Modifying Dektol/D-72 to Ansco 130?

[aarontalcott]

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.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

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.

 

[removed account4]

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.

 

[Doremus Scudder]

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