Measuring cylinders for own developing

[benedict297]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Hi, I'm gonna try developing my own film. I would like to know what is the norm when using measuring cylinders. Does one need 3 separate ones to mix the developer , stopper and fixer? Or is it ok it just use one cylinder to mix all, one after another?

 

Thanks

[earleygallery]

One is fine, just rinse it well after each use.

[Richardgb]

Provided that the measuring cylinders are made from glass, or plastic 'for photographic use', you should be OK using the same measuring cylinder for all normal photographic chemicals. You must, of course, well rinse the cylinders after mixing any chemical. The only chemical to beware of is glacial acetic acid (i.e. the most concentrated type), sometimes (though nowadays rarely) used for preparing stop-bath. This will attack certain plastics (even those 'for photographic use'), so if you want to use this, use glass.

 

You will need a small-ish (say 50cc) cylinder for measuring the concentrate chemicals, and a larger one for mixing the diluted solution. Add the concentrate to the water, not the other way round.

 

It is strongly advisable to wear protective gloves (disposable latex are fine) and eye protection when mixing chemicals. The skin can become sensitized, especially to certain developing agents, and the result is a long-lasting skin complaint.

 

Remember, too, with some developers you will be mixing fresh solution every time you run a process. Stop bath and fixer can be used repeatedly until exhausted - invest in a couple of large (1-litre) glass or plastic bottles to store the used solutions. In use, keep the stop-bath and fixer bottles closed until you have poured the developer into the tank - you don't want to pour them in first! (Stop bath wouldn't be too bad as it can be washed away and you can develop as normal. However, you don't get a second chance with fixer. If you hear a photographer say 'I've never done this', his name's probably Pinocchio).

 

A few points re exhaustion:

 

 

• 
  
• Some commercial stop-bath concentrates have an indicator which changes colour (e.g. yellow to purple) to show when the solution is exhausted.
  
• With fixer, the usual indication is to see how long a fresh solution takes to visibly clear the milkiness (undeveloped silver halide) from the film and to double this for complete fixing. As the solution gets exhausted, the fixing time takes longer - the solution should be replaced once the time to clear the milkiness is twice the fresh time.
  
• Exhausted fixer is potentially valuable as it contains silver, but you'll need to collect many litres to make it economically worthwhile to recover this (I wonder if any camera clubs do this?); I doubt whether the small-ish quantities of fixer you will use are enough to upset the local water / sewage disposal authority, but silver is toxic...
  
• If you're worried about archival permanence, use a double fixing bath: The first is used to clear the film, then is replaced by the second. Once the time in the firs batch is doubled, replace the first bath with the second and mix a fresh second bath. (You'll need another storage bottle for this, of course)
  

Finally, temperatures:

 

• 
  
• Make sure the stop-bath and fixer temperatures are not too different to that of the developer.
  
• Likewise, don't wash in very cold water as the washing takes longer to remove the fixer.
  

This may sound complicated but you'll quickly get into the routine. Enjoy the satisfaction of seeing your own negs come off the reel!

[250swb]

You need three measuring cylinders, or jugs, developer, stop, fix. Why do you need three? Because you need to get all the chemicals to the same temperature ready to use quickly as you change them over. Ask yourself, with one cylinder how do you pour the developer out, rinse the cylinder, mix some stop bath, get it to the right temperature, and pour it into the tank in ten seconds?

 

You can add to this two or three cheap 2 litre kitchen plastic jugs for having large enough amounts of water at the correct temperature including some ready for the wash aid. The larger jugs will allow you to have water at 21c (or whatever) and use the Ilford method of washing instead of running the film under a cold tap for 30 minutes. So for one 35mm film you pour 300ml of water into the tank and invert it ten times, then pour it out and add another 300ml, and invert it twenty times, then another 300ml and invert it forty times. The film will be completely washed after this simple sequence and it is done at the same temperature as the development and fix.

 

Steve

[earleygallery]

I have my (mixed) solutions in bottles. They're usually at a working temperature in the house but if not I'll use a water bath to raise or lower the temperature as needed.

[CalArts 99]

You need three measuring cylinders, or jugs, developer, stop, fix. Why do you need three? Because you need to get all the chemicals to the same temperature ready to use quickly as you change them over. Ask yourself, with one cylinder how do you pour the developer out, rinse the cylinder, mix some stop bath, get it to the right temperature, and pour it into the tank in ten seconds?

 

You can add to this two or three cheap 2 litre kitchen plastic jugs for having large enough amounts of water at the correct temperature including some ready for the wash aid. The larger jugs will allow you to have water at 21c (or whatever) and use the Ilford method of washing instead of running the film under a cold tap for 30 minutes. So for one 35mm film you pour 300ml of water into the tank and invert it ten times, then pour it out and add another 300ml, and invert it twenty times, then another 300ml and invert it forty times. The film will be completely washed after this simple sequence and it is done at the same temperature as the development and fix.

 

+1

 

It's about efficiency and a sort of 'repetitive convenience' (i.e., become efficient through repeating the process the same way each time.) It's not quite a rocket-science high tech laboratory sort of thing. Unless I suppose one is more interested in the process itself (that's not saying that one shouldn't be very mindful of what they are doing and knowledgeable of the chemistry they're using; but careful repetition is key to consistent results and also being able to troubleshoot effectively if something does go amiss.)

 

And yes, please use the Ilford wash system. There's no reason to waste water. Water is precious in many parts of the world.

