Monobath Developer

[RalphLambrecht]

I like to give monobath a try but rather than buying R3,I like to try a self-mix formula. Does anybody have a monobath formula that wprks ell?

 

[Steve Goldstein]

Ralph, you could make your own R3. You can find the formula and other info here:

http://new55project.blogspot.ca/2010/01/donal-qualls-successful-monobath.html

 

[Ian Grant]

Crawley's FX6a works well with films and papers. Like any Monobath it might need slight tweaking to get the best results.

Ian

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Before getting involved with monobaths you should read Grant Haist's The Monobath Manual. His name should be familiar since he has published the only books on modern photographic chemistry. He was a senior engineer with Kodak for decades. The Monobath Manual contains a good historical overview of past research on monobaths. The book also gives the pros and cons of their use. Haist did an extensive amount of research on the subject. His MM-1 formula is probably the best one available. I have used it and it does produce very good results. However Haist finally came to the conclusion that the problems with general purpose monbaths exceed their usefulness. The main problem with monobaths is that each film behaves very differently with them. So any useful bath must be tweaked for each film used. Due to severe sludging they should be considered as one-shots. So they are expensive to use.

Used copies of The Monobath Manual are available on Amazon for around $15. Well worth it if you are considering monobaths.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Ralph, you could make your own R3. You can find the formula and other info here:

http://new55project.blogspot.ca/2010/01/donal-qualls-successful-monobath.html

Thank You;that's a big help;I was hoping to get a formula based on raw chemicals because I no longer stock commercial processing chemicals but it will do;thanks again

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Before getting involved with monobaths you should read Grant Haist's The Monobath Manual. His name should be familiar since he has published the only books on modern photographic chemistry. He was a senior engineer with Kodak for decades. The Monobath Manual contains a good historical overview of past research on monobaths. The book also gives the pros and cons of their use. Haist did an extensive amount of research on the subject. His MM-1 formula is probably the best one available. I have used it and it does produce very good results. However Haist finally came to the conclusion that the problems with general purpose monbaths exceed their usefulness. The main problem with monobaths is that each film behaves very differently with them. So any useful bath must be tweaked for each film used. Due to severe sludging they should be considered as one-shots. So they are expensive to use.

Used copies of The Monobath Manual are available on Amazon for around $15. Well worth it if you are considering monobaths.

This book is out of print and very hard to get;I do have his two-volumes on modern processing and they contain one or two formulae on monobaths;mabe that's where I start or I start with Ian's suggestion and try FX6a?

 

[Sirius Glass]

Shortly after he died, I wanted to buy Grant Haist's two volume set. I found the webpage but I waited too long. The webpage is long gone and I have not been able to find the books.

 

[iandvaag]

The books are a bit tough to find, and not cheap. I got volume one on amazon and just ordered volume 2 from abebooks.com last week. There are a few copies for sale there currently.

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

Shortly after he died, I wanted to buy Grant Haist's two volume set. I found the webpage but I waited too long. The webpage is long gone and I have not been able to find the books.

When did he die? I have both of his Modern Photographic Processing books which he kindly signed for me.

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

I like to give monobath a try but rather than buying R3,I like to try a self-mix formula. Does anybody have a monobath formula that wprks ell?

What makes you want to try a Monobath developer? Just curious.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Haist MM-1 Monobath

Distilled water (50°C) …………………………………………… 750 ml
Sodium sulfite (anhy) ……………………………………………… 50.0 g
Phenidone* …………………………………………………………………………… 4.0 g
Hydroquinone ……………………………………………………………………… 12.0 g
Sodium hydroxide‡ ………………………………………………………… 4.0 g
Sodium thiosulfate (pent) …………………………………… 110.0 g
Glutaraldehyde, 25%¡ ………………………………………………… 8.0 ml
Distilled water to make ………………………………………… 1.0 l

Process films for 7 minutes at 24°C. Agitate for 5 seconds initially and for 5 seconds at 1 minute intervals. Do not presoak the film in water. Discard the used bath. The bath can be adjusted by using small amounts 1 up 4 ml of glacial acetic acid to reduce contrast and or density,

 

[Ian Grant]

Haist's Monobath book cover only a little of what was around, I have a Neville Maude (I think) BJP article from the 70's and the Russians were way ahead on monbaths.

