White Spots on Base Layer

I have started creating my own batch of D-76 and I haven’t had any problems with it so far; the results seem fine enough but my last roll had some white spots on a part of it. The spots are all on the base layer an haven‘t actually damaged the film itself although they’re sticky and a bit hard to get off. I actually scratched it off to see what is is and fortunately it was on the first frames only but I was wondering if there’s a problem with my chemicals(developer/fixer) or my storing options.

Sounds more like a sulfur precipitate from too-old fixer rather than a problem with developer. Check your fixer for precipitate or particles floating in suspension. Mix new if you find anything.

It could be something completely different, however, so check all your solutions for particles as well as your wash water (you do filter the wash water, right?).

Good luck finding the problem.

Doremus

Doremus Scudder said:

Sounds more like a sulfur precipitate from too-old fixer rather than a problem with developer.

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This is a possibility, and also little bits of scale (calcium carbonate) dislodged from water pipes, jugs, cookers/boilers etc. Use filtered water and descale any equipment and containers regularly if local water is on the hard side.

koraks said:

This is a possibility, and also little bits of scale (calcium carbonate) dislodged from water pipes, jugs, cookers/boilers etc. Use filtered water and descale any equipment and containers regularly if local water is on the hard side.

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In fact I used distilled water for the whole process including the making of developer, diluting chemicals and the photo-flo step

That's always a safe bet. All utensils, vessels & tanks were clean and free of any debris as well?

Could you post a picture of the problem? Maybe that will help track down the cause.

Doremus Scudder said:

Sounds more like a sulfur precipitate from too-old fixer rather than a problem with developer. Check your fixer for precipitate or particles floating in suspension. Mix new if you find anything.

It could be something completely different, however, so check all your solutions for particles as well as your wash water (you do filter the wash water, right?).

Good luck finding the problem.

Doremus

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I think you’re right because I used a fixer that belonged to a friend and when I opened it, it had I‘d say the same white spots in form of sediments around the bottle.
Thanks for the response.

koraks said:

That's always a safe bet. All utensils, vessels & tanks were clean and free of any debris as well?

Could you post a picture of the problem? Maybe that will help track down the cause.

Click to expand...

Dormeus just pointed out that my fixer is a bit too old and I kinda saw some sediment-like stuff around the bottle for my fixer and it kinda looked the same as those spots on the film‘s base layer.

Alright, that should settle it. Indeed, old fixer can precipitate out and it needs to be either replaced with fresh fixer or at least filtered to remove the sediment.