Kodak Chemistry

[Kevin Crisp]

I've been a loyal customer since 1971. I had my issue with three bad bottles of Rapid Fix, and I guess I can live with brown Dektol. Mixed up a fresh batch of Xtol using distilled water. Just finished developing a roll of 120 Tmax 100 (diluted 1:1 with distilled water, 7.5 minutes) and now I have a completely clear strip of plastic. There is nothing whatsoever showing up on it. I can reshoot the subject, but it is 90 minutes away. Back when everybody was talking about Xtol failures I never had a problem.

I've had it. Mixing D23 is simple, it works, and I like the results. And I still have three quarts of HC110 yellow syrup.

[paulbarden]

Yeah, I gave up on Kodak chemistry a couple years back, after buying Xtol, D-76 and Dektol and all three were bad. I make my own developers from scratch now (thank you ArtCraft!) with one exception: FA-1027 from Photographers Formulary.

[Michael R]

Kevin, do you still have some of the XTOL you just mixed? Dip some film in and see if it develops - just to rule everything else out first.

The XTOL packets - do you by any chance still have them? Look for dates, where made and if it says Sino Promise.

D-23 is great but you might also consider just switching from XTOL to Ilford ID-11 (same as D-76). The differences between D-76 and XTOL are very, very small.

Alternatively there are some good XTOL clones, in particular Adox XT-3. However it can get expensive and availability is somewhat spotty.

On balance D-76/ID-11 or D-23 are the simplest solutions to the problem. Unfortunately this is where we are at with Kodak chemistry. The Kodak-branded chemistry business was taken over by Sino Promise in China a couple of years ago and we don’t know the status of things.


I've been a loyal customer since 1971. I had my issue with three bad bottles of Rapid Fix, and I guess I can live with brown Dektol. Mixed up a fresh batch of Xtol using distilled water. Just finished developing a roll of 120 Tmax 100 (diluted 1:1 with distilled water, 7.5 minutes) and now I have a completely clear strip of plastic. There is nothing whatsoever showing up on it. I can reshoot the subject, but it is 90 minutes away. Back when everybody was talking about Xtol failures I never had a problem.

I've had it. Mixing D23 is simple, it works, and I like the results. And I still have three quarts of HC110 yellow syrup.

[jnantz]

sorry to hear your troubles Kevin
paulbarden has a recipe for a great xtol like clone if you have your heart set on vit c..

mixing from scratch is always good ...

[Alan9940]

If you like Xtol, how about Adox XT-3?

[Axelwik]

I've been mixing my own chemistry of late. Not hard to do - just take the standard precautions when working with powdered chemistry.

[tundra]

I've been mixing my own chemistry of late. Not hard to do - just take the standard precautions when working with powdered chemistry.

I have been mixing my own D-23 and Pyrocat-HD/Glycol for some years now. (Noting that good, careful lab technique and skin/eye protection and ventilation are important.)

I happen to have a lot of Dektol left (the good kind) but when that is gone, I am going to mix my own D-72 instead.

I haven't used Kodak HCA or Fixer in years. I make stop bath with either diluted Glacial Acetic Acid (mix to 28% and then 6oz/gal for working solution) or plain white vinegar mixed 1+3.

The only thing I've not got a good replacement for is Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner. I have a bunch here, but when it's gone ...

[JMO]

I have the same question as tundra raise’s just above about Kodak RST.

If the maker of Kodak chems is now questionable for quality, I’m wondering if there are options for making one’s own equivalent of Kodak’s Rapid Selenium Toner? I know Ilford makes a selenium toner, but does anyone make their own?

[Michael R]

Re KRST, see other thread.

https://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?174090-Where-do-you-get-your-chemicals-Here-s-what-I-do&p=1687194&viewfull=1#post1687194

[Jim Noel]

I used to make my own selenium toner. it required simmering poisonous chemicals for several hours. i did it outdoors on breezy days. when i went ot to check on it, i wore a gas mask. it isn't worth tryng if one isn't a trained chemist.

[John Olsen]

I used to make my own selenium toner. it required simmering poisonous chemicals for several hours. i did it outdoors on breezy days. when i went ot to check on it, i wore a gas mask. it isn't worth tryng if one isn't a trained chemist.

Glad I didn't live downwind of you. I read up on selenium at one time for a work project and it scared the heck outta me.

[jnantz]

Glad I didn't live downwind of you. I read up on selenium at one time for a work project and it scared the heck outta me.

I knew of someone who claimed selenium was harmless because it's found in the ocean and in multi vitamins, she claimed she was a "chemist" .. I found her to be passing off deadly dangerous "information"

[Michael R]

The dose makes the poison. So yeah, claiming something is harmless because it is a necessary part of the diet is really bad information. The dietary amount is minuscule in comparison with the amount one would be handling in making selenium toner.

It is also important to consider the process, which can be dangerous. Historically the really bad part in making selenium toner (T-55 for example) was the boiling of selenium powder in the sulfite solution to dissolve it, which gives off the horrendous smelling, and dangerous selenium dioxide. Even the commercial makers like Kodak moved on from that process by instead starting with the sodium selenite salt which dissolves easily.


I knew of someone who claimed selenium was harmless because it's found in the ocean and in multi vitamins, she claimed she was a "chemist" .. I found her to be passing off deadly dangerous "information"

[Drew Wiley]

Concentrated selenium is a big no-no around water - it's a terrible mutagen to wildlife. I think one would need special paperwork to even get it shipped here. Let somebody else, properly equipped, make the toner. Look up the history of Kesterson Wildlife Refuge; it's infamous.
Besides, if you want to do something irresponsible and reckless even to your own health, there's more money in meth.

[jnantz]

The dose makes the poison. So yeah, claiming something is harmless because it is a necessary part of the diet is really bad information. The dietary amount is minuscule in comparison with the amount one would be handling in making selenium toner.

It is also important to consider the process, which can be dangerous. Historically the really bad part in making selenium toner (T-55 for example) was the boiling of selenium powder in the sulfite solution to dissolve it, which gives off the horrendous smelling, and dangerous selenium dioxide. Even the commercial makers like Kodak moved on from that process by instead starting with the sodium selenite salt which dissolves easily.

exactly, I know. ... she was kind of a ( dare I say it ) nitwit for saying that stuff, and I find leaving information like that posted and readily readable by the public to be a breech of responsibility seeing people read stuff and believe what they read, just because you know, it's on the internet and people are lazy, and common sense isn't very common and oh yea kind of a large can of Darwin ...

[Michael R]

Jerry Koch used to do his best to dissuade people from doing certain things. Ron too.

Anyway people are probably slightly safer these days because it seems to me the catalogues of easily obtainable ingredients are shrinking. Formulary for example has a significantly smaller catalogue than it did say ten years ago and certain chemicals seem to have disappeared entirely like “english amidol”. Etc.


exactly, I know. ... she was kind of a ( dare I say it ) nitwit for saying that stuff, and I find leaving information like that posted and readily readable by the public to be a breech of responsibility seeing people read stuff and believe what they read, just because you know, it's on the internet and people are lazy, and common sense isn't very common and oh yea kind of a large can of Darwin ...

[neil poulsen]

Glad I didn't live downwind of you. I read up on selenium at one time for a work project and it scared the heck outta me.

I guess I have some left in my cabinet, but I no longer use Selenium Toner. I don't care for what it does to the print. I was looking at a well-known photographer's prints one time, and I couldn't quite make out what I found disturbing about them. It finally dawned on me, it was his Se toning.