Poll: Stop Bath

[koraks]

Either acetic acid (film), citric acid or even a mix of citric and tartaric acid (paper). Sulphuric acid for ECN2 film. I've used plain water on occasion for film as well. Guess what...it all works.

[Jim Noel]

Plain water on most films and papers for over 50 years. There are fast developing films which I only develop by inspection and occasionally use citric acid.

[Tin Can]

Tap water for film or glass plate

Tap water with weak citric acid for paper

Film water stop changed very often

Ditto with paper

[Pere Casals]

I use plain water for film and home made 1.5% citric acid for paper.

Thomas

+1 , IMHO this is the good way.

____________________

Plain water stops film development in some 30s, while an acid stop bath does it in some 15s, so simply with water stop development should be some seconds shorter, in practice less than 15 shorter because water soon slows down delopment, in practice we don't see a difference with same development time.


Another interesting thing is that an acid stop bath does not protect an alkaline fixer. As water stop bath is dumped every time, and film can be washed several times then we don't add strange chem to the fixer, while a very reused stop bath accumulates used developer, perhaps this has little importance, but water bath is cleaner.


As I fix sheets in trays lights open I considered safer to use an acid stop bath, but I found that can open lights 40s after the developed sheet has been moved to a water tray.


For paper it's different, development can be reactivated so an acid bath is safer... and citric ácid is the good one, "Over time, acetic fumes can cause damage to the delicate membrane of the sinuses".

[Ironage]

For safety sake, and to help keep the fixer good I use the Sprint System. It is formulated to indicate when both the stop and the fix are exhausted.

[Peter Lewin]

For film, follow the directions for the developer you use. I use pyro developers, PMK and now mostly Pyrocat, and they both recommend a plain water stop, followed by alkaline fixer. For prints, I use Ilford stop bath mixed a bit less than half strength, again as recommended when using alkaline fixers.

[Fred L]

water stop for film, citric acid for fiber prints.

[Doremus Scudder]

I've been using Kodak Indicator Stop since... forever.

Me too. I just finished a bottle that I bought more than 20 years ago. I have a couple more, so that should last me a while still. No need for anything else.

Doremus

[Graham Patterson]

If you are using an alkali fixer, an acid stop bath is not a good idea. So this poll is only valid for acid fixers as it stands.

I used to use an indicator stop bath most of the time with acid fixer.

[wclark5179]

I see I have a bottle of formulary stop bath stock.

Thought I had some Kodak as well but maybe I used it up.