possibly used too little Part B Kodak RA/RT Developer

Wayne · Apr 22, 2016

What is part B's responsibility in this mix? I may have read my syringe wrong and goofed by a small but possibly significant amount (maybe a ml or 3 out of the prescribed 35.6 ml for mixing 2 liters) when I mixed it, but I have no way of knowing unless I can tell by the results. I don't have any way of measuring the remainder accurately enough to determine what I pulled out. And this is the first time I've used it so I can't compare to previous results. Hopefully it wasn't enough to matter, but if I have put in too little would it have a predictable result in the prints?

DREW WILEY · Apr 22, 2016

As I recall, it's also the component that goes bad in concentrate long before the other two. In other words, comparatively inferior shelf life.

Wayne · Apr 22, 2016

I remember hearing that about part C of Flexicolor.

RPC · Apr 23, 2016

It is the part with the developing agent, CD-3, in it, and possibly other ingredients.

mnemosyne · Apr 24, 2016

RPC said:
It is the part with the developing agent, CD-3, in it, and possibly other ingredients.

Indeed, this is what the MSDS suggests, so my guess that it will affect your results. What I would do in your situation is to use all the remaining concentrates to prepare a second batch of working solution and then mix the two batches. After mix you can split up the batch in smaller units according to your needs.

The error potential of dealing with fractions of mls of concentrate is the reason I gave up on making partial use of concentrates of RA-4 chemistry. The Ektacolor kits I use contain concentrates to prepare 4 batches of 5 liters each. So, I purchased two beakers of 5 liter size (one for developer, one for blix), a size which I find still convenient to handle while mixing and pouring, and prepare complete batches. It is much less of a hassle to prepare a whole 5 liter batch at once, as you don't have to measure anything (except for water).

Wayne · Apr 24, 2016

mnemosyne said:
What I would do in your situation is to use all the remaining concentrates to prepare a second batch of working solution and then mix the two batches.

Good idea.

sfaber17 · Apr 25, 2016

I think A has the potassium carbonate and salts, B has the hydroxylamine sulfate and C has the CD-4. C is the one that turns brown with age, so I put that in a glass bottle kept full with marbles. Mine isn't exactly flexicolor but I think it is the same.
I doubt you will notice the difference, but mixing the rest into a big batch is a good idea.

Wayne · Apr 25, 2016

Yup, I mixed it all together last night. I didn't want to but I also didn't want to chase my tail trying to figure out what went wrong. Hopefully the mixed developer will last as long as some people say it will.

RPC · Apr 25, 2016

sfaber17 said:
I think A has the potassium carbonate and salts, B has the hydroxylamine sulfate and C has the CD-4. C is the one that turns brown with age, so I put that in a glass bottle kept full with marbles. Mine isn't exactly flexicolor but I think it is the same.
I doubt you will notice the difference, but mixing the rest into a big batch is a good idea.

You are describing C-41 developer. The thread is about RA-4.

sfaber17 · Apr 26, 2016

RPC said:
You are describing C-41 developer. The thread is about RA-4.

Oops, right. Sorry.

mklw1954 · Apr 29, 2016

Kodak z130-01 (11/08) has a section on using specific gravity measurements to check for mixing errors in freshly mixed solutions, including RA Developer RT. However, this will just indicate if the solution is too dilute or concenetrated, not whether you have used the proper amount of a developer component.

possibly used too little Part B Kodak RA/RT Developer

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