Under appreciated Fixer TF-4

[Gary Grenell]

I searched all APUG forums for TF-4 fixer (Photographer's Formulary) and found no posts mentioning it! Just a laudatory comment here. I switched to this fixer over a year ago due to having troublesome stains on my fiber paper of unexplained origin. All I can say is that it works beautifully! I have no staining, I no longer need stop bath, and my residual hypo tests are within normal limits. I'm not sure why there are no posts extolling its virtues! The only thing one must be careful about is to make certain that when the working solution is made from the stock solution, the container must be shaken quite well or it will not dissolve into solution. Even once it is in the tray, I find that it has a milky white appearance for the first 20 mins, then this appears to vanish (I continue to stir it in the tray with a paddle for a while).

 

[ruilourosa]

hello


i never used tf-4 alkaline fixer so i cannot comment, but seems to me to be a "normal" rapid alkaline fixer being based in ammonium thiosulfate, and since i live in portugal it´s impossible for me to buy it, the shipment is expensive! and being a fan of tanning developers and short washing times i tryed to copy Tf-4 which wouldn´t been difficult (just tweak Ph with borax or so from a ammonium thiosulfate formula) if here i could manage to easely and unexpensively get ammonium thiosulfate (powder or solution), for economy i decided to use sodium thiosulfate and to manage short fixing times i use ammonium chloride in the fixing formula.

so my formula is this

i called it LEF alkaline Fixer (Lourosa Economical Fast Alk Fixer)

h2o 52ºc - 750ml
sodium thiosulfate 200gm
ammonium chloride 40gm
sodium sulfite 15gm
borax 12gm
h20 to 1000ml


since i do not use alkaline fixer with paper processing for the convenience of not having to wash between dev and fix i use a mildly acid fast fixer

i called it LEF alkaline Fixer (Lourosa Economical Fast Alk Fixer)

h2o 52ºc - 750ml
sodium thiosulfate 200gm
ammonium chloride 40gm
sodium bisulfite 20gm
borax 20gm
h20 to 1000ml


i use both undiluted for around 10 years with excellent clearing times and no stains also doing the fixing kodak test they both work very well



the price per liter is around 30 cents of an euro and i just fix 10 films or 10 24x30cm per liter


it´s way cheaper than any fixer you can buy

 

[ruilourosa]

the second is an acid fixer

 

[mikebarger]

Search engine must be a piece of crap There are at least a zillion posts here about this fixer.

Mike

 

[Rick A]

I learned all about TF-4 right here on good ole APUG. You sure you checked here?

 

[MVNelson]

I agree... I have been involved in numerous threads here in APUG in which this fixer, TF-4, was mentioned. In fact it is all I use for pyro developed films and Kallitype printing.

 

[Photo Engineer]

...............

h2o 52ºc - 750ml
sodium thiosulfate 200gm
ammonium chloride 40gm
sodium sulfite 15gm
borax 12gm
h20 to 1000ml

.................

h2o 52ºc - 750ml
sodium thiosulfate 200gm
ammonium chloride 40gm
sodium bisulfite 20gm
borax 20gm
h20 to 1000ml

Please note that Borax is harmful to Citrus trees.

Those who are sensitive to this subject and want lower polllution try TF-5.

PE

 

[ruilourosa]

PE


in my area i have no citrus trees, but i have Oporto wine vineards that usually apreciate a bit of borax




Cheers with a white Porto filled with ice and a bit of tonic

Rui Lourosa

 

[Photo Engineer]

I drink dark O Porto, several varieties.

PE

 

[ruilourosa]

good choice

try a vintage ruby 87, most of them are precious!


by the way tf-5? why is it more eco friendly?


keep drinking that Porto it will lengthen your life!

Rui Lourosa

 

[Photo Engineer]

TF-5 data can be found on the Formulary web page. It is more eco friendly and less expensive right now. It is otherwise the same as TF-4 but without the odor.

PE

 

[brucemuir]

How much of a water stop/rinse is needed in between dev/TF4-5

Is a litre good enough for 2-135 or 1- 120/220? (2 changes with 15-30 seconds each?)

Reason I ask is I like to get the water stop to temp so I don't have to pull additional water out of the faucet.

 

[Dan Henderson]

I typed TF4 into the Advanced Search block and got a boatload of posts and threads, including yours!

 

[Rick A]

How much of a water stop/rinse is needed in between dev/TF4-5

Is a litre good enough for 2-135 or 1- 120/220? (2 changes with 15-30 seconds each?)

Reason I ask is I like to get the water stop to temp so I don't have to pull additional water out of the faucet.

I use an acid stop(half strength) 30 sec. then a water rinse 1 min. prior to fixing. So far I've gotten 10 rolls of film with no noticable change (clip test) in clearing time. Just to be safe I mark fix time on bottle each time used.

 

[ruilourosa]

try an ilford wash between dev and fix, it will do!


Rui Lourosa