Recommend me a fixer

[m_liddell]

This a follow up to my earlier post on Alklai-stop problems (there was a url link here which no longer exists) with exactol lux. I’ve tried what a few of you suggested, and just used plain water instead of the stop, this improved the situation but the negs are still pretty purple so I guess the stop has nothing to do with it. Presoak has no effect and it happens in 35mm too.

The happens with both alkaline fix (from retro photographic) and agfa agefix. I’ve heard Ilford Hypam works well with pyro developers so I might give that a go next, I'm not mad of having to make chemicals from scratch. Apologies for dragging this up again but this problem is driving me nuts, with perceptol I never had any issues. Exactol may have to be ditched despite the fact I really like it.

 

[Neal]

Dear m_liddell,

If your only problem is removing the anti-halation layer I suggest trying Hypo-Clearing agent. For film, I use Xtol, Indicator Stop, Polymax Fixer and Hypo-Clearing agent. TMX is my favorite film and I never have purple negatives.

Neal Wydra

 

[Lee Shively]

I agree. Use a wash aid such as HCA.

 

[eric]

I *JUST* talked to the chemist at Clayton Chemicals. I had questions regarding their orderless fixer. I asked him if it was acidic or akl. based. He called back (great support!) and told me it is Alkaline based and "where did you hear that alkaline based fixers wash faster than acidic?". That's what I always thought. We had a great conversation about wash times with and without a wash aid. As far as he knew, the photographers that really care about alk. or acidic based fixers, are the ones who tone their prints. His reply, "why get expensive alkaline fixer when the same thing would with with acidic fixer if you put the print in a metaborate solution after the acidic fix, it will neutralize the pH". He's a chemist, not a photographer, so he's more imperical and not subject to the non-truths floating around on the internet from photographers who heard it from a person who heard it from a person who got an A in chemistry one time. I made that part up but that's kinda how I feel about information on the internet. Someone reads something and believes it to be true. So I called the source. I'm going to ask him more about meaborate solution after the acidic fix.
In regards to wash aids, he had a lot to say about it. Very interesting that washing aids do not alter anything "chemically" but alters it physically. That's why it is called a washing "aid". It only aids it to move the thiosufate easier, not chemically altering it so the wash time is quicker.

 

[dancqu]

I'm begining to think that exactol.lux processed films are supposed
to be purple. That is a staining developer. May be it's OK.
BTW, how is your color vision?

A fix is an easy mix. Spoon some sodium thiosulfate, penta or
anhydrous, into the volume of water needed, then stir. Let me
know your film and I'll give you a ballpark amount of thio. Dan