Who uses bulk Chemicals?

[Bill Kumpf]

I have been reading Anchell’s “The Darkroom Cookbook” and am being bit by the bug.

Out of curiosity, how many people are using bulk chemicals in the darkroom?

What are your favorite formulas?

What are yours sources for bulk chemicals?

Thanks

[David A. Goldfarb]

I do. My usual film developers are PMK, ABC pyro, and occasionally RAF pyro-metol, and amidol for prints, and sometimes I'll experiment with other things. I use bulk chemicals for albumen printing as well to make the emulsion, gold toner, and plain hypo.

I usually get things from Artcraft or Photographer's Formulary. Gold Chloride I'll shop around a bit more for, so I get that from Mostly Metals. I was also in on the big Chinese amidol order that took about two or three years to complete.

[paulr]

standards are ansco 120, ansco 130, nelson gold toner, and my own film developer recipe.

sometimes also a variation or two on old amidol formulas, ardol, various intensifiers, and odd toners.

for things like fix and stop, i go the opposite route and enjoy the convenience of sprint chemistry.

most of it comes from the formulary (especially glycin, which they make themselves). i also have some stockpiles of reagent-grade chemicals that i inherited from someone who used to work with obscure processes. some of these i use, some i keep because they look interesting, and others i keep because i have no idea how to get rid of them (lead acetate, anyone??)

[Ken Lee]

I mix my own fixer, hypo clear, and all chemistry for Pt/Pd printing. I have also experimented with a variety of toners (http://www.jackspcs.com/toner.htm)and developer formulas (http://www.jackspcs.com/index.htm). It's the way to go.

If you use an alkaline fixer formula such as TF-3 (http://www.jackspcs.com/tf3.htm), you can use a plain water stop bath. Since the traditional recipe for Hypo Clear (http://www.digitaltruth.com/techdata/washaid.php) is Sodium Sulfite, plus some stabilizer, you can mix your own Sodium Sulfite solution, without stabilizer - and simply toss it when done. A large container of the powder is very affordable, compared to an equal amount of commercial preparation.

A helpful tip I got from Carl Weese: You will probably remember that in school Chemistry class, we used filter paper to hold the powder on the scale, and a special spoon as a scoop. Instead, you can use inexpensive cupcake papers and plastic spoons, available at the local grocery store. I have also purchased measuring vessels that are perfectly adequate, at the local discount stores, and use them in place of more expensive graduated cylinders.

I'm sure there are many other ways to save money and make things more fun. Perhaps others will share them.

[paulr]

A helpful tip I got from Carl Weese: You will probably remember that in school, we used filter paper to hold the powder on the scale, and a special spoon as a scoop. Instead, you can use inexpensive cupcake papers and plastic spoons, available at the local grocery store.

i just use plastic cups cocktail cups, like what you might bring to a picnic. they're designed to be disposable, but i like them because they can be rinsed and reused indefinitely. no special spoon ... just a set of measuring spoons. i don't use them to measure, just to scoop, but it's handy having different sizes.

[Jim Galli]

I do almost 100% of my own batching. An exception is Rodinal which I keep around for a formula I devised for Ortho lith film. I make up all of my own PcatHD from Sandy's original formula. A favorite paper dev. is Ansco 135. I like warm blacks. I almost always just use TF-4 rapid fixer from the Formulary. I've bought from Artcraft, Photoformulary, sellers on Ebay, and sadly Tri-Ess chemical in Burbank which is now gone. I use an Ohous quad beam scale that is accurate out to 10ths of a gram. Once upon a time I used to make up my own E-6 from dry chems. That required a PH meter with excellent accuracy. I finally threw in the towel on that one though. Inconsistencies were the only norm. It did have the effect of making the rest of this look painfully easy though ;)

[David A. Goldfarb]

Another thing you can do for measurements you make repeatedly is to use a good graduate to calibrate another vessel, and just draw a line and mark it. If you've got all liquid solutions (like some of the color chemistry kits), you can even just mark several index marks on a jug or bottle for each solution.

[Nick_3536]

D-23,TF-2 and some times I try Lith developers. Plus C-41 developer. Oh I mix stop up do from vinegar. Does that count? -)

[Bill Kumpf]

Nick

It all counts........

Any trick, method, technique, formula, etc. that improves your darkroom work will help.

Thanks

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

I mix everything from bulk. It is difficult for me to purchase prepackaged chemicals and with a few exceptions I can buy most of the chemicals cheaply and locally. My most recognizable mixes are Mytol (an Xtol subsititute) and Fixer (TF-2). My albumen and kallitype chemicals are all made from bulk (not like I have a lot of choice), as are my other more esoteric photographic endeavors.

