Use of X-ray film: technical discussion with example images

[Bakody1]

I had my first try with Agfa CP-GU (double side emulsion).
After caffenol, when I took out from the developer and during washing the negative looked perfect. As soon as I pored the fixer on the negative, it turned dark.
With household bleach I removed the emulsion from one side. The image looks better, but still dark and looks foggy.
Developer:
27g Washing soda
8g Vitamin C
20g Instant Coffee
3g table salt with Iodine
500ml water
Fixing bath:
sodium thiosulphate (anhydrous) 80g in 250ml water
What was wrong?

[premortho]

I had my first try with Agfa CP-GU (double side emulsion).
After caffenol, when I took out from the developer and during washing the negative looked perfect. As soon as I pored the fixer on the negative, it turned dark.
With household bleach I removed the emulsion from one side. The image looks better, but still dark and looks foggy.
Developer:
27g Washing soda
8g Vitamin C
20g Instant Coffee
3g table salt with Iodine
500ml water
Fixing bath:
sodium thiosulphate (anhydrous) 80g in 250ml water
What was wrong?

I don't know what is wrong, but I suggest you start out with a commercial developer. This will reduce the variables. Rodinal 1-100 is one of the stand-bys. If you start reading back about 20 pages, you will find all kind of development hints. I prefer the Kodak single sided emulsion. Less chances for scratches. Also remember that if you use double sided emulsions, you will need more exposure if you remove one side.

[Andrew O'Neill]

As soon as I pored the fixer on the negative, it turned dark.
With household bleach I removed the emulsion from one side. The image looks better, but still dark and looks foggy.

It will always turn dark when you pour on the fixer. The fix clears the unexposed/undeveloped emulsion away making it look dark.
Also, I would advise against stripping the emulsion. You end up with a negative with half the density range and degraded tonalities, imho.
Why are you washing the negative after development? Do you mean rinsing it in a stop bath? You should be stop, fix, then wash. I hope you are working under a safe, safelight.

[Corran]

You end up with a negative with half the density range

I don't think that's true. If you cut the density in half everywhere, you still have the same range of tones, it's just half the density. That's important for alt. process but not traditional silver printing or scanning. Am I wrong?

I disagree about degraded tonalities but that's of course an opinion.

[mdarnton]

I am looking for thr same, the seller here tells me that Kodak has stopped xray and its now rebadged as something else, would that be true?

Search Google for Carestream x-ray film.

[Bakody1]

Thank you for the answers. I will try one more time with caffenol. Maybe the problem was the too strong red safe light (I hope)
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/denta...l/darkroom.pdf
"It must be made clear that there is no such thing as an absolutely safe safe-light. The film will be fogged if it is exposed too long to any intensity light. The question arises now for how long can a film be exposed to safelight illumination before fog becomes apparent."
http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/rad/...kroom_fog_.pdf

[premortho]

Thank you for the answers. I will try one more time with caffenol. Maybe the problem was the too strong red safe light (I hope)
http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/denta...l/darkroom.pdf
"It must be made clear that there is no such thing as an absolutely safe safe-light. The film will be fogged if it is exposed too long to any intensity light. The question arises now for how long can a film be exposed to safelight illumination before fog becomes apparent."
http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/rad/...kroom_fog_.pdf

Bakody, the product I reccommended is Kodak Ektascan B/RA film/4153. It is described as "medium speed,single coated tabular grain, orthochromatic medical x-ray film. It is coated on a 7 mil blue tinted polyester base (support), with anti-halation backing. Because it has anti-halation backing it has a film notch at the edge which must be in the upper right hand edge when loading the cut film holder." It is more expensive at $80.00 per box of 100, plus shipping. Since we don't know where in the world you live, we don't have anyway to approximate the shipping charges.

[premortho]

Oh yes, it is now called Kodak Carestream Ektascan B/RA film/4153. I buy mine from Z and Z medical in the USA. They have it in stock. How much the shipping will be, I don't know. I think 80 cents a sheet is a bargain for film with anti-halation backing.

[Bakody1]

I'm in Europe, Hungary...

[analoguey]

Search Google for Carestream x-ray film.

Thanks, yes it is rebadged Carestream. I just bought a packet - I was told it was green sensistive.
It has generic packaging here(of Carestream), but none of the extensive labelling I see on this thread.

Mine just writes out "TMX", then emulsion no and size/expiry date (till 2016).