts), this can make mixing more difficult - but should have no significant effect on the end result. When mixing with hard water, adding a bit of EDTA or sodium citrate can help.

arriflex · Oct 25, 2006

Well I mixed it up at 50 degrees C. Metol went in first and took quite a while to dissolve. Next in went the Hydroquinone, followed by Borax then finally the Sodium Sulfite. This was when I noticed it being cloudy and wouldn't clear. Next time I mix the brew I'll try different techniques but as I mentioned the negs are just how I like em. There is one further question about this. When I develop subsequent films do I have to increase the development time say half a minute per film?

Tom Hoskinson · Oct 25, 2006

arriflex said:
Well I mixed it up at 50 degrees C. Metol went in first and took quite a while to dissolve. Next in went the Hydroquinone, followed by Borax then finally the Sodium Sulfite. This was when I noticed it being cloudy and wouldn't clear. Next time I mix the brew I'll try different techniques but as I mentioned the negs are just how I like em.

Metol can be difficult to dissolve. First dissolve a pinch of sodium sulfite in your mixing water, then dissolve the Metol.

Next, dissolve the remaining sodium sulfite followed by the Hydroquinone and then, the Borax.

Steve Smith · Oct 25, 2006

Welcome from the Isle of Wight.

Steve.

Gerald Koch · Oct 25, 2006

You didn't mention whether you used tap water or distilled/de-ionized water. With tap water there is the chance of calcium sulfite forming. This could be the cause for the cloudiness. One way to get around this is to boil the water first and then allow it to sit overnight for any calcium carbonate to settle out. The clear liquid can then be decanted and used for developers.

The order of chemicals when mixing D-76 is: metol, sodium sulfite, hydroquinone, borax. This order is not capricious but based on chemical considerations and should be followed. Some people put a pinch of sulfite in the water before dissolving the Metol but this is not really necessary.

Jim Noel · Oct 25, 2006

Tom is correct, it is necessary to dssolve a pinch of sulfite prior to the metol. ALso, I sometimes have developers look cloudy when first mixed but they clear up overnight. I rarely mix a developer and use it immediately, although I am sure that many do so successfully.

JIm

Bob F. · Oct 25, 2006

arriflex said:
... When I develop subsequent films do I have to increase the development time say half a minute per film?

I (and, I suspect, the vast majority of people) always use film developer one-shot: use it once and throw it away rather than try re-using it with potentially unpredictable results.

Have fun, Bob.

juan · Oct 25, 2006

Is the measurement "pinch" retained in the metric system?
juan

Steve Smith · Oct 25, 2006

juan said:
Is the measurement "pinch" retained in the metric system?
juan

Yes. One ISO Pinch = 1.023 Imperial Pinch.

Steve.

MikeSeb · Oct 25, 2006

I prefer the femtopinch for really small quantities.

Alan Johnson · Oct 25, 2006

Possibly the cloudiness results from the sulfite reacting with calcium in tap water.If you dont want to try sequestering agent additive,try mixing the D-76 in battery top-up liquid which is nearly pure water and does not contain any calcium.

Keith Tapscott. · Oct 25, 2006

Steve Smith said:
Yes. One ISO Pinch = 1.023 Imperial Pinch.

Steve.

............and of course, both the imperial and metric pinch, should be of the proverbial `sodium chloride`.

Mick Fagan · Oct 26, 2006

I've been mixing D76 from stock chemicals using straight tap water for close to 20 years.

I have noticed that there can at times be slight cloudiness, but it usually goes away after an hour or so.

Regardless of that, I always strain the stock solution through a coffee filter before further diluting with water to make up a 1+1 or 1+3 or whatever solution. I do this prior to using, not when I mix the original chemicals.

Occasionally, I notice minute particles in the filter, and I mean minute. This to me is a simple, cheap and effective way to keep any solids from sticking to the emulsion whilst developing. I'm not sure whether this would or could happen, it's just something I do.

I have used D76 about 5 minutes after initial mixing and up to 2 months after mixing, I cannot say either way is better, but I get a nicer feeling when the original developer is not more that 1 month old.

Mick.

arriflex · Oct 28, 2006

I've left the bottle to stand overnight and guess what? CLEAR. There is a sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I think the reason could be from using tap water straight from the tap. I'll do some experimenting on this. Thanks for all your replies chaps and ladies if there are any. Excellent source of information from you all.

Mick Fagan · Oct 28, 2006

Just run the solution through a coffee filter, it will be alright after that. I too have that, especially in late summer when the water in the dams is running quite low.

Mick.

Mixing B&W chemicals from scratch.

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