Modifying Dektol/D-72 to Ansco 130?

I've been working out the cost of mixing my own 130 from bulk chemicals to see if I could get it down near the cost of Dektol. Ordering larger quantities of the chemicals from artcraftchemicals.com, it looks like 130 would come in at around $4/lt of stock--a lot better than the $13.25/lt the Formulary charges, but still a lot more than Dektol's ~$1.50/lt., especially considering the latter is generally used at 1+2 instead of 130's 1+1.

I notice, however, that the formulas for D-72 and 130 are very similar except for the addition of glycin in the 130:

To make 1 lt. stock:

[TABLE="width: 500"]


D-72
Ansco 130


Metol
3g
2.2g


Sodium Sulfite
45g
50g


Hydroquinone
12g
11g


Sodium carbonate (mono)
80g
78g


Potassium bromide (anhy)
2g
5.5g


Glycin

11g






[/TABLE]

Is it possible to mix dektol stock and add the additional potassium bromide and glycin? How practically significant are the variations in the other chemicals? 11g of glycin costs around $0.11, so this would bring the total cost per liter down to well under $2.

Two good sources of chemicals are www.thechemistrystore.com and for developing agents www.techcheminc.com. While they have metol and hydroquinone they do not sell Glycin. Both have good prices.

the place to get glycin is the photographer's formulary ... the problem with
why don't you just mix up some ansco 130
and leave it as a stock solution and use it when you want ...
and mix up some dektol and use that ...

ansco 130 lasts for about a year, even longer in a undilute stock solution ...
i am still using some i mixed up december 2011 and it is doing just fine.

I can't see any reason why you can't try it. The only significant difference is the amount of Metol in the D-72 formula being roughly 25% more. Whether that would have any adverse effect is the question. It may make the D-72+Glycin developer a bit more contrasty (but not much, I would think).

Why not mix some up and report back?

Best,

Doremus


www.DoremusScudder.com