There are a few salts (gold chloride, and some of the Cd salts) and chemicals (pyro, metol, collodion, et cetera) which I can't get locally. I buy these from Artcraft or Blake Ferris at Mostly Metals.

I learned the hard way not to go cheap on labware or scale. I bought a good .01g scale and buy labware and bottles from Carolina Biological Supply. Although it is a bit extreme, I keep a separate set of glassware for each of my processes.

[Jim Noel]

I mix everything from bulk and have done so for more than 60 years. It has been a rare occasion when I have bought pre-packaged chemistry, and have almost always been disappointed with the purchase. This applies not only to B&W chemicals, but both positive and negative color also.

[Brook Martin]

I too mix pretty much all my own. I get hypo, sodium sulfite, carbonate and what not from a local commerical pool/boiler supply house, look for a place on the railroad tracks, they deal in the tons,but will sell in 50 lbs bags. I think I pay about 1.25$/lb for sodium sulfite, its 10$/lb in a kodak bottle at the photo store.

[paulr]

by the way, if anyone in the NYC area is interested in taking some chemistry off my hands, email me and I'll tell you what I have. I'll probably keep the basics (sodium sulfite, developing agents, etc.) i'd like to give away the alternative process chemicals that I'm not going to use any time soon.

[John Bowen]

I mix some of my own developers. Sandy King's Pyrocat-HD in glycol & Michael Smith's Amidol. I use the Formulary's TF-4 for fix.

I also purchase Dektol and Zone VI Fix.

I purchase my chemicals from Artcraft, the Formulary or on rare occasions on Ebay

I purchased a digital scale on Ebay that measures to 1/10th of a gram. Cost was under $30 dollars, maybe even less then $20. I also purchased some weights to verify the accuracy of the scale. It is dead on!

[Jan Pedersen]

Most of my chemistry is also mixed from bulk including Pyrocat MC, MAS Amidol and MAS fix Sodium thiosulfate/ Sodium bisulfite and all Pt/Pd chemistry.
Buy from Artscraft, Formulary, Bostic & Sullivan and occasionally on ebay.
Also keep some Xtol and Rodinal around just in case.
It's in a way rewarding to make as much as possible from scratch.

[paulr]

It's in a way rewarding to make as much as possible from scratch.

it's also insurance against your favorite formula getting discontinued!

[Jerzy Pawlowski]

I mix everything but KRST. This way I am not afraid that anything will be discontinued, I mix whatever volume I need and I am sure it is always the same, I might be not very accurate but I am consistent. I use normal (not dark) bottles but I place them in a large box with cover, so they are always in the dark. I get chemicals from Claire from JD Photochem and sometimes the Formulary. Unfortunately my other passion that brings money does not allow much time for darkroom recently, when this will end I will be buying whatever possible in 50 or 100 lb bags again.

[BradS]

I make regular use of home made D-23, D-76/ID-11 and D-72.

[Clueless Winddancing]

"I keep a separate set of glassware for each of my processes.I keep a separate set of glassware for each of my processes." That's called keeping it Kosher .

[ronald moravec]

I make Kosher D76 and D72.

Sodium Sulfite and calcium carb come from The Chemistry Store 25# at a time. Borax is 20 Mule Team from the laundry aisle at the grocery store.
Most of the other stuff from Photographers Formulary or the stuff I inherited from my neighbor who had a wedding business in 1950/60. I have unopened cans of D76 from then. There are quart jars of hydroquinone.

The scale came from my father in laws` days in medical school, 1930 something. Still works fine
I prefer it to the cheapie balance I bought in the late 60`s which I also still have

[Jason Greenberg Motamedi]

...That's called keeping it Kosher ...

Yes, and every spring I sell them to my neighbor and then buy them back a week later.

[evan clarke]

I mix evrything except selenium toner and fixer (seems cheaper to buy and I use a lot). My favorite brews are Ansco 130 ( benzotriazole variation) for paper. FX37, Germain finegrain, homebrew Xtol and G.33 for film..I buy from Digital Truth (excellent packaging and prices), Formulary and a great local lab chemical place called Laabs. I need to buy from all three to be able to obtain all the chemicals I use...EC

[Ole Tjugen]

At present I have a HUGE supply of Ilfotec-HC and Hypam fixer.

Apart from that I mix my own chemicals, with the exception of selenium and polysulfide toners.

[paulr]

My favorite brews are Ansco 130 ( benzotriazole variation) for paper...

how does this look compared with the traditional brew? colder tones?

