Distilled Water alternative

brothernature

brothernature

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I usually do my final wash in distilled water since I always get drying marks when I don't. However, going to the grocery store and picking up a couple of gallons isn't as easy these days. Does anyone have any alternatives?
 
I used to have one of those
Edmund Scienctic water stills
from the '70. It was great
made by evavaporation and
drip colection.
 
Been meaning to try the water from my dehumidifier
Living in a hard water area. I've used for the whole process 3 minute hard boiled water with the scum skimmed off and then filtered through compressed cotton wool
 
I’d think that distilled water would be back on the shelves before too long, once the densest people figure out that this isn’t an EMP attack we are dealing with and nothing is going to effect either the availability or the quality of the water coming out of their taps.
You’d hope that dawned on people, anyway.
 
My Lady told me about letting water stand in closed bottles..
The "pH" comes down, and is very good!
Live in Toronto and our normal tap water fine.
I filter all solutions prior use with coffee filters.
Always use fresh fixer to prevent white spots..
Kodak's Photo Flo for last rinse.
 
Where do you live?

City water or from a well?

Have you tried using Photo-flo?

I always use my thumb and finger running down the processed film to take off excess water. It works for me.

Our water is pretty good. Compliments of the last ice age on the planet!
 
Bill Clark said:
Where do you live?

City water or from a well?

Have you tried using Photo-flo?

I always use my thumb and finger running down the processed film to take off excess water. It works for me.

Our water is pretty good. Compliments of the last ice age on the planet!
Click to expand...

City water, LA county. I've tried photo flo, squeegee with two fingers, etc, somehow still get water marks. The only time I don't is when I use distilled water for the final wash.
 
Then I don’t have an answer for you.

How do you wash the fixer out? I use the Ilford method.

Our daughter lives in LaCanada, near Pasadena and their water is better than our water here in Minnesota. Our water comes from aquifiers, more minerals; theirs from the Sierras. We use a water softener, they don’t. Maybe the water treatment facility has something to do with it for you or something you’re doing.
 
I use water from a dehumidifier (filtered !).
One tank with this filtered water to wash the film.
Then another tank with fitered water plus one drop of Photo-flo or dishwasher liquid. Gently squegee with two fingers . Hang to dry.
It works for me.
The dehumidifier helps to dry the film, the tank and the reels . To prevent air turbulence (= dust !!) I never place the dehumidier close to the drying film.
Regards
Joao
 
You should be able to buy deionized water from your local hardware store. It's not quite the same as distilled water but has had the mineral content removed probably by ion exchange. I use it for making my developer stock solutions, but ordinary tap water for everything else.
 
You are correct, Barry, de-ionised water is not quite the same and leaves some dissolved gasses. Distilled water leaves a little silicon behind if the still is a glass one. However one, which I am surprised not to see here, is rainwater. That is distilled, it will gather a little dust on its way down but a filter made using squashed cotton wool would do the job.

D.Lox
 
For years I've been wiping water off of film. if you have Kimwipes those are great but you can use a paper towel like Bounty. They work too. The key is do it gingerly. Run the edge of the paper towel down the film when it is hanging up. Keep changing the edge until the film is dry. Do not touch the emulsion side. You will almost never get a water spot on the emulsion side. Anyway, the easiest way to remove water spots is to remove the water before it becomes a spot....

Hope that helps you.
 
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