Dongrappo
Hello, dear Rotlicht community
My first order of chemicals has arrived, and I’ve ordered Adofix P II to mix up 5 litres of fixer.
I assumed I could divide the powder into, say, 5 portions; the packet weighs exactly 500 grams = 5 x 100g (no need for a calculator) – a practical way to split it up, with some in reserve and in smaller containers.
However, I’ve found a comment in an existing, older thread on this topic stating that whilst it’s possible, it’s better to prepare the full 5 litres in one go and then distribute it into a canister or bottles, as the powder’s components may not have mixed evenly. At least, that’s how I understood it.
Does anyone here perhaps have practical experience with fixing powder?
And does this also apply to the new Adox powder formula, which is advertised as being bound with a special agent and therefore no longer produces dust and is also supposed to be protected from oxygen?
Does this new process effectively eliminate the problem of unwanted mixing? Especially as it is vacuum-packed and should have moved very little even during transport in the bag.
For space reasons, and as I assume the fixer has a longer shelf life, I would like to store the powder in portions.
I haven’t been able to find any processing information for Adofix P II anywhere either. Just the PDF file on the website with all the safety information and a short paragraph on shelf life. It’s all very confusing and I think there’s room for improvement.
Many thanks and best regards,
Werner
KlausWehner
Hello Werner,
It makes sense to prepare the full 5 litres and pour it into 5 bottles.
The fixing bath has a long shelf life.
From a physical point of view, the fixing bath is a mixture.
Mixtures are not homogeneous and cannot be reliably separated.
Please get in touch if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Klaus
Dongrappo
Hello Klaus
Another helpful answer. Thank you very much.
It’s a good thing I was given quite a few bottles and had cleaned them all thoroughly. I’ll make a large batch and then divide it between the bottles. For longer-term storage, I suppose I should switch to brown glass bottles at some point, shouldn’t I? At the moment I have the typical, mostly brown bottles from Kaiser, Rowi and Jobo, including a few accordion-style bottles.
Oh dear, it’s getting rather cramped in my little studio.
Oh yes, to test the fixer for consumption, I asked at my chemist’s about potassium iodide, but it’s only available in larger quantities and is very expensive.
Is there any other method or way to test whether the fixer is still working?
Many thanks for the information and best regards,
Werner
Wolf_XL
...I’d change chemists – mine mixed up 250ml of the right potassium iodide solution for me, nicely packaged in a bottle with a pipette... It didn’t cost even 5 euros... Or you could mix it yourself. Potassium iodide isn’t that expensive, after all...
https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=kaliumjodid&_sacat=0&_sop=15
KlausWehner
Hi Werner,
Glass bottles are fine.
In this case, they don’t need to be amber glass.
You can test the dissolved silver content using a potassium iodide solution.
That’s a good and sensible method.
You should determine the clearing time using a small piece of film.
Hold a piece of film (a cut-off leader) in the fixing solution and note the time it takes for the film to become completely clear.
This is the clearing time (very important to know).
The actual fixing time is twice the clearing time.
The clearing time varies slightly from film to film.
If the clearing time (for the same) film noticeably increases, the fixing bath is exhausted.
Don’t skimp on the fixing bath!
Personally, I only use the fixing bath once.
A two-bath fixing process is recommended.
Get in touch if you have any questions.
Best regards,
Klaus
Dongrappo
Thanks so much for the replies!
I do the film development every now and then, and I do the same with the clearing times. But it’s different when it comes to processing paper, isn’t it? That requires different times and mixtures, doesn’t it? Or can I use film scraps for the clearing time as well??? Probably not, is it??
So please do keep the tips coming, as I only know a few and it’s good to be reminded of some of them! ;-)
Right, I’ll ask another chemist. They’ve all been refurbishing their premises here over the last few years and hardly mix anything themselves anymore, so they don’t stock these things in their own range.
There are plenty of chemists round here, so I’ll have a go round asking.
Speaking of which, a few days ago I wanted to buy 100% (OK, 95–99%) alcohol. They’re not allowed to sell that anymore, as it’s now apparently classified as a biocide, or whatever it’s called.
100ml lasts me a very long time and none of it ends up in the water. I only use it to clean certain things.
Oh yes, from a business point of view, I bought 500g of potassium bromide years ago. “My name is Lose. I’m shopping here!” :-D So I’ll probably have enough of that to last me the next few lifetimes!
If anyone in the Bremen area needs a bit of KBr for Caffenol etc. or whatever, I have more than enough and would be happy to give some away.
Right, enough talk
Many thanks for all the help and best wishes,
Werner
KlausWehner
Fixing baths for film and paper are usually prepared in different concentrations.
However, this is not strictly necessary.
Testing the clearing time using a small piece of film is also very helpful when preparing a fixing bath for paper.
It indicates whether the fixing bath is still working reliably (or not).
This is particularly important with paper, as you cannot tell from the outside whether it has actually been fixed.
