Stop Bath carry over on Fixer Performance?

[Martin Aislabie]

What (if any) is the effect of Stop Bath on Fixer life & performance?

The reason I ask the question is how carefully should you drain a print coming out of a Stop Bath before dunking it in a bath of Fixer.

The way I do it is allow a print to drain for only a few seconds as I pull it out of the Stop before dropping into the Fix.

I therefore carry over a reasonable level of Stop into the Fixer and wonder how this affects the life and performance of Fixer

For the record I am using Kodak Stop Bath and Ilford Hypam Fixer

Thanks

Martin

 

[Photo Engineer]

You should always drain well between solutions, but normally stop does not affect fixer significantly.

For example, a normal acid stop is very well buffered and TF-4 is well buffered and neither see a shock from the stop bath to any significant extent. After all, a 2% acetic acid solution is, for all practical purposes, drinkable vinegar. (not that I suggest anything of the sort - just an example!)

PE

 

[Ian Grant]

Shouldn't really make a lot of difference, particularly if you're using FB papers and two bath fixing. If you are using a citrate/citric acid stop-bath this actually speed up the action of the fixer, according to Fuji (it's in one of their Patents).

Ian

 

[Bob-D659]

2% vinegar isn't even usable in a kitchen or on the table, ugh, that's like putting water on your fries. Has to be 5% to be consumable on fries. 5% Malt vinegar is even better if there is deep fried fish with the fries. 2% white works great as a stop bath, but if you are making pickles, 6-10% is preferred.

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Mine gets fairly contaminated near the end of it's usable life.. I've accidentally mixed stop into the fix and then fixed film with it. It worked fine.

You English people and your delicious fish and chips. I am so jealous.. *sigh*

 

[Ole]

I use water stop...

For everything except lith prints, that is.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Thanks guys, as usual fellow APUGers are a fountain of useful knowledge

I knew that downstream chemistry had to be tolerant of carry over - but there is a difference between tolerant and unaffected.

It amazing, I have been messing around with Black & White for 30+ years and then sitting in the dark I find myself with a basic question I don't know the answer to.

Regards

Martin