Where is everyone getting their glycin these days?

[Stephanie Brim]

I'm interested in doing a little mixing. I have to get a new scale for baking/postage/yarn weighing anyway so I decided that I'm going to pick up a .01g scale as well to use for photo chemistry and try my hand at mixing up Ansco 130...but I'm having issues finding glycin. Am I just overlooking it at Artcraft? Is there another place to go?

NEVER MIND. For some reason I forgot to look at the Formulary. You know, the place I go to get my fixer? *headdesk*

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

...but I'm having issues finding glycin. Am I just overlooking it at Artcraft? Is there another place to go?

Just for future reference, from everything I've read and heard The Photographer's Formulary is the only commercial source for glycin powder. I've heard they make a fresh batch something like every three weeks or so, depending on demand. So you won't find it elsewhere.*

Also for reference, glycin powder is stated to have relatively poor room tempeature keeping properties. But if stored at freezing temperatures it can last for years before mixing. I've stored mine in the kitchen freezer (~5F/-15C, with defrost cycles) in an opaque bag for as log as two years with no apparent ill effect. This allows for larger quantity purchases. (Of course, YMMV.)

Ken

* If someone has better knowledge, please post for those of us who do use it. Thanks.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I really, really wanted to try it without buying 100g, but I suppose that it's worth it. I can wrap it well and store it in the deep freeze, actually, so that should keep even better I'd think.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

Normal Ansco 130 takes 11 grams per liter, so that's only 9 liters of stock developer. But if you think it's worth it, I could send you an 11 gram sample for a single liter. Just to play around with.

One of the best properties of Ansco 130 is its keeping once mixed. That stuff just lasts forever. I store mine in brown glass bottles. I've used mixed stock from half-full bottles (with a squirt of dust-off gas inside) that were over 12 months old, and it worked fine. I'm sure there must have been some degradation, but nothing that couldn't be compensated for easily in the normal printing process.

But it does stain plastic trays, if that matters. I use a stainless steel tray for the developer, then plastic for everything else.

Let me know if you're interested...

Ken

 

[Stephanie Brim]

I'll think about it. I have some Liquidol that I'm going to go through first if it's still good, but if it isn't I'll be doing the Ansco 130. I just want to see it. So many people rave about it.

The other option would be to buy the Formulary kit to make one liter when I go to buy more fixer (which should actually happen in the near future).

 

[ath]

I would think twice about using the same scale for lab and kitchen.
My rule is: once I used something in the photo lab it does not return to the kitchen.
Scales are cheap - health not.

 

[MartinP]

I would think twice about using the same scale for lab and kitchen.

I think the OP mentioned getting a fine balance as well as one for the kitchen. I suppose there is a scales shop somewhere!

The talk about glycin reminds me that I rediscovered a missing packet of PF Ansco130 which is now about a year old (and not mixed). I'll have to look very carefully at the colour of the glycin packet.

 

[ath]

Um, you're probably right. Please take this as a general warning then.

 

[Jim Noel]

I would think twice about using the same scale for lab and kitchen.
My rule is: once I used something in the photo lab it does not return to the kitchen.
Scales are cheap - health not.

This is my absolute rule!

 

[litody]

I agree with what others say about it's powder keeping properties and its extended tray life at working stregth. I investigated buying glycin not long ago and being in the UK found it impossible to source at a sensible price. An alterntive is Ilford Bromophen. It doesn't have the same tray keeping qualities but will produce lovely warmth to paper especially if you dilute it further than recommend and over expose your prints. Neither Ansco 130 or Bromophen will reach the dmax values that some of the modern developers designed for VC papers will. But that doesn't necessarily discount them though as a subtler contrast level may well be desirable for some work.