trying to find DHMO locally having trouble

removed account4 · May 20, 2013

Kirk Keyes said:
This thread is so Jr. High School!

Not that it stops me from posting...

LOL

kirk - your epidermis is showing!

mfohl · May 20, 2013

Pardon my ignorance, but in the many years I have been involved with photography, I have never heard or read about DHMO. What does it contribute to the processing of film or paper? I googled DHMO, but I only found groups either wanting to ban or allow DHMO. What is it supposed to do for developers.

Cluelessly,

-- Mark

dotyj · May 20, 2013

Michael R 1974 said:
Pure DHMO tastes terrible by the way. Bleah.

You're braver than I am. I would never drink pure DHMO. Too risky.

removed account4 · May 20, 2013

dotyj said:
You're braver than I am. I would never drink pure DHMO. Too risky.

if it wrinkles skin and makes it pruny,
i can only imagine what it will do to my internal organs.

i called the pharmacy this morning, they have "pure/purfied" DHMO
but it is more xpensive fine wine, and they warned me about transporting it.
i guess it can really cause trouble if it is spilled and not taken care of right away
( cause trouble as in corrode metals and make rugs/ carpeting &c smell pertty baad. )
i'm thinking of contacting a chemist friend to see what he has to say about all of this.
i have a feeling he will wash his hands in the stuff and tell me its all a bunch of HOOIE ...

ME Super · May 20, 2013

mfohl said:
Pardon my ignorance, but in the many years I have been involved with photography, I have never heard or read about DHMO. What does it contribute to the processing of film or paper? I googled DHMO, but I only found groups either wanting to ban or allow DHMO. What is it supposed to do for developers.

Cluelessly,

-- Mark

DHMO - Dihydrogen Monoxide. Scientists have proven that exposing brakes to this substance results in a temporary decrease in the effectiveness of the brakes. It is also a major constituent of acid rain and contains high levels of hydrogen (11% by weight). In photography, it is used to dilute the photographically active chemicals to proper concentration and pH.

JBrunner · May 20, 2013

mfohl said:
Pardon my ignorance, but in the many years I have been involved with photography, I have never heard or read about DHMO. What does it contribute to the processing of film or paper? I googled DHMO, but I only found groups either wanting to ban or allow DHMO. What is it supposed to do for developers.

Cluelessly,

-- Mark

It is always surprising to me how many people are exposed to this chemical every day and yet don't really give it much thought. Of course this is one of those things that the media seems to largely ignore, probably because they are just as unwary as anybody. I'm happy with that though, because I need it for my darkroom. It would be a pain if they really started to crack down on it. We have had rationing here before, but it was a supply issue, not regulatory restrictions.

richard ide · May 20, 2013

You can make DHMO yourself with a little knowledge of chemistry. You can either follow the recommended lab procedures or if you are a little lazy; you can buy the components ready to assemble. :<)

E. von Hoegh · May 21, 2013

jnanian said:
i know some of you folks use a variety of chemistry,
i'm trying to locate a supplier of PURE-DHMO and i am having trouble.
ive gone to the familiar places as well as local chemical suppliers
but i can't find a good source.

here is the MSDS sheet for it.
have any of you used it before? and should i really be as worried as the sheet suggests ?

thanks!

There's a company on the web, I can't remember the name. They sell (among other things) instant DHMO - it comes in a pouch and you add distilled water, blammo one gallon pure DHMO.
I'll look for the name of the company.

mfohl · May 21, 2013

ME Super said:
DHMO - Dihydrogen Monoxide. In photography, it is used to dilute the photographically active chemicals to proper concentration and pH.

How does this help? I seem to have gotten along just fine without it for many years. And I don't think any of my friends who used to do darkroom worked used it. What advantage does it provide?

I'm just curious here. Maybe this will get my photos into MOMA.

Tnx,

-- Mark

removed account4 · May 21, 2013

hi mark,

i only use it when i wet process, but when i do chemical free images,
i don't use any at all, and it is a nice feeling to be able to make images
without it, saves me a fortune in disposal fees too.

greybeard · May 21, 2013

John, John---what a lot of trouble you seem to be going to.

As with most problems, if you just break it down into its fundamental elements the solution [sic] becomes obvious.

