What are you using to temper your chemicals (Bathroom geniuses please respond)

[sully75]

Getting back into the "darkroom" aka the bathroom or maybe kitchen of the house I live in with 2 roommates. I've been frustrated in the past with tempering chemicals. Currently I'm using some plastic rubbermade drink pitchers. They work ok but probably something metal would be better for quickly chilling or warming stuff. I have some metal graduates, but find they are too small for when I want to do a batch operation.

So...any thoughts or suggestions about what to use? I'm open to any suggestions, but it needs to be something that I can carry into the bathroom and carry out. I have extremely limited space to work in. I'm only developing the film, I'm printing digitally.

Cheap is good also.

The short question: can you link to me something good to temper my chemicals in?

[Gem Singer]

I have been developing film in a walk-in closet that has been serving as my darkroom for the last 4 years. No running water in the closet.

Using a 3-liter size Rubbermade pitcher, I carry enough tempered water for film processing from the kitchen to the darkroom.

The door of my refrigerator dispenses ice and water that has passed through a 5 micron filter. Good enough for mixing photo chemicals

If the water temperature is under 70F, I place the pitcher in my microwave for a few seconds to warm it.

If the water temperature is too warm, I dispense enough crushed ice from the refrigerator door to cool it down to 70F.

The final wash is done in the adjoining bathroom sink under filtered tap water.

Simple, fast, and effective.

[ic-racer]

If you are doing B&W, the only temperature sensitive step is development. Just run it at room temp. and adjust your development time based on the ambient temp.

[AnselAdamsX]

I haven't bothered tempering my D76 and so far so good

[chassis]

I use D-76 stock solution at room temp, and "temper" in a BTZS tray using water from the cold tap. The water in the tray is more to float and rotate the tubes, than it is for tempering. I am happy with the results.

I don't temper stop bath or fixer, and wash negatives using cold tap water.

[Gem Singer]

It's a good idea to temper the pre-wash, developer, stop bath, and fixer within a few degrees of each other to prevent grain clumping in B&W film.

If processing with an MQ or PQ developer in water below 65F, the hydroquinone in the developer may not activate

When washing in tap water warmer than 86F (as it often is here in Texas in the summertime) there is a risk of softening of the gel in the film emulsion.

It's a good idea to temper all film processing solutions to within a few degrees of each other, if possible.

I have noticed that the method of agitation has a greater effect on the contrast than temperature variations. (I have no scientific facts to back up that statement).

[Merg Ross]

It's a good idea to temper the pre-wash, developer, stop bath, and fixer within a few degrees of each other to prevent grain clumping in B&W film.

If processing with an MQ or PQ developer in water below 65F, the hydroquinone in the developer may not activate

When washing in tap water warmer than 86F (as it often is here in Texas in the summertime) there is a risk of softening of the gel in the film emulsion.

It's a good idea to temper all film processing solutions to within a few degrees of each other, if possible.

I have noticed that the method of agitation has a greater effect on the contrast than temperature variations. (I have no scientific facts to back up that statement).

Hi Gem,

I agree with all of your statements (speaking from experience)! I keep all solutions within two degrees of each other, even the wash step. I am fortunate that the tap water never runs warmer than 70 degrees here.

Merg

[Bill Burk]

A metal saucepan / stockpot would work well. I was lucky to pick up a stainless steel pot at a local overstock store for just a few dollars. It has a rolled lip, no handles 7 inch diameter, 7 inch high, holds just over a gallon. I stamped the gallon mark in it and use it to mix chems (put on stove until temp is right for mix) and for tempering it is perfect. If the ambient temp is cold, I just fill it with hot tap water and set it in the developer tray. If a bottle of chem is cold, I drop it into the pot with the hot water. A gallon plastic jug fits nicely inside. Only thing inconvenient is that I have to remember the bottom is contaminated after sitting in a tray, but that is pretty obvious.

Like Merg, I rarely have to deal with anything hotter than 70-degrees. A bit of chilled water and ice cools the tray as easily as the hot water warmed it.

I also run water from the laundry sink to the darkroom sink in a long hose. I bought an extra hose and strapped it into a coil. When the tap water is 70-degrees, I put a bag of ice in an ice chest and drop the coil into the ice chest. Running the water slowly, it can cool 2-degrees without difficulty. Of course a copper coil would be so much cooler but also would take this out of being cheap. This last year was on the cool side, I didn't need to put the coil in the ice chest.

[jeroldharter]

Some options:

A Phototherm water bath tray which includes a thermostatic heating element and circulation pump. You can temper your bottles in the bath.

A tub with an aquarium heater and aquarium circulation pump. Inexpensive but slow to heat.

I forget the brand, but you could get one of the thermostatic submersible heating element. They look like a long, U-shaped element on a cord.

You could use a tray/tub with a large bottle of hot water and another bottle of frozen water. When the water gets too cool, put the hot jug in for awhile. If too hot, put in the frozen jug. You could use freezer packs for coolers, or microwaveable gel packs for heaters also.

A Jobo TBE 12 is a tempering bath that works with Jobo 1 liter bottles.

If you process in BTZS tubes, you can use the included tempering tray.

[tgtaylor]

For B&W chemistry simply plug the bathroom sink and fill it up with tap water and a little cold water from the fridge/cooler to bring it to, say 68F if necessary. Insert the chemistry in caped bottles like the Jobo containers mentioned above and use a ice cube or two to keep it at the right temperature. You can also use the water in the sink as a rinse.

Thomas