Plain hypo fix for negatives?

[spiritlake]

So I just recently re-set-up my darkroom, and I have Sodium Thiosulphate and Sodium Sulfite.
I was planning to use F-4 from photographer's formulary for my neg fix, but I'm still waiting on it to come in and getting antsy...

Has anyone used a Sodium Thiosulphate based fixer for negatives? I've read some on the forums of folks using tf-2 for Pyro negatives, but nothing else about using a Sodium Thiosulphate fix for negatives. Any success / failure stories, times, recipes, etc. would be welcome!

 

[Bob-D659]

Have a look at this thread (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[spiritlake]

Isn't that for VDB prints though?
I'd glanced through it once before and the promising-looking links are sadly broken...

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Before the popularity of rapid fixers based on ammonium thiosulfate people routinely fixed film and papers using sodium thiosulfate. Ansel Adams gives the following formula for a plain hypo bath

warm water 750 ml
Sodium thiosulfate 250 g
Water to make 1 l

Fixing time is 5 to 10 minutes.

 

[desertrat]

Since you also have sodium sulfite, you can add that to your plain hypo fixer and it should last longer. Plain hypo fixers deteriorate pretty fast, I believe. 30 grams of sodium sulfite added to the above recipe is similar to some old recipes in Photographic Facts and Formulas (1924).

 

[spiritlake]

That's so helpful! I thought it should work, I'd just only seen the AA fixer used with fibre paper and wasn't sure on times. Thanks!

 

[john_s]

Thiosulphate plus sulphite is a good long lasting fixer. Have a look at:

http://www.heylloyd.com/technicl/plain.htm

The only issue might be that "new technology" films are supposed to fix better (or at least faster) in an ammonium thiosulphate fixer (i.e. "rapid fixer"). I don't know if rapid fixer is necessary.

One advantage of using a cheap fixer is that you can be a bit more generous in discarding used fixer before it causes damage (more of a problem with paper than film).

 

[panchro-press]

A sodium thiosulphate fixer works fine for film and paper. I used one for many years. I would caution that a plain 'hypo' leaves the surface of film quite soft and vulnerable to scratches. With proper care, this shouldn't be much of an issue.
-30-

 

[johnielvis]

all I use now is pure hypo...since the volume volume volume of fix I use is large with big sheets, I end up tossing the stuff after use--no saving...so I use pure hypo...it's very cheap anyways---mix fresh, use for a cuple of rolls and toss it....no muss no fuss...get if from a pool chemical place...no other admixtures is necessary I've found--never had a problem with soft emulsion yet