Trying FX1, confusion over recipe.

[tony lockerbie]

I'm going to try some FX1 for the fun of it, but after googling to find dev times, I found a thread that stated that the formula that I had used (in the film developing cookbook A&T) is totally wrong.
The one that I found is as follows: 5gm metol, 50gm sodium sulphite, 50ml pot.iodide .001 soln, for part A, part B... 25gm sod. carbonate.
The original recipe didn't have a part A & B, the carbonate being combined with the rest.
I guess my question is this... is the above formula correct? If there is a part A & B, do I mix them in equal amounts for the working solution? ie, 500ml part A to 500ml part B.
Just to be a total pain, does anyone know the approx time for this developer for Pan F+ ?
Thanks for your attention,
Tony

 

[Uhner]

The A and B solutions are stock solutions and should be mixed 1 part A and 1 part B, plus 8 parts of water to make a working solution. Use the working solution immediately.

 

[Ian Grant]

Crawley published FX-1 as a one or two part developer

The 2 part is

Part A
Metol 5gm
Sodium sulphite (anhyd) 50gm
Potassium iodide .001 soln 15ml
Water to 1 litre

Part B
Sodium carbonate (anhyd) 25gm
Water to 1 litre

To use 1 A + 1 B + 8 water

The 1961 version uses 50ml KI by 1972 Crawley was publishing the Formula with only 15ml KI, modern emulsions contain higher levels of KI so its possibly not so critical.

Ian

 

[reellis67]

Here are my notes on using this developer. I quite like it, but I've been out of practice for the last year so I've not used it recently. The notes may provide some insight.

http://www.redisonellis.com/fx1.html

- Randy

 

[Alan Johnson]

I believe the formula in the Film Developing Cookbook is correct.15cc is the volume to make 10 oz stock, 50 ml makes 1L.However the iodide can be left out:
www.apug.org/forums/forum37/50729-potassium-iodide-what-mr-crawleys-intention.html

 

[Ian Grant]

Yes it should be 50ml o.001% KI

Crawley published slight changes to some of his formulae over the years, in the BJP 27th Jan 1961 page 41 he lists FX1 as having 15 cc in the 10oz stock, and 5 cc in a litre of working solution, which is the same as the Film Developing Cookbook.

However by the 70's he's publishing the formula as having 5ml in the working solution and 15ml in the stock solution, obviously he made an error converting the stock to metric, caused by his mixing metric and imperial weights and measures in the original stock formulae.

Ian

 

[tony lockerbie]

Thanks heaps everyone, this is a great resource! Ian, you seem to be a walking encyclopaedia on all things developing, and Randy.... I have some Efke 25, so will try that as well and let you know what I get.

Tony

 

[Tom Hoskinson]

Right On, Ian - as usual!

 

[hka]

Sometime ago I downloaded an errata with some corrections.
You wil find it here:
www.anchellworkshops.com/books/errata/fdc_errata.pdf

 

[Ian Grant]

The next edition of the Darkroom Cookbook's on it's way soon

Ian