Photographic paper that has not been sufficiently fixed will discolour later and will not last.
This is a major risk, which is why you should always fix thoroughly.
I recommend a two-bath fixing process.
Best regards,
Klaus
Dongrappo
Thank you very much for the tips and information.
So I prepared the 5 litres all at once in a large pot. I’m not familiar with the old Adofix powder, but this one with the new formula doesn’t create a cloud of dust and dissolves quickly and easily. I’ve now divided this between 4 bottles (1 x 2 litres and 3 x 1 litre), filling them well so there should be hardly any air left in the bottles, and finally made, developed and fixed my first enlargements.
How does the system with the two fixing baths work? Does it work?? :-D
As I used a mixture of citric acid as a stop bath and Rollei RPN developer, well, I was genuinely surprised that it ‘smelled’ far less than I’d expected. Only the black decorative film I’ve clamped over the window is giving off quite a strong smell of solvent, plasticiser or whatever it is.
It was cheap, fits perfectly and doesn’t let any light through.
So far, so good.
Just wanted to give a quick update and say thanks for the help.
Best regards,
Werner
KlausWehner
The two-bath fixing process is a very reliable and efficient method.
Two fixing baths are used in succession. The fixing time is divided equally between the two baths.
This combination can be used until the first bath is completely exhausted, as the second bath always ensures reliable and complete fixing.
Once the first bath is exhausted, the second bath takes its place and a fresh second bath is prepared.
In this way, the fixing baths can be utilised more effectively than with a standard single-bath fixing process.
However, thanks to the second, relatively fresh bath, you can always be sure that the negatives or prints are fully fixed.
Best regards,
Klaus
Dongrappo
Klaus Wehner wrote:
"The two-bath fixing method is a very reliable and efficient technique.
Two fixers are used in succession. The fixing time is divided equally between the two fixers.
This combination can be used until the first fixer is completely exhausted, as the second fixer always ensures reliable and complete fixing.
Once the first bath is exhausted, the second bath takes its place and a fresh second bath is prepared.
In this way, the fixers can be utilised more effectively than with a standard single-bath fixing process.
However, thanks to the second, relatively fresh bath, you can still be certain that the negatives or papers are fully fixed.
Best regards,
Klaus
Thank you very much, Klaus, for the great explanation. That sounds really very simple and sensible at the same time.
I’ll give that a go, though I’m still having trouble determining how exhausted the fixer is at the moment.
Unfortunately, I’ve neglected to keep a record of the paper I’ve processed so far; that would really disrupt my workflow...
Speaking of determining, I’m still in the process of sourcing the necessary material, potassium iodide.
Perhaps next time I’ll use a fixer with a colour indicator. That would be the simplest solution. Although then you’d be tied to using those specific fixers.
Well, there’s still some time, but if I’m going to be making larger prints more seriously, I’d like to have that control and certainty.
So thank you very much for the information. It’s all very helpful, and I’ll have a clearer idea for the future of how best to organise the processes and so on. Without a ‘teacher’ at my side, it’s not always that easy.
Best regards,
Werner
KlausWehner
It is important to recognise when the fixing bath has been used up.
A small piece of film is sufficient for this (e.g. the leader of a film exposed to exposure).
This allows you to determine the clearing time of a fresh fixing bath (e.g. 2 minutes).
If the clearing time of a used bath increases significantly (3 to 4 minutes), it is heavily used and can be disposed of.
With the two-bath method, it can theoretically be used until it is almost completely ineffective.
The second bath will still fix sufficiently.
A potassium iodide solution is an even better indicator.
A (pH) indicator in the fixing bath is actually of no significance regarding the degree of utilisation.
pH value and the amount of dissolved silver are two completely different things.
Only the silver content is relevant to the degree of utilisation of the fixing bath.
Best regards
Klaus
Dongrappo
Klaus Wehner wrote
: It is important to recognise when the fixer has been used up.
A small section of film is sufficient for this (e.g. the leader of a roll of film with exposure).
This allows you to determine the clearing time of a fresh fixer (e.g. 2 minutes).
If the clearing time of a used bath increases significantly (3 to 4 minutes), it is heavily used and can be disposed of.
With the two-bath method, it can theoretically be used until it is almost completely ineffective.
The second bath will still fix sufficiently.
A potassium iodide solution is an even better indicator.
A (pH) indicator in the fixer is actually of no significance regarding the degree of utilisation.
pH value and the amount of dissolved silver are two completely different things.
Only the silver content is relevant for the degree of utilisation of the fixer.
Best regards
Klaus
Hi Klaus
Thanks for the reminder. I’ve now tested the clearing time using a small piece of film.
I do the same when developing film. So far, I haven’t managed to combine film and paper development – i.e. the intersections. Although I only learnt set theory after I left school! So as far as chemistry is concerned, I should actually have the knowledge. Well, sometimes there are just too many trees in the forest! ;-)
Merry Christmas and thank you
Werner
