Using D76 as a One-Shot

gone · Oct 18, 2013

After reading Curt's post about darkroom safety precautions, I had an idea. I would love to have D-76 as a one-shot developer because in my place it does not store well. After a few weeks I get inconsistent results. I know D76 is a mixture of different chemicals, so I was thinking about buying a thrift store food processor and using it to mix up the powder (out on the back porch), then measure it out into packets and store it. Would this work? Can I just use taped up folded paper to store the packets individually, then place them in a Tupperware tub w/ a lid? I'm thinking of putting the food processor in a plastic bag after the D76 is initially poured in, tie the bag up, then plug the food processor in to mix it up. That should contain the particulates.

pdeeh · Oct 18, 2013

I've seen this asked many times in many places now. There are two answers you'll get:

1. "I do it all the time myself and I've never had a bad result"
2. "Don't do it as it is a mixture of different sizes and weights of granule and you can never guarantee you'll get the right mixture of material in each packet".

Take your pick.

Ian Grant · Oct 18, 2013

\why not just buy a liquid developer like Rodinal, HC110, Ilfotec or similar thay all keep well. Messing with small quantities of D76 is a bit pointless.

Ian

jp498 · Oct 18, 2013

D76 is great 1:1 or 1:2 one shot. Mix it up with distilled water in full bottles and it will be good for a long time; a full bottle should be good for a year or more.

For convenient one - shot with good results, I'm using pyrocat hd in glycol at the moment. Ian's suggestions are also popular.

DannL. · Oct 18, 2013

I'd say go for it. Take a bag, mix it up, divide it up, and over time test each portion on non-critical test films. Keep your exposures, films, temps and times consistent so you can chart your results. If it works or doesn't work, you'll know the answer very quickly and you can post your results here. That's how first-hand experience is gained. But, that really sounds like a lot of work to save 6-7 dollars worth of chemistry from going bad over a long period of time. I make and store my stock d76 in thick gallon containers and store them in the dark. I take from the container to make the working solution as required. It can take me 6 months to a year to use up the stock, and I have never had troubles in that department.

Shawn Dougherty · Oct 18, 2013

I would say no, there is no guarantee you will divide the right amount of chemicals into each bag.

If you're looking to do that, just buy the RAW chemicals and mix it up yourself. This way you can make as much as you'd like at a time and divide it the way you'd like without worry or risk.

You can get a workable digital scale on Amazon for less than a food processor. Or you could use one of the liquid concentrate developers others have suggested.

hdeyong · Oct 18, 2013

I used D-76 and switched to HC-110 for convenience, and if there's any difference in my TRI-X negatives, I can't see it. Take the easy way out and go with HC-110 1-49, one-shot, and by the way, it lasts in the bottle for decades.

fotch · Oct 18, 2013

Why pay for a product and expect a certain result but ignore the instructions? Bad idea. JMHO

Gerald C Koch · Oct 18, 2013

If you like the results from D-76 remember that HC-110 was designed by Kodak to give results very near to those of D-76. You get the results of D-76 and the convenience of a concentrate. You can get more information at http://www.covingtoninnovations.com/hc110/

David Brown · Oct 18, 2013

D76 at 1:1 is a very common and widely used one-shot developer. A gallon is currently $5.18 at the big New York store. OK, maybe $7-8 if bought locally. That gives you 2 gallons of working solution. 16 ounces will develop two rolls of 35mm film. So, that's enough for 32 rolls. At $8, that's 25 cents a roll. Even for 120, it's 50 cents.

Exactly how much money are you trying to save? If you ended up throwing out half of the stuff after six months, it would still be cheap.

bernard_L · Oct 18, 2013

Store your stock solution in a wine pouch, without trapped air. These are designed to be oxygen-tight, like most food packing plastics. Use 1+1 one-shot. To play safe, shoot a standard scene 36x (identical) on a film roll, and at regular (2months) make a test developing a 4" piece of that test film; compare side-to side with the first in sequence. If you want to go fancy, use a Stouffer step tablet as "standard scene", but you don't really need this to decide if your D76 performs as well as on day 1.

mjs · Oct 18, 2013

I mix it up a gallon at a time, then pour the gallon into four quart bottles, filling them to the brim and capping them tightly. They keep for a couple of months easy that way, maybe more. I use quart bottles because a quart develops four sheets of 8x10 or sixteen sheets of 4x5 or four rolls... etc. I use it one-shot on Tmax films and it's fine. If you need less capacity, pour it into smaller bottles. Or, for simplicity, you could use HC-110, as others have suggested. I don't personally think that HC-110 is all that close to D-76 but your mileage may vary!

Mike

Pioneer · Oct 18, 2013

mjs said:
I mix it up a gallon at a time, then pour the gallon into four quart bottles, filling them to the brim and capping them tightly. They keep for a couple of months easy that way, maybe more. I use quart bottles because a quart develops four sheets of 8x10 or sixteen sheets of 4x5 or four rolls... etc. I use it one-shot on Tmax films and it's fine. If you need less capacity, pour it into smaller bottles. Or, for simplicity, you could use HC-110, as others have suggested. I don't personally think that HC-110 is all that close to D-76 but your mileage may vary!

