Vitamin C and mortars

Robert · Nov 9, 2002

I was picking some stuff up at the grocery store when I noticed bottles of vitamin C on sale. Wanting to try some of those vitamin C based developers I talked myself into buying a bottle. The obvious problem is the stuff is in tablet form. The various references I've seen claimed I should use something like a mortar and pestle to break things up. Now it's 2002 and I don't know where you find those things. So where do I find them? I think it might be usefull for breaking up clumped chemicals in addtion to the tablets. Nice thing about tablets is they come in handy 1/2 gram size-)

Jorge · Nov 9, 2002

store where they sell kitchen supplies like Williams Sonoma or Lecthers. You will find both wooden and stone. But, Vitamin C pills have filler for compaction.

Robert · Nov 9, 2002

The articles I read basically said to ignore the binders. Supposedly mostly inert. I've been meaning to buy crystals but I need to go to the health food store to get them. I have no idea why none of the near by places stock anything but tablets. What seems like 400 different kinds of tablets but not even one package of crystals.

Maybe I should mention to the kitchen place that they should open a photo section-) Kitchen spoons for measuring chemicals. Timers for process timing. plastic tubs for storing stuff.

glbeas · Nov 9, 2002

Might think about using one of those little countertop coffeebean grinders to powder the pills. Remember to clean it out before and after

gainer · Nov 13, 2002

A form of pill crusher is usually available at drug stores. It is plastic with a screw in crusher. I don't know how to describe it any better, but if you ask I'm sure the druggist will know what you are talking about.

Pat Gainer

William Levitt · Nov 13, 2002

Either two spoons to crush the pills, or order the crystal online. A pharmacymight have the crystals...

kstuart · Jan 2, 2003

I recenlty found this article which may be of some help.

http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/VitC/vitc.html

It includes a link to a cheap Vit C source.

edbuffaloe · Jan 2, 2003

There are always a bunch of mortars and pestles for sale on eBay. I recently bought a stone one for $15.00.

Donald Miller · Jan 2, 2003

Photographers Formulary sells them new as well.

lee · Jan 2, 2003

IRT Kitchen stores, don't forget digital thermometers. I found one at BED BATH and BEYOND. Waterproof and has a 6 inch stem. About $15.00 reads in C and F and is able to be calibrated.

lee

Aggie · Jan 3, 2003

Robert · Jan 4, 2003

I checked the local place. They had a mortar set. The thing looked like some designer had tried to make it modern. I seriously doubt it would work.

jim appleyard · May 14, 2005

I use the butt end of a large screwdriver (don't tell Primitive Pete).

Maine-iac · May 14, 2005

Robert said:
I was picking some stuff up at the grocery store when I noticed bottles of vitamin C on sale. Wanting to try some of those vitamin C based developers I talked myself into buying a bottle. The obvious problem is the stuff is in tablet form. The various references I've seen claimed I should use something like a mortar and pestle to break things up. Now it's 2002 and I don't know where you find those things. So where do I find them? I think it might be usefull for breaking up clumped chemicals in addtion to the tablets. Nice thing about tablets is they come in handy 1/2 gram size-)

Any kitchen supply store will have a mortar/pestle in a variety of sizes and materials. They'll also have all the teaspoons, thermometers, etc. as well.
The binder in Vit. C tablets has never interfered with my developing, so I have concluded it's inert, or at least harmless. I prefer powder or crystal, however because it's less work than grinding tablets. If you want the convenience of teaspoon measurements which work just fine for developing, weigh a given quantity of ground up tablets to get a teaspoon equivalent.

The mortar and pestle can also be used for grinding cumin and coriander and cardomom seeds to make your curry powder.

Larry

BruceN · May 14, 2005

If you want the good stuff, you have to turn to Cynmar Scientific. I'm always ordering from them for my photography and homebrewing needs.

http://www.cynmar.com/

Bruce

PS - Here are their Mortar & Pestle sets:

http://www.cynmar.com/advanced_sear...acturers_id=&pfrom=&pto=&dfrom=&dto=&x=44&y=9

Although, I got a nice large glass set by going down to the local pharmacy and asking if they had any scratched ones to sell. Apparently once they get scratched up they are no longer suitable for grinding drugs for human consumption. I guess it's due to the possibility of some of the chemical remaining in the scratches? Anyway, I got mine for a pittance.