[Michael Jones]

Like Evan, I mix everything except fixer and toner (and I piddle around with that). I try to purchase all my chemistry from Artcraft or Bostick & Sullivan.


Mike

[evan clarke]

how does this look compared with the traditional brew? colder tones?

I print 90% on Ilford MGIV FB warmtone and about 10% on the neutral. I dom't see much tone change on the neutral but wonderful color tone (warm steely grey), sharpness and blacks on the warmtone. I tone in KRST 6 minutes, after that the shadows can start to change to a warm bronze. This seems to happen a little more with the Harmon ST.

Per liter, replace the potassium bromide with 15 cc 1% benzotriazole solution and up the sodium carbonate to 80 g. anhydrous/liter. It's a bomb...Evan

[evan clarke]

how does this look compared with the traditional brew? colder tones?

I print 90% on Ilford MGIV FB warmtone and about 10% on the neutral. I don't see much tone change on the neutral but wonderful color tone (warm steely grey), sharpness and blacks on the warmtone. I tone in KRST 6 minutes, after that the shadows can start to change to a warm bronze. This seems to happen more readily with the Harmon ST.

Per liter, replace the potassium bromide with 15 cc 1% benzotriazole solution and up the sodium carbonate to 80 g. anhydrous/liter. It's a bomb...Evan

[CG]

"Any trick, method, technique, formula, etc. that improves your darkroom work will help. "

One verrrry general note ... is that for most processes - if you brew your own, it is more important to be precise than to be accurate. Or maybe it's the reverse. My point, however poorly put, is that if you make your mixing and processing repeatable, and you take good notes, you will be able to tune up your mixing and processing and end up with consistently good results, whether or not you happen to exactly match someone else's published formula.

Your entire process is what gets improved. Maybe you mix a more active developer, but you agitate a bit gently, or or you dilute it a bit more, or etc. Once you work repeateably, you can make incremental improvements that get you where you want.

Best,

C

[Tomas Nygren]

I always do my 4x5" B/W from bulk chemicals (since 1990).
Film: I mostly do a variation of PMK+ (+ is for the x-tra pinch Amidol) developer (for FP4 and similar old school films, Berger, Forte etc.), D-23 or Beutlers High Def. for T-Max. I also tried the ultra high def. developer with P-Phenylene Diamine (low grain)
Looking forward to use the Pyrocat-HD soon..

Paper: Ansco 130 (w. benzotriazole) and others

PhotoFlo is SodiumdiSulphite (for me) heh

for Stopbath you can use Citric Acid found in food stores, effective and non smelling.

I use a pretty cheap balance scale. But it works, when you know how it behaves!

Fix: It has become more and more difficult to get cheap Sodium Tiosulphate (technical for photo) in 5 or 10kg barrels but I use now Calbe A-300 Packages (www.photax.se (http://www.photax.se))

Tricks.. If the B/W paper is old, add more benzotriazole to the developer and there you go!

Water: Many say that spring water is the best to develop their films in, I use "spiralized-energized" water from plus-minus (http://www.plusminus.se/) device or make it by a magnetic rotator to create a vortex in the vater. (options are http://www.hyperbel.ch/ or ), benefits are according to research that the film get higher speeds without higher grain, and the solution will keep longer.

C-41 is from Tetenal and the process is very easy, just to keep a water bath and not to agitate to much (or over develop).
I had a utopian time to mix C-41 from raw chemicals and I bought some CD-4 but I sort of ended there, anyone luck with that?? its sort of more cheap, but I wonder if its possible to maintain fair results...

I can recommend Artcraft Chemicals (http://www.artcraftchemicals.com/) since they are nice to deal with, even cheaper for me living in Sweden with transportation costs and all, compared to other solutions (http://www.vwr.com/index.htm).

I have enjoyed my small Jobo developing drum that I use by hand the last 15 years now! (that I got better results with small format as well in comparison to paterson drums)

[zoneVIII]

Me, home brew PyrocatMC, Ansco120 and Ansco130, and Fixer

[Gary L. Quay]

I'm working my way through a mountain of old (ancient) cans of Kodak Dk-60a by adding a few raw chemicals to turn it into Ansco 130. I make three liters of developer per can. I make a Pyrocat film developer called Muir's Compensating Developer, and I make PMK Pyro, and Farmer's Reducer from scratch. I want to experiment with different toners and Phenidone developers.

I don't mix Fixers, since I'm happy with Photographers' Formulary TF4 (for film) and Clayton AFC Archival Fixer (for paper).

I also read the Darkroom Cookbook, and started mixing my own. That was when I really began to understand what I was doing.

--Gary