Tetenal E6 avaialble in USA again

ricardo12458 · Jul 15, 2012

Do you know how long I have been waiting for this to show up in the US? Previously, I would have to buy the chemicals one at a time in insanely large 10+ gallon sizes, which would have been too expensive (Not to mention that I don't have any shelf space for 10/25+ gallon boxes). Equally expensive was to import the kit from dealers in England. (frankly, I also would not want to deal with currency exchange and US Customs) All in all, it's nice to see it around here again.

-R

BrendanCarlson · Jul 17, 2012

Yeah, I've been having to mix my own formalin solution to use with certain processes, it will be nice to have this available.

Btw, anyone know where I can get just regular 37% formalin?

brianmquinn · Jul 17, 2012

There is really no such thing as 37% formalin. The active ingredient in formalin is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a gas and is very soluble in water. When the water is saturated with formaldehyde it is 37% formaldehyde by weight. This is a chemical constant at normal room temperature and pressure. Formaldehyde in water is not stable and will degrade to into inactive compounds. Therefore it other compounds such as methanol are added to stabilize it. Formalin is often used as a “10% solution”. This means that the Formalin at “100%” is diluted 1+9 with water or more usually a buffer* to a “10%” solution. This is in fact 3.7% formaldehyde solution. A "37%" solution of formalin is possible but nobody sells it at that concentration.

* One of the breakdown products of formaldehyde is formic acid. The buffer keeps the pH in check.

As far was where to buy it; try a scientific or biologic supply company. I work in a research lab and we buy it all the time in gallon jugs. I am sure fisher scientific will supply in smaller amounts.

EDIT here it is
http://www.fishersci.com/ecomm/serv...e=0&highlightProductsItemsFlag=Y&fromSearch=1

There is also an MSDS sheet there that shows you how it will kill you. But get real. Look up the MSDS sheet for sodium chloride. It is just as scary when spelled out in an MSDS sheet.

brianmquinn · Jul 17, 2012

Here is the MSDS for sodium chloride. SCARY STUFF INDEED.

http://www.fishersci.com/ecomm/serv...=S641-350LB&vendorId=VN00033897&storeId=10652

Some out takes from the MSDS sheet
Eyes Irritating to eyes.
Skin May cause irritation.
Inhalation May cause irritation of respiratory tract.
Ingestion Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Eye Contact Rinse immediately with plenty of water, also under the eyelids, for at least 15 minutes. Obtain
medical attention.
Skin Contact Wash off immediately with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes. Get medical attention
immediately if symptoms occur.
Inhalation Move to fresh air. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Get medical attention immediately if
symptoms occur.
Ingestion Do not induce vomiting. Obtain medical attention.
Eye/face Protection Wear appropriate protective eyeglasses or chemical safety goggles as described by OSHA's
eye and face protection regulations in 29 CFR 1910.133 or European Standard EN166.
Skin and body protection Wear appropriate protective gloves and clothing to prevent skin exposure.
Respiratory Protection Follow the OSHA respirator regulations found in 29 CFR 1910.134 or European Standard EN 149. Use a NIOSH/MSHA or European Standard EN 149 approved respirator if exposure limits
are exceeded or if irritation or other symptoms are experienced.

choppastyle · Jul 17, 2012

I just made some cookies and the recipe called for NaCl. I did not induce vomiting. Success!

Tony-S · Jul 18, 2012

brianmquinn said:
As far was where to buy it; try a scientific or biologic supply company. I work in a research lab and we buy it all the time in gallon jugs. I am sure fisher scientific will supply in smaller amounts.

Formalin is generally difficult to obtain without a proper relationship between the seller and buyer (such as a diagnostic laboratory) because of the hazardous nature of the chemical.

wildbill · Jul 18, 2012

Tony-S said:
Formalin is generally difficult to obtain without a proper relationship between the seller and buyer (such as a diagnostic laboratory) because of the hazardous nature of the chemical.