Whiteymorange · May 14, 2005

Maine-iac said:
.
The binder in Vit. C tablets has never interfered with my developing, so I have concluded it's inert, or at least harmless. I prefer powder or crystal, however because it's less work than grinding tablets. If you want the convenience of teaspoon measurements which work just fine for developing, weigh a given quantity of ground up tablets to get a teaspoon equivalent.

Larry

The gram weight of the vitamin c in each tablet should be listed on the bottle. Crushing and weighing will give you the weight of the filler as well, not useful in calculating the strength of the developer. I bought some 500 mg tablets. Two tablets therefore should equal 1 gram of Vitamin C crystal, regardless of the actual weight.... right?

Donald Qualls · May 15, 2005

Exactly, Whitey. The FDA takes this stuff pretty seriously, so I think you can depend on the actual ascorbate content of the tablets.

Now, for the bad news -- depending on whether the tablets are ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, or calcium ascorbate ("Vitamin C with Calcium"), 500 mg will contain differing amounts of the active ascorbate group, with the balance taken up by the metal ions to which it is esterified. Some supplements will have this corrected for -- look for wording like "as ascorbate" or "ascorbic acid equivalent" -- and some won't (the ones who want to sell you 28 cents worth of supplement for 45 cents and tell you it's a discount off the fifty cent price of the pure stuff). You can avoid all of this (and any issues with the calcium) by buying tablets that contain ascorbic acid rather than one of the other ascorbates.

And why worry about teaspoon equivalents if you're crushing tablets? Just count tablets, already -- and if you need smaller increments than 500 mg, look for tablets with smaller dose. You used to be able to buy them as small as 100 mg, years ago...

argentic · May 15, 2005

What about an electrical coffeegrinder to pulverise the Vitamin C tablets?

Whiteymorange · May 16, 2005

Why bother?

argentic said:
What about an electrical coffeegrinder to pulverise the Vitamin C tablets?

Overkill. Why not just beat the little beasties to death with a spoon? I just pulverized some for a batch of Caffeinol C by squashing them on a smooth surface with the teaspoon I used to measure my coffee. Once you break them up they dissolve fairly quickly - certainly no slower to mix in than the washing soda!

gainer · May 17, 2005

Another thing to look out for is the substitution of dehydroascorbic acid for ascorbic acid. While this works as vitamin C, it is no good as film developer. Also, I would not use calcium ascorbate in any formula containing a carbonate. One molecule of calcium carbonate will be precipitated for each molecule of calcium ascorbate.

nutrovitasub · Jul 17, 2006

C-Buffer

Calcium ascorbate is Vitamin C fully reacted to calcium, providing a buffered, non-acidic form of ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is essential for the maintenance of connective tissue, collagen and bone health. Vitamin C scavenges free radicals and recycles the bodys Vitamin E. Vitamin C also reduces lipid peroxidation after eating a fatty meal.

juan · Jul 17, 2006

And how, nutrovitasub, does calcium ascorbate work as a film developer, since that's what this thread is about? Do you know?
juan

gainer · Jul 17, 2006

It should work if you don't mind the precipitated calcium carbonate. The final pH will be lower than if you had used sodium ascorbate tablets. There are usually cheaper ways to get ascorbic acid, and the isomer erythorbic acid, AKA d-ascorbic acid is just as good. I get ascorbic acid from The Chemistry Store.

Ryuji · Jul 17, 2006

The best way is to buy ascorbic acid in powder. If you grind up tablets, they work as a developer but you'll always have some insoluble leftover and you'll have to filter them out. It gets annoying. Overall you'll save work and time by skipping tablets and order a bottle of right powder. You'll know exactly what's in the powder as well.

Tom Hoskinson · Jul 17, 2006

I bought my favorite darkroom thermometer (Digital) from APUG Sponsor RH Designs:

http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/

My vitamin C powder (Pure Ascorbic Acid) is from Trader Joe's ($9.99 per pound)

http://www.traderjoes.com/locations/index.asp

Vitamin C and mortars

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