Experiments with Metol and ascorbic acid. - Page 4

gainer · 10-18-2007, 05:40 PM

20 Mule Team is probably their supplier of the raw product.

Murray@uptowngallery · 10-19-2007, 12:57 AM

Somehow I thought this company 'made' chemicals, but obviously not mineral-based ones, and I'm not aware of borax fields here near the Great Lakes...so you're probably right (of course, as usual, etc)..

Murray@uptowngallery · 10-19-2007, 01:00 AM

I confirmed Chlor Out IS a current product, but considered 'specialty', per CSR, mainly for people who make mistake of over-chlorinating.

I wasn't impressed with the price, but picking up locally beats shipping a heavy tub from out of state and probably makes the local price more realistic.

MSDS for Haviland Chlor Out
http://www.poolspachemicals.com/files/ChlorOut.pdf

Got a deal. 25# $39 local pickup. $63 + shipping online (huh?) Hope I don't get burned by impurities as warned by PE.

Now I have no excuses not to start homebrewing.

BradS · 10-21-2007, 03:55 PM

So...uh, do you recommend pre-washing the film with this stuff?

I mixed up a liter of this stuff (2.5g Metol, 9g Ascorbic Acid, 25g Borax) about a week ago and tried it last night. The fresh developer goes in nice and clear and, with TXP at least, comes out a very, very interesting blue-purple color!

I did 8 minutes and got a very delicate neg. If I had a 5x7 enlarger, it will be easy to print. I'm not sure how it'll contact.

Murray@uptowngallery · 10-22-2007, 03:00 AM

Brad, I'll guess your question is for Patrick about pre-wash.

Isn't presoak usually done in water?

I just added the additional info on pool chemicals for those interested. The last one I listed is for simple fixer.

Murray

BradS · 10-22-2007, 06:18 PM

Murry,

Yes, I'm asking Patrick if he suggests/recommends pre-washing the film with plain water prior to development in the Metol-C developer proposed here.

My appologies for the confusion.

Brad.

gainer · 10-26-2007, 12:08 AM

It has been a long time since I prewashed any film before any developer. There was a time when I routinely prewashed TMX with a wetting agent because otherwise I had problems with air bells. I don't think TMX does that anymore.

gainer · 10-26-2007, 04:09 PM

I had a complicated scheme for prewetting ready to post but couldn't see the value of it. If you do prewet, I would suggest using a small amount of nonionic wetting agent in the prewash. Something like propylene glycol, maybe. It may be that keeping Phenidone or p-aminophenol base in glycol to mix with the ascorbic acid-borax solution will preclude the necessity of prewashing.

gainer · 10-29-2007, 01:42 AM

If you are concerned about the dye that doesn't wash out in the developer, it should come out in the fixer. Most developers have enough sulfite to bleach it out.

Murray@uptowngallery · 10-29-2007, 03:44 AM

Um, PG (no, no, not Propylene Glycol, the other guy, Gainer), I'm following your sulfite-free recipe. (acetaminophen, Na-ascorbate, Lye, Borax, water. Hmm, I see a Lorax acronym hiding in there).

If there's dye left over, what then, does it mean anything (like a staining developer), say a magenta dye that would affect contrast with VC paper?

Thanks

M