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Thread: Leaving Kodak for Ilford paper developer

  1. #11

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    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Quote Originally Posted by Dugan View Post
    I have standardized on Rodinal.
    Liquid, one-shot, keeps forever. Versatile via dilution.
    I don't obsess over grain...I'd rather have sharp grain than mushy grain. I don't have room for a large assortment of chemicals.
    Uh, I think we're talking about paper developers here...

    Anyway, I second the motion of mixing your own (although Bromophen is really nice - just more expensive).

    However, I like to keep things simple. No magnetic stirrers needed, and no weighing things out except for making the stock solution of benzotriazole for ID-62 below. Spoon recipes are fine and perfectly accurate enough for print developers.

    Here are my spoon recipes for D-72 (Dektol, for all intents and purposes) and ID-62 (Bromophen clone):

    D-72
    (to make 1 liter of working solution)

    Water -------------------- 120°F
    a pinch of sodium sulfite (Metol dissolves better if you add a bit of sulfite first - a pinch is all you need)
    Metol --------------------- 1/3 tsp (you won't find a measuring spoon this size, but just estimate, it's not critical)
    Sodium Sulfite ------------- 2 tsp
    Hydroquinone -------------- 1/2 Tbsp short (i.e., just a bit less than 1/2 Tbsp - again, it's not critical)
    Sodium carbonate (mono) -- 1 1/2 Tbsp
    Potassium bromide --------- 1/8 tsp
    Water to make ------------- 1 liter

    (Triple the above recipe to make a 1-liter stock solution that you dilute 1+2)

    ID-62
    (to make 2 liters of working solution - Note: it's easier to make this in a larger quantity due to the small amount of phenidone needed. Alternately, you can simply double the recipe below and have a 1-liter stock solution that you then dilute 1+3 for a working solution; that's what I do mostly.)
    Water --------------------- 120°F (or higher)
    Sodium sulfite -------------- 1 Tbsp + 1/4 tsp
    Hydroquinone -------------- 2 1/8 tsp
    Sodium carbonate (mono) -- 2 Tbsp
    Phenidone ----------------- 1/8 tsp
    Potassium bromide --------- rounded 1/8 tsp
    Benzotriazole -------------- 16 ml of a 1% solution (which you make up beforehand - 100g/liter - keeps forever)

    You could leave out the benzotriazole and up the potassium bromide to 1/4 tsp and get similar, if maybe a bit warmer, results.

    ID-62 is my current favorite. If you really need to buy pre-packaged, there are lots of Dektol clones out there as well as good PQ developers like Bromophen.

    Hope this helps,

    Doremus

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Dec 2018
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    991

    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Oops.
    Sorry about that.
    I jumped the gun, didn't read carefully. I thought it was an "alternatives to Kodak chemistry in general" thread, from the title.....
    Mea culpa.

  3. #13

    Join Date
    Sep 1998
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    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Quote Originally Posted by Dugan View Post
    Oops.
    Sorry about that.
    I jumped the gun, didn't read carefully. I thought it was an "alternatives to Kodak chemistry in general" thread, from the title.....
    Mea culpa.
    The same approach applies to film developers as well, however

    D-76 and D-23 are easy to mix from scratch and there are lots of other commercial formulas available as concentrates or kits (HC-110 substitutes from many manufacturers, PMK, Rodinal, Pyrocat, etc., etc.)

  4. #14

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    Nov 2005
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    Rondo, Missouri
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    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    It isn't just Kodak. I've had to have the last two orders of 130 paper developer I purchased from Photographer's formulary replaced because on adding the last ingredient to the mix from their lot, it turned an opaque black.
    Michael W. Graves
    Michael's Pub

    If it ain't broke....don't fix it!

  5. #15

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    May 2007
    Location
    New York City & Pontremoli, Italy
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    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Graves View Post
    It isn't just Kodak. I've had to have the last two orders of 130 paper developer I purchased from Photographer's formulary replaced because on adding the last ingredient to the mix from their lot, it turned an opaque black.
    I suspect that the Glycin was too old (discolored); I have several kits (3+ years old) of it but I need to replace the discolored Glycin with freshly bought Glycin. A minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.

  6. #16

    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Ansco 130.

  7. #17
    Drew Wiley
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    Sep 2008
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    SF Bay area, CA
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    18,338

    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Just mix your own developer out of fresh chemicals. It's easy, and there are plenty of good formulas to choose from. You'll save a lot of money over the long run too. But if contemplating 130 (an excellent paper developer), don't buy kits, but individual bulk chemicals from Formulary. Fresh glycin is yellowish off-white. It can be preserved from oxidation by freezing it, tightly sealed.

  8. #18

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    Aug 2015
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    St. Louis area
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    21

    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    On a related note, what would a good scale cost?

  9. #19

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    BC, Canada
    Posts
    21

    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Quote Originally Posted by Fred V View Post
    On a related note, what would a good scale cost?
    I'm using a jeweler's electronic digital scale that was under $20. Plenty accurate and weighs up to 500 grams. I was using a gunpowder reloading balance beam, but digital is much faster.

  10. #20

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    Jun 2017
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    Re: Leaving Kodak for Ilford

    Quote Originally Posted by Fred V View Post
    On a related note, what would a good scale cost?
    I have one of those cheap digital scales that cost me about $15, and its been in service for 3 years now and continues to work well. It came with a 100g weight to calibrate it. I routinely measure amounts as small as 0.2 grams and it has been reliable for such measurements. However, these are fairly delicate devices and are known to be easily broken if dropped, so if you're the clumsy sort, it might not be the best option. See:AWS Scales on Amazon

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