Now I remember why I hate ......

Eric Rose · Nov 4, 2018

mixing powdered chemicals. I wanted to mix up some D76, for an experiment, so I went down to the local camera store and bought a bag. The smallest quantity I could get mixed up 1 US gal of stock. Went into the darkroom and started mixing. What a PITA!

My arms got tired of shaking the freaking jug so I gave up. Will hit it again tomorrow with a hand mixer. One of those single bladed twirly jobs.

The only other powdered chemicals I mix are Ansco 130 from the Formulary. But in that case it's worth it! I have never found a powdered film developer worth all the hassle it takes to mix it up.

Eric

mshchem · Nov 4, 2018

I love powder. Back in the day people had lightning mixers etc. Ignore the bottle, I picked up this propeller mixer, variable speed, I have a couple 4 liter 304 SS "graduated vessel with handle " . Works great, I can rev it up to get everything moving then, slow down as not to entrain air. I buy Kodak rapid fix, everything else is powder . XTOL, Bromophen, Kodak Hypo Clear .
It's very satisfying This is how "The Dude Abides"

abruzzi · Nov 4, 2018

Never tried d76, but Xtol mixes up pretty easily.

slackercrurster · Nov 4, 2018

In the early 70s premixed Nacco D-76, Dektol or Fixer gallons were .99 at Pan Pacific Camera in L.A. When I had to mix powder I would just shake it up and let sit a day or so. Was not a big deal, but preferred the premix. Shaking was said to be bad because of aeration, but it worked OK for me.

Sirius Glass · Nov 4, 2018

I heat up the water before I measure it. Add the powder and take my time stirring. I am doing this for me so I have all the time I want.

awty · Nov 4, 2018

Really?
I pour 3lts of water into a large stainless steel pot, heat it up on a stove till it gets to 50C, take off heat, pour in the satchel slowly while stirring, stir till dissolves, takes about 5-10 mins, top up to make 3.8ltrs. Decant into 1ltr bottles......how hard is that? But as hard as cooking instant spaghetti.

Cholentpot · Nov 4, 2018

Hot water, dump bag into jug and shake shake shake.

I know you're not supposed to but I've never had an issue.

Eric Rose · Nov 4, 2018

I used hot tap water. I'm glad it works for you guys. I just have better things to do with my time, or at least I think I do

Andrew O'Neill · Nov 4, 2018

Xtol is pretty easy... even at 20C.

Dennis S · Nov 5, 2018

Warm water is the key. Mix my ID-11 @ 38C +or- which dissolves very quickly while adding the powder slowly. Five minutes total mixing then cool overnight. Good to go.

RalphLambrecht · Nov 5, 2018

Eric Rose said:
mixing powdered chemicals. I wanted to mix up some D76, for an experiment, so I went down to the local camera store and bought a bag. The smallest quantity I could get mixed up 1 US gal of stock. Went into the darkroom and started mixing. What a PITA!

My arms got tired of shaking the freaking jug so I gave up. Will hit it again tomorrow with a hand mixer. One of those single bladed twirly jobs.

The only other powdered chemicals I mix are Ansco 130 from the Formulary. But in that case it's worth it! I have never found a powdered film developer worth all the hassle it takes to mix it up.

Eric

Well, D76 is definitely worth it but, I admit mixing is no fun; I bought a 2nd-hand magnetic stirrer, which makes it a breeze. as a tip: mix with as much water as allowed by the formula and get it as hot as allied; both will help with mixing. I also found that mixing D76 with bulk chemicals works easier than the packaged version.

mshchem · Nov 5, 2018

I warm deionized water in my darkroom microwave to prescribed temperature, mix using my fancy stirrer. Mixing by hand, is easy. But it's like the Jobo. If you can just sit there and watch, why not

russell_w_b · Nov 5, 2018

I've never had any bother with ID-11. I boil the kettle and let it cool down to 40C then decant into a plastic jug and mix the sherbet according to the instructions, stirring with a glass rod. I make up a litre at a time.

twelvetone12 · Nov 5, 2018

I have a similar problem with quantities, so I started making D76 from scratch so I can make 500 or 600ml. I got called out by some users because "I don't support Kodak". Go figure.

removed account4 · Nov 5, 2018

LOL there used to be a thread here where a notable someone went on about
mixing his sodium sulfite clearing bath for his polaroids in a blender
rinsing out the blender and then mixed up a batch of margaritas for him and his crew
i don't recommend doing that .. but i do recommend a130, its so fun to watch it foam
almost as much ffun as the cafenol fizzy cocktail !

twelvetone12 · Nov 5, 2018

OMG maybe it made tastier margaritas!

guangong · Nov 5, 2018

In all these years I didn’t realize that dissolving a premixed batch of chemicals took such undivided mental concentration. While dissolving I concentrate on listening to some great music.

Black Dog · Nov 5, 2018

Eric Rose said:
mixing powdered chemicals. I wanted to mix up some D76, for an experiment, so I went down to the local camera store and bought a bag. The smallest quantity I could get mixed up 1 US gal of stock. Went into the darkroom and started mixing. What a PITA!

My arms got tired of shaking the freaking jug so I gave up. Will hit it again tomorrow with a hand mixer. One of those single bladed twirly jobs.

The only other powdered chemicals I mix are Ansco 130 from the Formulary. But in that case it's worth it! I have never found a powdered film developer worth all the hassle it takes to mix it up.

Eric

You have my sympathy Eric...I quite like listening to a nice bit of soul while I give everything a good stir!

scheimfluger_77 · Nov 5, 2018

While mixing I focused on what great and glorious things I was going to do photographically...

DWThomas · Nov 5, 2018

When I do it, I try to mix a day ahead of time so I can let it sit, as someone described upthread. But now you know why 99.8% of the time I use HC-110 as a one shot. I know D76 is the "gold standard" -- I even sorta believe that -- but my usage is too haphazard and intermittent to be mixing developer powders.

Eric Rose · Nov 5, 2018

What REALLY bugged me the most was I had to mix up the entire package. I wanted to measure out just enough to make a 16oz bottle of stock but I didn't have a weight system big enough to measure it out in one shot. Knowing me if I had to do multiple measures I would loose count and have to start all over again.

Ya I know I'm just whining. Boohoo, what a baby lol.

If it wasn't for this test I want to do there is no reason for me to move away from my beloved PyroCat-HD in LIQUID.

msage · Nov 5, 2018

You shake the bottle?
Warm water and stir.

jvo · Nov 5, 2018

This thread is a total fabrication -
a local camera store. and, they had b+w chemicals ?????? not in this day and age - not possible!

voceumana · Nov 5, 2018

I mixed divided D76 from scratch, and as I recall didn't have any trouble getting the solutions to dissolve. Metol is not readily dissolved in sodium sulfite, and both are in D76. By mixing it from scratch, you can dissolve the metol with just a pinch of the sulfite in solution (as a preservative), then mix the bulk of the sulfite. It works much better.

Vaughn · Nov 5, 2018

Eric Rose said:
What REALLY bugged me the most was I had to mix up the entire package. I wanted to measure out just enough to make a 16oz bottle of stock but I didn't have a weight system big enough to measure it out in one shot. ...

Not a great idea anyway -- no guarentee that the various chemicals are evenly mixed in the bag.

When I was volunteering at the university darkroom as a student, I hand-mixed thousands of 1-gallon packets of Kodak Fixer, D-76 and HCA. Finally we switched to Rapid fix in 5 gal cubetainers. When I was hired to run the darkroom I bought a magnetic mixer for the rest of the powders!

Now I remember why I hate ......

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