Your local welding supply house should be able to sell you the raw materials and all the tools that you will need to synthesize the purest DHMO that you would ever need. If anyone questions your motives, tell them that you have taken up glassblowing as a hobby.

(Do this in cold weather, though--you can support your photographic habit and heat the house, all for the same price.)

Harold

cliveh · May 21, 2013

DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances, diseases and disease-causing agents, environmental hazards and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

Tom1956 · May 21, 2013

cliveh said:
DHMO is a constituent of many known toxic substances, diseases and disease-causing agents, environmental hazards and can even be lethal to humans in quantities as small as a thimbleful.

That is why I treat mine with hydric acid.

richard ide · May 21, 2013

I tried glass blowing once. Burned my lips.

removed account4 · May 21, 2013

greybeard said:
John, John---what a lot of trouble you seem to be going to.

As with most problems, if you just break it down into its fundamental elements the solution [sic] becomes obvious.

Your local welding supply house should be able to sell you the raw materials and all the tools that you will need to synthesize the purest DHMO that you would ever need. If anyone questions your motives, tell them that you have taken up glassblowing as a hobby.

(Do this in cold weather, though--you can support your photographic habit and heat the house, all for the same price.)

Harold

hi harold

thanks, i am glad you have a lot of confidence in me to be able to pull this off.
i spoke to my welding supply buddies ( i get helium from them for weather balloons )
and they just laughed at me and told me i was pretty much insane. i found a supplier
of pure DHMO in a small town north of me, i left a message about getting some
on a regular basis. i hope he doesn't say he can't sell to me without a permit,
and proper precautions in my van. i don't want to deal ..

Tom1956 said:
That is why I treat mine with hydric acid.

hi tom
that is kind of crazy, Hydric Acid is as bad as DHMO. i might look into it though
some chem suppliers + pharmacists suggested i could find pure hydric acid easier
and it isn't hard to convert to what i need.

"fingers crossed"

richard ide said:
I tried glass blowing once. Burned my lips.

same thing happened to a friend of mine when he atempted to blow up a carr
i flew in from alberquerque last night, and boy are my arms tired

jvo · May 21, 2013

nyc

i used to live in nyc - if you drive upstate they have huge reserves of this stuff! i guess new yorkers use a lot of it! no wonder they say it's not healthy to live in ny!

jvo

p.s. i had a shelf in my darkroom with 5 gallons of the stuff. given it's weight, over time, the shelf sagged and fell. yup, it was a mess. i was able to decontaminate - a wet/dry vac came in handy. for safety sake, i don't let any kids in the darkroom alone!

lxdude · May 21, 2013

People are so scared of DHMO these days, I started substituting hydrogen hydroxide. But some people around here think that sounds too scary, so I'm just using oxidane now.

ambaker · May 24, 2013

When I lived in California, the place where I worked made 800 gallons a minute of the ultra pure stuff.

Was used in a power plant, and no we did not glow in the dark...

One day, one of the pipes broke and one of our employees was nearly killed by the stuff before we could get the system shut down. He never was really comfortable near significant quantities of the stuff after that.

Tom1956 · May 24, 2013

This thread again? Somebody needs to pour water on it and snuff it out.

ambaker · May 24, 2013

Tom1956 said:
This thread again? Somebody needs to pour water on it and snuff it out.

That's the last thing you want to do.

Through a unique null-a-thermic reaction, the two combine, and rather than a dilution, you have even more of the stuff! It's been said that one drop of DHMO, introduced to a vat of water will convert the whole shebang, without so much as a minuscule rise in temperature. Which, as you know, on a freezing day can be extremely chilling.

gleaf · May 26, 2013

Terrific Thread. I perceive the creative mental juices flowing in the analog fellowship. Pity the poor digital folk who never ever deal with such stealth encounters as DHMO in a dark room.

removed account4 · Oct 2, 2016

Patrick Robert James · Oct 2, 2016

I can't believe this thread is so old and not one person uses the micturation process for their DHMO. Jeez....

Leigh B · Oct 2, 2016

They've started bottling it.

You can usually find it in a pharmacy, but it might require a prescription.

- Leigh

mike c · Oct 2, 2016

I had a bottle of it one time and took it too have Recycled , they would take the bottle but not the DHMO, nasty stuff.

trying to find DHMO locally having trouble

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