RA-4 Problem making me crazy.

markbarendt · Mar 5, 2014

Good to hear the problem is solved.

pentaxuser · Mar 5, 2014

Wow OP! That is some water you must have. Have a shower then go to Las Vegas. You'll be so "active" that the fruit machines will pay out as you pass each one. Worked for Mickey Rooney See my note about his film "The Atomic Kid"

Anyway I second Mark's comment

pentaxuser

Photo Engineer · Mar 5, 2014

What weird water.

These are the first cases I have heard of in over 50 years in the field. Thanks for the update.

PE

Rudeofus · Mar 6, 2014

Is there any known compound found in bad tap water that won't hurt humans drinking that water but completely kills an RA4 CD?

pentaxuser · Mar 6, 2014

Rudeofus said:
Is there any known compound found in bad tap water that won't hurt humans drinking that water but completely kills an RA4 CD?

Excellent question if I may say so PE's word "weird" has to rank as a total understatement. So presumably no mini-labs where the OP lives as I cannot see a lab having to use distilled water in the kind of quantities that would be needed and no chance of Ilford moving its plant there any time soon

pentaxuser

Photo Engineer · Mar 6, 2014

Weird is not strong enough based on the analysis of the water posted earlier. There is something else involved IMHO, but if it happens, it happens.

PE

pentaxuser · Mar 6, 2014

Photo Engineer said:
Weird is not strong enough based on the analysis of the water posted earlier. There is something else involved IMHO, but if it happens, it happens.

PE

While I have benefited the science of photo-chemistry about as much as the Boston Strangler benefited door-to-door salemen, I cannot help feeling that, as you say, PE, there is something else going on here to explain it

pentaxuser

Photo Engineer · Mar 8, 2014

Well, the Mercury, Cadmium and other heavy metals are sure messing with things but they are not the whole story. I'll bet that there is a whole range of organics in that water as well and they might be doing something to your paper. OTOH, what do I know about water like this?

There is more to this than meets the eye. Most of these agents would have FOGGED the paper, not left it clear.

PE

Photo Engineer · Mar 9, 2014

Careful with the dehumidifier water. It can grow some nasty bugs that attack gelatin in photo products. That is another "gotcha" to watch out for.

PE

Roger Cole · Mar 9, 2014

Distilled water is cheap enough in most of the US (I understand this is very different in the UK and elsewhere) to just not be an issue. It's $0.79 a gallon at the local Kroger. It's a bit more at some other local grocery stores but still less than $1.20 per gallon at worst case. I routinely use it for all my developers even though I've seen no indication that I need to, just because it's cheap insurance. I haven't used it for stop, fix etc. because my belief has always been that those are less critical. I do mix Photo-Flo with it for my final rinse.

WayneStevenson · Mar 9, 2014

I once bottled liters of dehumidifier water to use. Within a few weeks there were blooms of something growing in every bottle. Brand new dehumidifyer so it was all fresh from the air. Algae grows in mine regularily so I have to keep a cap of bleach in it.

RA-4 Problem making me crazy.

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