Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 11 to 17 of 17

Thread: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

  1. #11
    Tin Can's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    22,386

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    Perhaps some did not get enough science in High School.

    The 2 facts I remember well are: Water is the Universal Solvent. https://water.usgs.gov/edu/solvent.html

    And Dilution is everything. The Universe dilutes, poisons dilute.

    When doing anything with water, air, dirt, I constantly think about dilution. We will dilute, no matter how big the Pyramid.

    But there is always an atom here and there, even in your 'clean' room prints.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    03082
    Posts
    515

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    Bruce, so that was you, well done.

    I have the video on my google cloud. I do have permission to let others download it for free, for the asking. You need better then DSL, like I have, to download it. I use VLC to view it.
    Principal Unix System Engineer, Yoyodyne Propulsion Systems

  3. #13
    Drew Wiley
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    SF Bay area, CA
    Posts
    18,338

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    Gosh. Not only is there the issue of personal health, but who needs remnants of fixer or developer on doorknobs, then inevitably onto film and print paper?
    And why on earth would anyone want things like lenses or paper or mounting board even in the same room as a sink generating lots of humidity and acidity?
    It's pretty obvious when someone has done that because there's lots of rust and mold on their enlarger or drymount press, even creeping into lenses. Nitrile
    gloves are so darn cheap I don't know why anyone would neglect them these days. They're disposable. But thicker rubber gloves can be used repeatedly for
    certain things because they rinse off far more effectively than skin. ... Randy, in my high school chem class we never had to worry about the hazards of diluted chemicals - that's because the idiots would mix reagents straight, randomly pouring them down the sink to see what happened ... KA-BOOM !! - no more plumbing left in the basement!

  4. #14

    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Westport Island, Maine
    Posts
    1,236

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    Quote Originally Posted by Old_Dick View Post
    Bruce, so that was you, well done.

    I have the video on my google cloud. I do have permission to let others download it for free, for the asking. You need better then DSL, like I have, to download it. I use VLC to view it.
    Thanks. I figgered out how to get it onto a DVD, but out of respect for copyright, I don't distribute it. I've used Fred's methods to make dozens of beginners into capable printers in half a day.

    Oh, and regarding your "profession": "Laugha while you can, Monkey Boy!"
    Bruce Barlow
    author of "Finely Focused" and "Exercises in Photographic Composition"
    www.brucewbarlow.com

  5. #15

    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Del City, OK
    Posts
    227

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    I have a bunch of tongs and never use them anymore. I find them too cumbersome, inconvenient, and just another thing to keep clean. I too use the blue nitrile gloves. They're only about eight cents a piece, and I'll often wear them for an entire printing session. I even wash them off between trays, like I would if I were using my bare hands, only I probably don't wash them as thoroughly. For me, they're the way to go. But if you're already used to the tongs and they do it for you, I wouldn't switch.

    I fell in love with the nitrile glove the first time I tried gum bichromate printing. I figured I could just wash my hands really well and use tongs and everything would be fine. But the next day the skin all over both of my hands was falling off and left me with some nasty chemical burns that I didn't notice the day before. Ever since then, I've been a big fan of those nitrile gloves in the darkroom. They're good for a lot of other stuff too.

  6. #16

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    north of the 49th
    Posts
    1,419

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    Nitrile gloves for me as well, with the same gloves for all steps. I do however keep a tray of fresh water (with very frequent changes) between the developer and stop and ALWAYS rinse my gloved hand in that before proceeding to process another print. I also dry them off before returning to the enlarging bench.

    When the hands get a bit sweaty in the gloves, I'll change them up for a fresh pair. Being mindful of waste, I usually rinse them off thoroughly and let them dry for another day's use. They rarely tear so they have good mileage on them. I have a heavier, looser pair for film processing since I don't need the tactile feel that I need for printing fiber.

    Tongs are used very rarely and usually only for rc if I'm helping people who are new to printing.
    notch codes ? I only use one film...

  7. #17

    Join Date
    Mar 2018
    Location
    Boston,MA
    Posts
    45

    Re: Some passing thoughts on chemical cleanliness

    I tried tongs when I first started printing but never got the dexterity to handle the prints as I would've bare handed. Since, I'm using nitrile gloves. They have a good grip on the large prints (16x20) and the chemicals don't get to my hands. Although if you don't dip you hands in the baths every single day, I have doubts they do any real harm anyway; though I might be wrong, I'm not a chemist.

    To make sure I don't contaminate the dry side of the darkroom, I dip my gloved hands in stop and then under a little running tap water. Pat try and ready to go again.

    So far never had problems but then again I don't rush when I'm printing...
    Parallel parking extraordinaire

Similar Threads

  1. The passing of one of the greats
    By RPippin in forum Announcements
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 23-Jul-2011, 17:59
  2. Passing of the one the greats...
    By Photomax in forum On Photography
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 2-Oct-2007, 21:36

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •