Stand fixing?

Rolleiflexible · Nov 13, 2006

Okay, I know the rule is constant agitation while fixing film. Anybody ever see any problems arise from "stand fixing"? I will lengthen fixing time to maybe 10 minutes, and agitate occasionally every couple of minutes. Works for me, but I'm wondering if I'm courting disaster. Thoughts?

Sanders McNew

blackmelas · Nov 13, 2006

If you are using rapid fix you may be disolving the low values on your negs. Since I've been using alkaline fixer, I've been more lax myself about a strict fixing schedule and I'm not sure if its bad or not.
Best regards,
James

Rolleiflexible · Nov 13, 2006

James, good question. I'm using Kodafix. Sanders.

richard ide · Nov 13, 2006

Sanders
The recommendation is to fix for twice the time it takes for the film to clear. It is easy to test with your fixer/film combination by timing the clearing for a scrap of film. As complete removal of fixer is most important; I only fix about one third the quantity of useful capacity. With Kodafix 1:3 the capacity is 120 sheets 8 x 10 per gallon, so I put only 40 sheets through and use 2 consecutive baths. Far cheaper than ruining a batch of film which I have learned the hard way.

Richard

Steve Smith · Nov 13, 2006

Sanders McNew said:
Okay, I know the rule is constant agitation while fixing film.

I have never done this. I agitate a lot initially then let it stand for a few minutes. Take the lid off of the tank and see if it has cleared then leave it in for a few minutes longer.

Steve.

Roger Hicks · Nov 13, 2006

Sanders McNew said:
Okay, I know the rule is constant agitation while fixing film. Anybody ever see any problems arise from "stand fixing"? I will lengthen fixing time to maybe 10 minutes, and agitate occasionally every couple of minutes. Works for me, but I'm wondering if I'm courting disaster. Thoughts?

Sanders McNew

Dear Sanders,

Why are you doing this? I can see no advantages, and you can't really tell whether the film is fixed or not (or where).

It's almost certainly fixing the film OK, and I wouldn't worry about overfixing, though depending on the film and fixer you may be getting close to the limit where this could be a problem.

I'll second the advice to check clearing time, and base it on that (minimum 2x, maximum 3x) with this additional check: put a drop of fixer on a film leader/piece of scrap film; let act for 20-30 seconds (it's not critical); and drop the film in the fixer. When you can't see the spot any more, you KNOW that's your clearing time.

Cheers,

R.

Gerald Koch · Nov 13, 2006

Yes -- you shouldn't do this!! Rapid fix can cause bleaching of the image. Regular fixer can also cause problems if fixing is prolonged too much.

Roger Hicks · Nov 13, 2006

Gerald Koch said:
Yes -- you shouldn't do this!! Rapid fix can cause bleaching of the image. Regular fixer can also cause problems if fixing is prolonged too much.

Dear Gerald,

I really don't think he's fixing for long enough for that to happen, with most films and any normal rapid fix. Ilford's guesstimate on the minimum time needed for the onset of problems was 5x to 10x the correct fixing time -- though obviously a lot depends on the film.

Cheers,

Roger

Stand fixing?

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