I buy it on ebay. Not too hard at all.

Roger Cole · Jul 18, 2012

Formalin is not even remotely hard to buy. Do a search on Amazon and you will immediately turn up multiple sizes and sources of 10%. PE says this is fine to use as long as proportions are adjusted accordingly. 37% is rare for reasons mentioned above, but you don't need that.

Search results:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=formalin

Some of the individual products:

http://www.amazon.com/Healthlink-Fo...=UTF8&qid=1342653248&sr=8-4&keywords=formalin

http://www.amazon.com/Formalin-10-Buffered-4L-Liter/dp/B0017VPZ60/ref=tag_dpp_lp_edpp_ttl_in

http://www.amazon.com/Formalin-Buff...=UTF8&qid=1342653248&sr=8-7&keywords=formalin

Tony-S · Jul 18, 2012

And you're certain that 10% buffered formalin will not screw up the film?

Roger Cole · Jul 18, 2012

Tony-S said:
And you're certain that 10% buffered formalin will not screw up the film?

I asked PE the same thing, WRT some 10% I found on eBay. Question here:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Answer here:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

brianmquinn · Jul 18, 2012

wildbill said:
I buy it on ebay. Not too hard at all.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buffered-Fo...Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item20bae38d5f

I know the link will go away so here it is in English. $4.66 for 500ml. Shipping from the UK to the USA is an extra $13.23. So you see you can even get it shipped across the pond with little effort and expense. Also remember DO NOT STOCK UP. It goes bad so there is no point in buying too much.

wildbill · Jul 19, 2012

brianmquinn said:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buffered-Fo...Equipment_Lab_Supplies_ET&hash=item20bae38d5f

I know the link will go away so here it is in English. $4.66 for 500ml. Shipping from the UK to the USA is an extra $13.23. So you see you can even get it shipped across the pond with little effort and expense. Also remember DO NOT STOCK UP. It goes bad so there is no point in buying too much.

How long does it last in it's sealed container?
I have 37% formalin.

Tony-S · Jul 31, 2012

So, can the 5 liter Tetenal kit be mixed 1 liter at a time, or does oxidation cause problem with the stock chems?

pukalo · Jul 31, 2012

Tony-S said:
So, can the 5 liter Tetenal kit be mixed 1 liter at a time, or does oxidation cause problem with the stock chems?

Yes, no problem. The concentrates last 6 months once opened, so assuming you use it within that period, you should be fine, and will save a lot over the 1L kit.

Roger Cole · Jul 31, 2012

That's still a lot of film in six months!

OTOH, my experience with other brands of E6 liquids years ago (Unicolor) was that it lasted a good bit longer than they said, if you just squeezed all the air you could out. I kept the stuff a year, which was just about time enough to use up a gallon, with no problems. I suspect the Tetenal would, in practice, keep as well.

Tony-S · Jul 31, 2012

Roger Cole said:
That's still a lot of film in six months!

A couple of months ago, someone gave me 20 rolls of Provia 100F 135x36, so I have a lot of developing to do!

wildbill · Jul 31, 2012

wildbill said:
How long does it last in it's sealed container?
I have 37% formalin.

this is the place I got mine from (on ebay).

Dead Link Removed

I think shipping was more than the product, if I recall. I don't mean to get the thread off track so I'll leave it at that.

kmallick · Aug 3, 2012

I just finished 12 rolls of 120 roll film in 1L of Tetenal kit , 2 reels x 6 runs/reel over 6 nights. I started off with the recommended time of 6:15,6,6 and ended with 7,8,8 minutes for FD, CD and BLX times. Very pleased with the results, except the slides got a little darker towards the end.

6 days of home E-6 processing can be tedious. I am getting a Jobo multitank that holds 6 of 120 rolls to finish a similar batch in 2 runs. I am still planning to use hand held inversions only.

