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Captain_joe6 · Nov 14, 2008

Alright, amidol. Now I'm no chemist, but I would think it would be possible to formulate an amidol developer with higher tray life and higher capacity, while retaining all the same old perks of amidol. Second to this, an amidol formula that works well with lower required amounts of amidol would be nice considering the cost of the stuff these days.

Another wish would be to figure some additive that one could mix with spent developer or spent fixer to make it effectively neutralized, from an environmental standpoint. I don't know if this is possible at all or just some eco-friendly pipe dream of mine. Like I said, I'm no chemist, but philosophy and logic come pretty naturally to me.

You've got 3 days.

Photo Engineer · Nov 14, 2008

If you think amidol is easy to stabilize in solution then why has no one done it yet?

As for the other stuff, you can philosophize in an arm chair, but it takes grunt work in the lab for this stuff. I need a lab assistant. You volunteering?

PE

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 14, 2008

Captain_joe6 said:
Alright, amidol. Now I'm no chemist, but I would think it would be possible to formulate an amidol developer with higher tray life and higher capacity, while retaining all the same old perks of amidol. Second to this, an amidol formula that works well with lower required amounts of amidol would be nice considering the cost of the stuff these days.

The solution to this, I've found, is to use Ansco 130 for prints that don't require waterbath treatment, and save the amidol for prints that do. The results are very similar, but Ansco 130 doesn't do waterbath as well. It does have excellent capacity, though. Tray life is about three days, but you can use the working solution for weeks if you bottle it between sessions.

Another thing that I do with amidol is print Azo at the beginning of a printing session, and then add benzotriazole and KBr if I have prints to make on enlarging paper later in the session.

monkeykoder · Nov 15, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
If you think amidol is easy to stabilize in solution then why has no one done it yet?

As for the other stuff, you can philosophize in an arm chair, but it takes grunt work in the lab for this stuff. I need a lab assistant. You volunteering?

PE

It is too bad you're on the other side of the country I'm always up for a learning experience.

Photo Engineer · Nov 15, 2008

Well, learning is always free here for a day or so. The full treatment is more difficult to fund.

PE

monkeykoder · Nov 15, 2008

Knowledge is usually free it is the experience that costs.

Photo Engineer · Nov 15, 2008

Well, when it comes to a week workshop with the use of 1/2 pound of silver nitrate and other chemistry, then I draw the line. That stuff costs! So, I charge for emulsion workshops but not for day long demos of developer design and other similar things.

PE

Erwin Plau · Nov 17, 2008

Can you create a liquid XTol and an odorless fixer? Or, as I am a lazy person, can you make it in one bath? There was some chemistry that allowed to develop and fix films in one single bath, I think it was called Kodak MM-1, back in the 60s when I learned to develop films.

Ian Grant · Nov 17, 2008

There are threads about Monobaths if you search. Crawleys FX-6a works very well.

Ian

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2008

Erwin Plau said:
Can you create a liquid XTol and an odorless fixer? Or, as I am a lazy person, can you make it in one bath? There was some chemistry that allowed to develop and fix films in one single bath, I think it was called Kodak MM-1, back in the 60s when I learned to develop films.

Keep a lookout for a super odorless fixer.

PE

Erwin Plau · Nov 17, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
Keep a lookout for a super odorless fixer.

PE

Fast and odorless, huge capacity and reasonable price? That might be a good team. Or a monobath that has this and the quality of XTol. Think big. Be "Herman the German".

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2008

I will let you take on that role.

PE

Erwin Plau · Nov 17, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
I will let you take on that role.

PE

If you knew my grade in chemistry you might consider someone else.

Uncle Bill · Nov 17, 2008

A low wash fixer is a great idea, depending where you are in the world, water rates can get expensive.

Kirk Keyes · Nov 17, 2008

Homemade, film-speed IR emulsion.

rrankin · Nov 17, 2008

Another vote for a low wash fixer but I'd love a pre-mixed liquid 130 developer, too. I love 130 but don't like mixing powders so a product that avoided that would be on my buy-right-now list. Cheers, Richard

Photo Engineer · Nov 17, 2008

I am working on a 130 type Glycin developer and a low wash high speed fix.

I am not working on IR products due to the expense of the dye involved and the difficulty in working with it.

PE

pgomena · Nov 20, 2008

I would love to see a new equivalent of Kodak Polytoner. I know I haven't seen it available in a few years, so I assume it has disappeared from Kodak's product line.

Peter Gomena

Russ Young · Nov 22, 2008

Ron-

What I miss most, and you have already said is beyond your bounds, is to recreate pre-1973 Kodak Medalist paper. It had the most beautiful color and the best curve of anything I have ever used. Still miss it every time I go into the dark. Once your time machine is warmed up, please bring back some 100 sheet boxes of Super-XX 5x7 and 8x10, too.

Developers? I don't need no new stinkin' film developers. Rodinal and TMAX developers have me covered and I am happy with every aspect of them, from curves to keeping. Now if there was a developer that behaved just like AMIDOL but without the cost...

A low wash fix for here in the water-challenged desert sure would be a boon, though.

Thanks,
Russ

keithwms · Nov 22, 2008

Ron, Sean, maybe we should have a prominent headline box somewhere on apug that announces new products.

Seems to me that quite a few photographers don't even know about the new products because the advertising and distribution system for film products has largely collapsed (in some areas).

(Just trying to think of ways to be positive about what we have, as opposed to negative about what is gone)

Photo Engineer · Nov 22, 2008

Russ;

I intend to make only emulsion formulas, not products from them. The best enlarging paper I can do right now has the look and feel of Kodabromide.

Keith

I am not announcing any new products. I am elisiting suggestions for new products or describing new types of possible chemistry such as follows:

AMIDOL:

Amidol is amidol. There is no substitute, but how about a STABLE Amidol developer instead of one that goes bad in a few minutes to hours? Don't ask for information. I am merely stating a query here to you all.

PE

Mahler_one · Nov 22, 2008

Photo... won't Formulary TF4/Ilford Hypam pretty much accomplish what you are asking regarding a fixer for film and various papers? Furthermore, with DDX one can easily use a 1:11 dilution with the Jobo and various films. Also, haven't I read that some use Rodinal at very high dilutions? Does Pyro in the various incarnations qualify as a high accutance developer? I have no experience with Liquidol. Good luck with what sounds like an intimidating project.

Ed

Ian Grant · Nov 22, 2008

There is a case for someone publishing an alkaline Fixer formula that's as good as or better than TF-4 that people can make up for themselves.

Ian

keithwms · Nov 22, 2008

Photo Engineer said:
AMIDOL:

Amidol is amidol. There is no substitute, but how about a STABLE Amidol developer instead of one that goes bad in a few minutes to hours? Don't ask for information. I am merely stating a query here to you all.

PE

Wasn't the goo in type 55 amidol based? If so then how about two-part goo packs. You know, like those 2-component epoxy things in the hardware store. You combine some goo and smear it on your neg. I dunno just thinking out loud.

Photo Engineer · Nov 22, 2008

Keith;

There is / was no Amidol in any goo AFAIK.

Ian;

My published SuperFix is as far as I would go right now. Perhaps you have some suggestions?

PE

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