I did a lot of commercial work on Monobaths in the late 1970's at the suggestion of a consultant I employed (his mother was related to the Lumieres, the french pioneers.

There can be good reasons to use Monobaths, I have a possible commercial project at the moment but it requires an RC version of Harman Direct Positive and would use a monobath to essentially control processing variables like time/temperature.

Ian

 

[MattKing]

When did he die? I have both of his Modern Photographic Processing books which he kindly signed for me.

Grant Haist: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Shortly after he died, I wanted to buy Grant Haist's two volume set. I found the webpage but I waited too long. The webpage is long gone and I have not been able to find the books.

I got both directly from him for $300 and they are worth it.

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

Grant Haist: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

I never think of looking at the this section of the site. I see that Patrick Gainer has also passed. Very sad news indeed.

Monobath devs are certainly interesting if only for convenience.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

What makes you want to try a Monobath developer? Just curious.

a you tube film about new55 R3 got me interested and deep down there;I'm a scientist who wants to explore new things.I don't ask why;I ask why not

 

[NickLimegrove]

Both Anchell and Anchell/Troop have a few pages each on Monobath processing, including a few formulas.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Haist's Monobath book cover only a little of what was around, I have a Neville Maude (I think) BJP article from the 70's and the Russians were way ahead on monbaths.

I did a lot of commercial work on Monobaths in the late 1970's at the suggestion of a consultant I employed (his mother was related to the Lumieres, the french pioneers.

There can be good reasons to use Monobaths, I have a possible commercial project at the moment but it requires an RC version of Harman Direct Positive and would use a monobath to essentially control processing variables like time/temperature.

Ian

very interesting.Do you need help,cooperation?

 

[Keith Tapscott.]

a you tube film about new55 R3 got me interested and deep down there;I'm a scientist who wants to explore new things.I don't ask why;I ask why not

Let us know your objective/subjective findings how the results compare with your usual process such as speed, grain, resolution etc.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Popular belief is that monobaths are just a simpler way of developing film. However pleasant this notion may be nothing could be further from the truth. Haist't book contains a photomicrograph of a cross-section of a film developed in a monobath. It shows that development is concentrated near the surface of the emulsion. This contrasts with what happens with conventional development. Negatives produced are quite a bit different from what might be expected. This could be a major concern with today's multicoated emulsions.

This "surface" development also has another side effect. Until the availability of the phenidone developing agents monobaths were not really practical since they produced a severe loss of film speed. This has mostly been alleviated but there is still some loss a half to a full stop.

 

[Ian Grant]

very interesting.Do you need help,cooperation?

It really needs an RC version of the Harman Direct Positive paper. I've Ilfospeed prints developed with Monobaths that are over 35 years old and indistinguishable from prints developed in a normal print developer. I did use a final fixing bath before washing to ensure permanence.

Ian

 

[RalphLambrecht]

It really needs an RC version of the Harman Direct Positive paper. I've Ilfospeed prints developed with Monobaths that are over 35 years old and indistinguishable from prints developed in a normal print developer. I did use a final fixing bath before washing to ensure permanence.

Ian

a final fixing bath makes sense to me;seems clearly advisable

 

[Murray Kelly]

Ralph, since you're in it for the fun, google qualls monobath.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Ralph, since you're in it for the fun, google qualls monobath.

meaning what?

 

[Murray Kelly]

meaning what?

Sorry, Google is a search program. once you find it enter qualls and the word monobath.
Dan Qualls enjoyed a following with some experiments with a monobath using HC-110 and ammonium thiosulphate. An interesting read. Thought you might find it so, too. That's all.