I have a question. Can I save the stabilizer working solution from Tetenal kit and use it towards a Freestyle kit that does not come with the stabilizer? How long will the stabilizer last in the mixed form?

Rudeofus · Aug 3, 2012

kmallick said:
I have a question. Can I save the stabilizer working solution from Tetenal kit and use it towards a Freestyle kit that does not come with the stabilizer? How long will the stabilizer last in the mixed form?

Yes, the Tetenal STAB contains everything that could be missing from other kits: formalin and rinsing agent.
According to their booklet that comes with the kit, STAB lasts about a year.

BTW, PhotoEngineer has posted a STAB recipe on APUG, if you want to mix it yourself.

destroya · Aug 21, 2012

i have been looking hard and thinking hard about giving this kit a try. I have done B&W which is MUCH more forgiving when it comes to temps and such. I'm just afraid of ruining a few rolls of film while i figure it out. was thinking of buying the kodak chems to do the full 6 bath process but figure i should give this a try first before i commit to that much

on the flip side, i was wondering if there would be a market for the equivalent of the old kodak 5L kits or something in that size for someone to buy large and then reduce down to the equivalent of the old 5l size kits. do you think people would buy (people like you)?

Roger Cole · Aug 22, 2012

IF it were price competitive, quite possibly. But you run into hazmat shipment problems, at the very least. Big dealers already deal with that.

wogster · Aug 22, 2012

Roger Cole said:
IF it were price competitive, quite possibly. But you run into hazmat shipment problems, at the very least. Big dealers already deal with that.

You really think a company like Kodak or Fuji pays Hazmat fees, the larger the shipper the higher the discount, because the carriers want the business, and big companies that ship chemicals that might be considered hazardous simply work that into the discounted rate. Say a shipment costs Joe's photo store $25 and $40 in Hazmat fees, the same shipment might cost Kodak or Fuji $2.50 and $1 Hazmat fee. Smart dealers order the stuff drop shipped to the customers address, so that they get the cheaper shipping.

Roger Cole · Aug 22, 2012

Um, I said or meant to say nothing about Kodak or Fuji. Rather the distributors and dealers. Try to compete by dividing up larger sizes and reselling and the small start up is going to run into those problems.

wogster · Aug 22, 2012

Roger Cole said:
Um, I said or meant to say nothing about Kodak or Fuji. Rather the distributors and dealers. Try to compete by dividing up larger sizes and reselling and the small start up is going to run into those problems.

A dealer selling in a local market, who needs a few kits for sale in a store, can take a large quantity and split it up, probably only work in a major city market where there are enough people to use such kits. For sale online, probably not worth it. Unless you have a distributor who is splitting large kits, and reselling to dealers and is large enough to get discounted shipping. In that case, the dealer can get the stuff drop shipped directly to the customer, saving on shipping fees, and hazmat fees. Carriers charge a lot for hazmat, because while almost everything can be machine sorted, dangerous goods need to be handled by hand, and that's expensive.

pukalo · Aug 22, 2012

Destroya - give the Tetenal a try, dont worry, it is easy. You wont ruin any rolls trying to learn. I had never even done BW processing, when I first tried E6 1.5 years ago using the Kodak 5L kit. The worst I have done was ruined 2 rolls of EBX, becuase I tried to over use the Kodak kit to squeeze more than the stated capacity out of it - above stated capacity, and contrast builds up way too high. But neither my first roll, nor any other of the 150+ rolls I have done so far were ruined ( save what I just mentioned).
I have done more than 70 rolls so far on the Tetenal kit (on my second kit now), and can say that it gives results equal to the Kodak kit (unlike the Arista kit, which is inferior IME), that it is far easier to mix up and simpler to use with fewer steps, and that I actually prefere it to the Kodak now. Highly recommended, and far cheaper than trying to bulk purchase the Kodak chmeicals now in 25 gallon sizes.

Tetenal E6 avaialble in USA again

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency