Really bad smell while developing

[jacaquarie]

Following this mystery of the darkroom, here is my theory.
Our photographer was given the correct chemicals with the correct delutions. With the possible allowance for personal adjusting. Example, developer at 1 + 4 when suggested range can be 1+4 to 1+9.
Knowing that we humans build tolerance to sensations, the odors seemed to be intense, but the more experienced darkroom worker may have thought these are normal. Remember this was ",first time" processing. Also being first time any of us would be more focused and any sensations would seem more intense.
The date on the bottle means nothing in regards to this mystery. The false clue!
Remember the printing session was successful! With the exception of Rodional what photography supplies will work well 30 years later?

 

[darkroommike]

Couple of thoughts.

1. It may be a public darkroom but ask is you can mix fresh chemicals. It maybe that no one bothered to relabel the jug when the last person mixed the Dektol, etc.
2. You might also ask if you can bring and remove your own chemicals, I never really trust chemicals others have mixed, twice recently in our school darkroom students accidentally poured out the film fixer and to cover the "bleep' mixed what they thought was fresh fixer from a cube of Sprint Fixer Remover. More work for me but all the stock and concentrates are now under lock and key and I'm the only one mixing.
3. Bad odor from stop bath, some folks are really affected by the odor of acetic acid, try a citrus acid stop bath, offer to buy a bottle and donate it to the club.

 

[pentaxuser]

jacaquarie, darkroommike, it looks like we three have solved it. All we need is the OP's confirmation that our assumptions are correct. Not much to ask is it? If we are right then which of you lives closest to Roswell?. There's a strange mystery there too that needs investigation .

pentaxuser

 

[mike c]

Hope that gal. bottle of stop bath is not glacial acid ?

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

If it's sulphur it's probably fixer otherwise a crowded darkroom smells different to a midget. BTW I'm not calling you a midget. It's just for off-color humor. But that's just me.

 

[jvo]

it was the butler in the pantry with the candlestick...

 

[pentaxuser]

There's someone asking for advice on setting up a public darkroom in Budapest. I am tempted to suggest a relocation to Bentonville, Arizona.

pentaxuser

 

[Rick A]

The only time there was a really bad smell in my darkroom when I was teaching a group of Girl Scouts. Turned out the smell was a couple of the girls farting. They were lactose intolerant and the scout leader had taken them for ice cream prior to visiting the darkroom.

 

[Sirius Glass]

The only time there was a really bad smell in my darkroom when I was teaching a group of Girl Scouts. Turned out the smell was a couple of the girls farting. They were lactose intolerant and the scout leader had taken them for ice cream prior to visiting the darkroom.

Lighting a match or candles will burn of those noxious gases.

 

[CMoore]

I am just a beginner. These guys have Way More experience with "Public Darkrooms" than i do, but.......who runs a business like this.?
The "newest" chemistry they have is from 2003.?
How do they get anybody to come back.?
Or is this maybe a "Community Darkroom".....a place where members pay dues and share expenses.?
Even so, the members have not broken down (in 15 years) and split 150 bux to buy new Developer, Stop (which is super easy to make) and Fix.?

 

[MattKing]

A good rule with any shared resource is, that unless you know the people involved and the resource very well, if there is something written on the outside of a bottle, you really cannot expect it to be correct.
If the darkroom is actually in use, like as not everyone understands that they mix up fresh developer every XXX weeks or days, and haven't updated the note on the bottle since 1986.

 

[pentaxuser]

Alas, my analogy with the Marie Celeste seems a propos. Unless the OP decides to help us then we will never get to the bottom of it. As we have heard nothing further from him it is clearly we who need him and not the other way about as it usually is on a forum.

Nobody is more powerful than the man who needs nothing

pentaxuser