Your Crucial Chemicals

[Jahanzeb]

Disclaimer: I am a newbie, who's just learning the ropes. This forum, the post here and the knowledge within them have been an invaluable learning resource. At more times than I can count, my answers have been easily found with a little digging.

I'm in the process of setting up a more permanent bathroom darkroom, a space of roughly 6 x 3.5 feet.
It will be equipped with a LPL 6700 enlarger, on the dry side, along with film and paper. Will try to fit in another table to handle cutting, coating and serve as a barrier/gap to the sink.

I will be mostly working with 4x5 and 120 mm BW, contact printing the 4x5 for now, onto variable paper and start experimenting with salt printing.

Readymade developers, fixers, toners or anything for that matter including films and paper are not available in Pakistan, import duties are prohibitively expensive, so my priority is always to source equipment and material locally.
However, raw chemicals are available. If not all, most required in the darkroom are easily available. The rules are not too strict in terms of health hazards and those chemicals which may no longer be easily accessible in the Sates or EU, can be obtained here, if available, without too much of a hassle.

So far I have been using D76, the formula available on the massive dev chart, and a modified version of Agfa-304 fixer. (as I can not source ammonium thiosulfate locally) with Artista Edu Ultra 400 in 4x5 and HP5 in 120mm.
D-23 with Fuji Hr-U

Having said that, what chemicals would you recommend, would be helpful to begin with and be beneficial in the long run?

Importantly what chemicals are a must have in your own darkroom and alt-process arsenal?

[Alan9940]

Sounds like you have it pretty much worked out already. Nothing wrong with D-76 or D-23 for film development; I use 'em all the time! Paper developers, like D-72, can be easily mixed from raw chemicals. You mention ammonium thiosulfate for fixer is difficult to obtain...can you get sodium thiosulfate? Will take a little longer to fix, but it works.

[Tin Can]

https://petapixel.com/2020/03/30/mak...usehold-items/

Read down the comments also

Swimming pool chems or salt can be fixer

[Two23]

Sounds like you have it pretty much worked out already. Nothing wrong with D-76 or D-23 for film development; I use 'em all the time! Paper developers, like D-72, can be easily mixed from raw chemicals. You mention ammonium thiosulfate for fixer is difficult to obtain...can you get sodium thiosulfate? Will take a little longer to fix, but it works.

Ammonium thiosulfate is easy to get in the U.S. I'm now using it 3:1 for all my b&w film, dry plate, wet plate fixer. Have a gallon jug sitting in my basement.




Kent in SD

[Alan9940]

Ammonium thiosulfate is easy to get in the U.S. I'm now using it 3:1 for all my b&w film, dry plate, wet plate fixer. Have a gallon jug sitting in my basement.




Kent in SD

Yes, I know. But, didn't the OP say he was located in Pakistan?

[Jahanzeb]

https://petapixel.com/2020/03/30/mak...usehold-items/

Read down the comments also

Swimming pool chems or salt can be fixer

Thank you for that! Have had a go with parodinal but have not tried caffenol. I am tempted as I was not able to find pyrogallol or catechol locally and have read the stain being beneficial for making alt process negs from film.

Sounds like you have it pretty much worked out already. Nothing wrong with D-76 or D-23 for film development; I use 'em all the time! Paper developers, like D-72, can be easily mixed from raw chemicals. You mention ammonium thiosulfate for fixer is difficult to obtain...can you get sodium thiosulfate? Will take a little longer to fix, but it works.

Yes for now I am sorted and was also more interested in what others may be using and why.

Sodium thiosulfate is easily available and have been using that. The Agfa-304 uses ammonium chloride in its formula to form ammonium thiosulfate ions. Its not perhaps as fast a pure ammonium thiosulfate but with a bit of modification to the published formula, thanks to a thread on Photoria, I get clearing times of around 35s. My knowledge of chemistry is rudimentary at best, so following advice and seeing if it hold true for my own setup is where I am at.

[lanactoor]

Silver nitrate and accompanying sources of halides (chloride, bromide, iodide) for emulsions, salt printing, and developer recipes.

Potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)6]) for C-22 bleach / farmer's reducer, cyanotype, and iron toners.

Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) for B&W reversal bleach.

Sodium sulfite as ingredient and bleach/hypo clearing bath.

[koraks]

Metol
Hydroquinone
Phenidone or dimezone-s
Sodium or potassium carbonate
Sodium sulfite
Potassium bromide
Acetic acid/vinegar and/or citric acid
Sodium or potassium hydroxide is sometimes convenient to have around
Sodium metaborate
Thiourea
Potassium ferricyanide

The above covers many bases for b&w film and paper, including sepia toning.

[Jahanzeb]

Silver nitrate and accompanying sources of halides (chloride, bromide, iodide) for emulsions, salt printing, and developer recipes.

Potassium ferricyanide (K3[Fe(CN)6]) for C-22 bleach / farmer's reducer, cyanotype, and iron toners.

Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) for B&W reversal bleach.

Sodium sulfite as ingredient and bleach/hypo clearing bath.

Metol
Hydroquinone
Phenidone or dimezone-s
Sodium or potassium carbonate
Sodium sulfite
Potassium bromide
Acetic acid/vinegar and/or citric acid
Sodium or potassium hydroxide is sometimes convenient to have around
Sodium metaborate
Thiourea
Potassium ferricyanide

The above covers many bases for b&w film and paper, including sepia toning.

Thank you both exactly what I was looking for