 

During WWII film was often washed in salt water. Film processing has often been necessarily makeshift under all kinds of circumstances throughout history. Those negatives are still with us today.

[Guest Mr. B]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I will be brief. I have been developing film regularly for over forty years. You need three containers. Four actually, don't forget hypo eliminator to reduce washing time.

Mr. B

[250swb]

Of course with three, or four, cylinders you can mark them in big letters dev, stop, fix, and hypo/wash aid. Which helps considerably in knowing what is in each, and which bottles they go back into for working solutions. It also stops cross contamination and means you can pour them back at the end of processing, not as you go along when under time constraints.

 

Steve

[chrism]

During WWII film was often washed in salt water. Film processing has often been necessarily makeshift under all kinds of circumstances throughout history. Those negatives are still with us today.

 

Salt water has actually been shown to remove hypo from a film emulsion faster than fresh water, but then you have to get the sodium chloride washed out. Hypo clearing agent was introduced in the light of this - using sodium sulfite instead, which is itself more easily removed from the emulsion.

 

Chris

[tobey bilek]

The first time you spill a measuring cylinder in the middle of developing film , you will change the method.

 

Developer is stored on small one time use bottles, as is fix. They come to the proper temp in the same time sittting in a water bath with the film tank. Keep the bottles capped and use a dial thermometer as required.

 

The Patterson plastic work well , but they are brittle plastic. Glass is best as the transmits heat the best. Fisher Scientific. My chemical mixing containers are stainless. Storage containers are glass. They clean best and air does not get in. Plastic is junk.

[pico]

[...] You can add to this two or three cheap 2 litre kitchen plastic jugs for having large enough amounts of water at the correct temperature including some ready for the wash aid.[...]

 

Good idea.

 

Aside to the OP - do not use just any kitchen jugs for storing chemicals. Very many, if not most, are permeable to air which shortens the viability of solutions.

[CalArts 99]

Salt water has actually been shown to remove hypo from a film emulsion faster than fresh water, but then you have to get the sodium chloride washed out. Hypo clearing agent was introduced in the light of this - using sodium sulfite instead, which is itself more easily removed from the emulsion.

 

From what I remember reading once, this 'discovery' is how Heico PermaWash came about as a commercially sold washing aid. Sailors on ships during the war.... is that true?

[250swb]

Good idea.

 

Aside to the OP - do not use just any kitchen jugs for storing chemicals. Very many, if not most, are permeable to air which shortens the viability of solutions.

 

Good point. Heavy duty chemical storage bottles, ideally 2 or 2.5 litres, are available on EBay, or from lab supplies companies, and are ideal for storage of working solutions.

 

Steve

[chrism]

From what I remember reading once, this 'discovery' is how Heico PermaWash came about as a commercially sold washing aid. Sailors on ships during the war.... is that true?

 

So it is said. The story behind the Ilford washing method is just as romantic - developing films on a desert expedition...

 

To go back to the topic, I like to have a number of measuring cylinders, each labelled so there's no cross-contamination if my rinsing is less than perfect. This lets me ensure everything is at the same temperature (although I favour developers that don't care about precise temperatures - Diafine, stand developing in Rodinal and HC-110 - thermal shock from different temperature solutions can cause reticulation). It also lets me ensure there is enough water on hand since I use water from a Brita filter jug. I could certainly get by with one measure and a series of plastic containers, even old yoghurt tubs, once the chemicals have been measured.

 

One salutory tale to warn you about. I have bought distilled water from the local pharmacy which is sold in thin plastic gallon bottles. Don't store chemicals in them. I had some Diafine solution B eat right through and drip onto a copper pipe under the sink. When the basement got puddles of water the pipe had to be replaced - it corroded right through the copper. Now I use the proper brown plastic chemistry containers branded Delta.

 

Chris

[pico]

I still have several old Kodak glass measures. Get them before they become extinct.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[semi-ambivalent]

I still have several old Kodak glass measures. Get them before they become extinct.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I know where one might still be for sale right now. Last I checked they wanted $15.00. lol. (OK, OK, I was tempted...)

 

s-a

[250swb]

There are modern Pyrex measuring cylinders from lab supply companies similar to the Kodak ones, but they are a fortune to buy. The older Kodak cylinders are now highly regarded among non-photographers and sold for an even bigger fortune at 'antiques and collectibles' fairs

.

Steve

[StS]

I'm using differently shaped measuring cylinders for developer, stop, fix,...

 

It never happened to me yet, but just to make sure avoid to fill in fix first. Else, some day, it might be the first time...

 

Stefan

[philipus]

Well I've only developed myself for less than a year but I'll chime in anyway.

 

I find that four simple 1-litre plastic jugs do the trick nicely (I have a 5-roll tank that's just less than one litre) and cost very little too. I'm sure they're not photographic plastic but any faults in my images are due to my developing skills rather than anything else. Then again, I don't store the chemicals in them. The fourth jug is for water and Ilfotol btw. I unroll the rolls from the spirals and gently pull them through the mix in that jug. I find that the Ilfotol-water mix bubbles a lot if I pour it into the tank, which causes marks on the film. This doesn't happen if I run each film through the mix in the jug.

 

I'm curious about storage, though. Glass bottles would be the best, right, but which plastic ones are good?

[Advertisement]

Hallo,

Look here: Interesting Leica gear

[fotohuis]

I'm curious about storage, though. Glass bottles would be the best, right, but which plastic ones are good?

 

HDPE, Silar or PET are the best.