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Thread: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

  1. #11

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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    Quote Originally Posted by esearing View Post
    I like Jay Defehr's Obsidian Aqua.

    Part A
    Distilled water 750ml
    Sodium or potassium metabisulfite 20g
    Catechol 250g
    Distilled water to 1 liter

    Part B - mix before use
    0.666% solution of potassium carbonate (6.66g/ liter), OR a 0.5% solution of sodium carbonate (5g/liter)
    {can also use Pyrocat HD part B but dilute it 1:100 before use}

    USE: 1ml A to 500ml B for 8x10. I generally use it as 0.7A ot 500ml B for a single 4x5 sheet in a SP445 tank . 70 degrees for 12:30 minutes on FP4+ @EI 100. Note 0.5ml A is close to failure point but can be used to tame extreme contrast scene.
    Looks identical to Pyrocat HD and no phenidone problems.
    Part A can also be made in small batch down to 200ML. @100ML it is hard to mix.
    "Phenidone problems"?

  2. #12
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    Bought some cheap instant coffee with my last grocery pickup

    have vit c

    washing soda Amazon soon

    Quote Originally Posted by jnantz View Post
    8 oz. of water
    4 tsp of instant coffee (cheapest gut rot is the best )
    2 tsp of Washing soda
    1/4 tsp of vit c powder
    Tin Can

  3. #13

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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    I like PC-TEA: 3-4 ingredients, less toxic than most, long lasting, and you can vary the dilution if necessary.

    500ml - Triethanolamine (TEA)
    45g - Ascorbic Acid
    1.25g - Phenidone
    1g - Potassium Bromide(optional helps reduce base fog for alt processes)

    Heat TEA to around 200F and dissolve Ascorbic Acid, then add Phenidone and KBr. Requires lots and lots of stirring.

    Typical use at 1+50 for Xtol 1:2 times. I also use 1+25.

  4. #14

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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    For an interesting (updated from older) list of older formulas, search used bookstores for a copy of the "British Journal of Photography" yearbooks... Inside is a (dated) collection of photos, but in the back is the tech section with color & B/W chem formulas (including the Crawley FX B/W film series)...

    Cost a few bucks when you find then, and common...

    Steve K

  5. #15

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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    Quote Originally Posted by paulbarden View Post
    "Phenidone problems"?
    Well documented in several Pyrocat HD problem threads. Photographers Formulary admitted they had some batches of Phenidone that were bad. They were also selling kits that were 3-5 years old in which phenidone will go bad before the catechin will. If you dilute HD too much for stand development, the catechol exhausts but there is not enough second developer to continue the processing. Pyrocat with Metol overcomes this problem because the Metol acts as the second developer and works extremely diluted. For example HD used at 3A+2B+500 will work great when developer is new for a single 4x5 sheet in a tank with minimal agitation. But after 6 months you will need to bump it up to 3.5+2.5+500 , after a year even 5+5+500 may be iffy. When negatives turn pinkish instead of the pyrocat brown, you have failure on the horizon.

    My OA/2 (half stock strength) has been working for 16 months with no discernible failures that I can see. I divided the recipe by 10 but had a hard time getting it to mix at 100ml so I added water to make 200ml (half stock strength) and use 1.5:500 or 2:500 instead of 1:500 that the formula suggests. Pyrocat Metol lasted about a year before it turned blue.

    For those that use diluted formulas remember that water quality will have an impact on shelf life and performance. But I would encourage anyone to make your own developers from scratch and experiment with it.
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
    http://www.searing.photography

  6. #16
    multiplex
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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
    Bought some cheap instant coffee with my last grocery pickup

    have vit c

    washing soda Amazon soon
    sorry I missed this until just now
    no need for expensive unless you can't find it where you live
    cheep arm and hammer super washing soda is fine, and converting baking soda
    by heating it in a toast R oven works too.. good luck ( and have fun ! )
    John

  7. #17

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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    Quote Originally Posted by esearing View Post
    Well documented in several Pyrocat HD problem threads. Photographers Formulary admitted they had some batches of Phenidone that were bad. They were also selling kits that were 3-5 years old in which phenidone will go bad before the catechin will. If you dilute HD too much for stand development, the catechol exhausts but there is not enough second developer to continue the processing. Pyrocat with Metol overcomes this problem because the Metol acts as the second developer and works extremely diluted. For example HD used at 3A+2B+500 will work great when developer is new for a single 4x5 sheet in a tank with minimal agitation. But after 6 months you will need to bump it up to 3.5+2.5+500 , after a year even 5+5+500 may be iffy. When negatives turn pinkish instead of the pyrocat brown, you have failure on the horizon.

    My OA/2 (half stock strength) has been working for 16 months with no discernible failures that I can see. I divided the recipe by 10 but had a hard time getting it to mix at 100ml so I added water to make 200ml (half stock strength) and use 1.5:500 or 2:500 instead of 1:500 that the formula suggests. Pyrocat Metol lasted about a year before it turned blue.

    For those that use diluted formulas remember that water quality will have an impact on shelf life and performance. But I would encourage anyone to make your own developers from scratch and experiment with it.
    Thanks for that information.

    I've been using PMK for the past few years, and it seems to last forever without change, so I'm going to stick with that, I think.

  8. #18
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Homebrewed Film Developer Formulas

    Good point

    I forgot about conversion by oven

    Thx

    Quote Originally Posted by jnantz View Post
    sorry I missed this until just now
    no need for expensive unless you can't find it where you live
    cheep arm and hammer super washing soda is fine, and converting baking soda
    by heating it in a toast R oven works too.. good luck ( and have fun ! )
    John
    Tin Can

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