Am now using a glass! bottle of Photo-Flo which I bought in 1970 or 1971. Hidden behind other bottles till I did a complete clean up of the darkroom a few years ago.
Am now using a glass! bottle of Photo-Flo which I bought in 1970 or 1971. Hidden behind other bottles till I did a complete clean up of the darkroom a few years ago.
Wow, Pere, the fact that you could write out that molecule leaves me quite impressed!
Peter Collins
On the intent of the First Amendment: The press was to serve the governed, not the governors --Opinion, Hugo Black, Judge, Supreme Court, 1971 re the "Pentagon Papers."
When the negative influence of darkroom workers of low character are too close for too long?
” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.
Got to thinking this afternoon about how the algae(?) growth got into the Tween 20. Could it be that it became contaminated over time from air that entered while the bottle was open when counting out drops for the sensitizer and/or not flushing out the air in the dropper when capping? The algae or whatever settles to the bottom of the bottle so if I don't shake the bottle as I normally do I could draw from the top and avoid the gunk, But at 3 years is it still good?
Thomas
I dunno. Used up my first and only bottle of Photoflo about 25 yrs ago. So it lasted about twenty years after opening. Then a bought two pint containers of equivalent Ilfotol, and just a month ago one of those ran out; so it lasted 25 years. It only takes a few drops at a time to do the job. So let's see ... on more pint left; so I should plan on buying another when I'm 97 years old.
Note that I just use a few drops right out of the original bottle at a time. I you store and reuse your Photoflo diluted in distilled water, then there is a risk of water mold
growth (Saprolegnia), especially in more humid climates. But the spores are pretty much everywhere. Therefore, I don't recommend re-use. Besides, your old water might accumulate little bits of gelatin or whatever. A tiny amount of Thymol Listerine mouthwash will cure the water mould issue; but I have no idea if it will have any
negative effect - perhaps staining. Dunno. I'll stick with just diluting a few drops at a time into distilled water, and then discarding it after each use.
When it is bottled. Use Edwal LFN.
It's not that Photo-Flo is unconditionally bad. it's that users don't follow the instructions and use too much of it. A little dab will do you - dab defined as a drop, two at the most. Use more only if you dare and like potentially streaked negatives.
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