Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
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Re: Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
146g DP Washing Soda [sodium carbonate decahydrate] (90p/kg)
16g Holland & Barrett Vitamin C powder (about £6.59/170g),
40g Waitrose Essentials coffee (99p/100g),
Dissolved in order in 1 litre water.
2 mins prewash, 15 mins develop, swooshed around every thirty seconds, 2 mins wash, 4 mins fix in hypam.
Well, whaddaya know? It worked...
Well, sort of. There's a lot base fog which might be an issue; I'll know more when the negs are dry and I can scan them. But it looks as if I've found something that will take this ADOX CHS 50 to completion.
Neil
p.s. it also smells of dead tuna...
16g Holland & Barrett Vitamin C powder (about £6.59/170g),
40g Waitrose Essentials coffee (99p/100g),
Dissolved in order in 1 litre water.
2 mins prewash, 15 mins develop, swooshed around every thirty seconds, 2 mins wash, 4 mins fix in hypam.
Well, whaddaya know? It worked...
Well, sort of. There's a lot base fog which might be an issue; I'll know more when the negs are dry and I can scan them. But it looks as if I've found something that will take this ADOX CHS 50 to completion.
Neil
p.s. it also smells of dead tuna...
Re: Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
Nice.Neil Barnes wrote:
p.s. it also smells of dead tuna...

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Re: Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
Some scans - ADOX CHS 50 exposed at 25, 50, 100 and developed as above.
The uneven development on the left hand side is what happens when you (er, me) forgets to put the bung back in the bottom of the tank before adding the developer...
Neil
The uneven development on the left hand side is what happens when you (er, me) forgets to put the bung back in the bottom of the tank before adding the developer...

Neil
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Last edited by Neil Barnes on Sun Jun 12, 2011 7:05 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
And some full-size clips (scanned at 1200 dpi).
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Re: Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
Neil, where did you buy the DP Washing Soda please?
- Tony
- Tony
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Re: Inexpensive chemicals for B&W - where to buy?
Tony,
There is a bit of initial expense but I would suggest that you buy a copy of The Darkroom Cookbook by Stephen G Anchell. Your next step is to buy a couple of sets of scales (Amazon). One set to measure 1/10 's of grams and a larger set to measure up to 500 grams. Save a selection of old plastic food pots/trays to weigh the chemicals out in. Use plastic picnic spoons (Sainsburys / Tesco's etc.) to remove the chemicals from the pots/ tubs that they come in to the pots/trays placed on the scales, using a clean spoon for each chemical. Use de-ionised water from your local automotive suppliers ( I buy 25 litres at a time for about £14.00). Wash out used wine and beer bottles to store your mixed chemicals in. Buy plastic crown caps (for the beer bottles) or plastic "corks" for the wine bottles from your local home brew stores (or the one that is based in Chesterfield that is most helpful).
The sad part of this is that I've been forced to consume a lot of red wine and ale to get enough bottles but we must suffer for our art!
After a lot of research I use D-76H diluted 1-1 in my Patterson Orbital trays and have no problems. I use a water stop bath and the Agfa Neutral Fixer formula to make my fixer. I also use 2x2minute pre washes with Foma film,I prefer to use Foma film. Wear vinyl gloves at every stage, Metol is not just an irritant, its very irritant. You'll just have to get used to wearing the things (B&Q). I don't handle film with my bare hands at any stage, this includes loading the film holders. Silverprint sell raw chemicals, AG keep intending to but for some strange reason it never happens, perhaps another forum member might be able to explain this.
Rayco are sadly missed!
Vanman
There is a bit of initial expense but I would suggest that you buy a copy of The Darkroom Cookbook by Stephen G Anchell. Your next step is to buy a couple of sets of scales (Amazon). One set to measure 1/10 's of grams and a larger set to measure up to 500 grams. Save a selection of old plastic food pots/trays to weigh the chemicals out in. Use plastic picnic spoons (Sainsburys / Tesco's etc.) to remove the chemicals from the pots/ tubs that they come in to the pots/trays placed on the scales, using a clean spoon for each chemical. Use de-ionised water from your local automotive suppliers ( I buy 25 litres at a time for about £14.00). Wash out used wine and beer bottles to store your mixed chemicals in. Buy plastic crown caps (for the beer bottles) or plastic "corks" for the wine bottles from your local home brew stores (or the one that is based in Chesterfield that is most helpful).
The sad part of this is that I've been forced to consume a lot of red wine and ale to get enough bottles but we must suffer for our art!
After a lot of research I use D-76H diluted 1-1 in my Patterson Orbital trays and have no problems. I use a water stop bath and the Agfa Neutral Fixer formula to make my fixer. I also use 2x2minute pre washes with Foma film,I prefer to use Foma film. Wear vinyl gloves at every stage, Metol is not just an irritant, its very irritant. You'll just have to get used to wearing the things (B&Q). I don't handle film with my bare hands at any stage, this includes loading the film holders. Silverprint sell raw chemicals, AG keep intending to but for some strange reason it never happens, perhaps another forum member might be able to explain this.
Rayco are sadly missed!
Vanman