Mike

+1 - This is the easiest solution. Mix and then decant to 4 one quart brown bottles. I store them in the cabinet over my washer and have never thrown any away. I also use HC-110 but prefer D76 for my TMX. It just works so I have no reason to change.

Paul Glover · Oct 18, 2013

My gallon of stock solution goes into 8oz plastic bottles, all brim-full and capped tightly. They stay in a cupboard at room temperature.

One full 8oz bottle mixes with water for one roll of film, one shot. This yields 16 rolls per gallon, with Kodak's recommended 8oz of stock solution for a roll of 120/135-36.

I've had stock solution last 5 months this way and it would probably have lasted longer if I hadn't used it all up by then.

cliveh · Oct 18, 2013

Pioneer said:
+1 - This is the easiest solution. Mix and then decant to 4 one quart brown bottles. I store them in the cabinet over my washer and have never thrown any away. I also use HC-110 but prefer D76 for my TMX. It just works so I have no reason to change.

+1 and it will keep for at least a year.

DREW WILEY · Oct 18, 2013

When I mixed 76 I'd divide it up into small amber glass bottles. But it is important to realize that freshly mixed 76 behaves different than product
which has stabilized, from about a week old to mixed lifespan, at least six weeks or more when air is kept out. So you have to standardize on one approach or the other - either immediate use or the more predictable plateaued version. D76 and HC110 are quite different, not only with
respect to mixing, but also with regard to curve shape and grain structure in the film, and versatility in dilution.

bobmolson · Oct 18, 2013

D-76

D76

I used D-76 1:1 with Tri X for years ,mixing a gallon at a time and decanting into 16 oz bottles. But over time the contrast of the developer changed creating problems. It is covered in detail in the Film Developing Cook Book, page 42.But basically the ph changes activating the hydroquinone. If you mix your own then leave out the hydroquinone and it will remain stable.

DREW WILEY · Oct 18, 2013

You can buy a stabilized version of it from Photographer's Formulary. I've always thought of 76 as a general-purpose convenience developer,
something you can just pick up at the local camera store darkroom dept (we still have one in this town), though I rarely use 76 nowadays. HC-110 is much better for long-term storage, but first involves diluting sticky syrup down to a stock solution (although I generally dilute the syrup right to working strength). Just to save money, I like to dilute 76 1:1 for use, which doesn't seem to alter its characteristics if you allow for
the correct time, though 1:2 or 1:3 does seem to cause some issues in dev behavior. At high levels of dilution, HC-110 if far more predictable.

Roger Cole · Oct 18, 2013

I mix it with distilled water and store in full bottles. Six months is nothing. I've used it 10 months old without a problem, though that was probably pushing it. Worked ok though.

But if it doesn't, there are several alternatives easier and probably more reliable than mixing partial powder:

1. As folks said, switch to something with long keeping properties - HC110 will be similar and keeps very well.
2. Mix your own D76 from component chemicals. This will also save money, and the cost of a scale will probably be less than the mixer you are talking about. Mix only small amounts as needed.
3. Pay more and buy the small size packs and toss. It will cost more but still be cheaper than film.

cliveh · Oct 18, 2013

I don't use distilled water, just water out the tap.

Roger Cole · Oct 18, 2013

That can work fine, depends on ones water. I got in the habit of using distilled when I had very hard well water, and since the stuff is only a buck a gallon at the local grocery store I continue to use it for all developers.

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 18, 2013

Just get some small 16 ounce amber glass bottles and after you mix the entire gallon kit, divide up the stock solution. It takes eight 16 ounce bottles for a gallon.
Use them one at a time. Half full 16 ounce bottles can be filled with glass marbles to keep air out of the bottle.

Easy peasy.

Pioneer · Oct 18, 2013

I use my tap water as well with no issues. I am happy with my negatives and everything works. Mine is always used up in less than 6 months so that may also be part of it.

But I think that the best advice in this thread is to pick a method that works and stick to it. Everyone does what works for them and it does not make sense to change methods unless you need to.

RalphLambrecht · Oct 18, 2013

I'm an active proponent of the #1 q\answer. It's easy .You can make any quantity you need ,and it is always'fresh'.

mfohl · Oct 18, 2013

I used to parcel out Microdol-X powder and mix it up when I needed it. It worked, but I had to put the powder into small jars, and I had to seal those jars very well. If I wasn't really careful, the powder would oxidize before I could use it. It was easy to tell - the powder turned brownish. Otherwise, it worked OK. Some jars had enough for one 35 mm roll, and others had enough for one 120 roll.

Now I use D-76, I mix it all, whether it's a quart or a gallon, and fortunately, I use it fast enough that it doesn't go bad in the mixed liquid form.

Using D76 as a One-Shot

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