Home brew Rodinal

[LeicaFoReVer]

Ok. Since I now have difficulties in getting rodinal from fotoimpex or Macodirect (due to changes in regulations in EU, it is classified as dangerous goods), and after Erik's suggestion I started to make a search. His formula given to me uses aminophenol directly. And I am able to find it on ebay from Poland (search for it and you will see). However as I saw on a site Parodinal variety which is made from tylenol and is pink colored has a shelf life of 90 days!?! That is not what I want. I want a durable formulas as durable as possible. So using aminophenol directly can improve its shelf life or not? I can also get food grade k-metabisulfite and lye. Or even I can get analytical grade of those components. Which would be pretty expensive.

What are your experinces and recommendations?

 

[leicapixie]

Almost impossible to brew self.
I know the "formula" was published aeons ago in "Pears Cyclopedia" in early editions pre 2nd World War!
I would simply use HC-110 Kodak.
Can be used with different dilutions.
Rodinal was my ONLY developer till it was somewhat changed, later made available in Canada, as "Blazinol".
It is not same as original!
It ages and one lot ate thru my concentrate plastic bottle.
Blazinol is still a good developer, but Canada it is!

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

Almost impossible to brew self.
I know the "formula" was published aeons ago in "Pears Cyclopedia" in early editions pre 2nd World War!
I would simply use HC-110 Kodak.
Can be used with different dilutions.
Rodinal was my ONLY developer till it was somewhat changed, later made available in Canada, as "Blazinol".
It is not same as original!
It ages and one lot ate thru my concentrate plastic bottle.
Blazinol is still a good developer, but Canada it is!

I am unable to get those developers as they need special permit to be shipped to my country. It is what fotoimpex and Macodirect told me. So any other opinion?

There is this link that gives an old formula and claims to have a better shelf life due to k-bromide:

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/rodinal-original-recipe.54123/

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

Nobody wants to write? You might be thinking there are tons of recipes out on the internet but I should say it is all confusing.

 

[Erik van Straten]

In "Fototechniek", a famous Dutch book by Peter Charpentier (+/- 1970) I found this recipe for Rodinal:

solution A: water 500cc; paraminophenol hydrochloride 50 g; potassium metabisulphite 150 g.
solution B: water 450cc; potassium hydroxide 350 g.

In solutions A, so much of B is poured under stirring until the initial precipitate is almost completely dissolved, then the solution is made up to 1 liter with water, pH-value +/- 11.8. As a negative-phase developer, this solution is diluted 1:20 to 1:30, development time at 20 degrees 3-6 minutes.

Erik.

 

[mpaniagua]

Ive only used "Home Brewed" formula Rodinal

I used Paracetamol /Caustic soda recipe. Equal parts of them. Crushed paracetamol and dissolved on water. Next dissolve Lye. Let it rest for 2 days and use with 1/25, 1/50 dilution.

There a lots of videos/page of them on the net. Quick search gave me this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPTv16e0HCk


My main language is Spanish, so based my recipe on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiy8vgt2nug

This is test using Ultrafine Xtreme 400 and HB Rodinal:

 

[tarullifoto]

I don't know if it has Rodinal in it specifically, but you should have a look at The Darkroom Cookbook by Steve Anchell, if you haven't already.

https://www.amazon.ca/Darkroom-Cookbook-Steve-Anchell/dp/0240810554

UPDATE: It does.

 

[Steve M.]

This may be more information than you want, but APUG is where the chemists usually lurk.

https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/rodinal-original-recipe.54123/

Whoops, that was leicaforever's original link. Is there something lacking in those formulas?

 

[john_s]

Would you be able to use one of the Pyrocat versions? They keep well, and produce results somewhat like Rodinal. They do have the disadvantage of being two part developers. You would have to obtain pyrocatechol (also sometimes called pyrocatechin, 1,2-Dihydroxybenzene, German Brenzcatechin)

 

[webOSUser]

Have you considered Caffinol? Can be made of items found in the local grocery.
http://www.caffenol.org/recipes/

Steve W.

 

[anu L ogy]

I second a few of the other comments here. I have the photographers / darkroom cookbook somewhere and I think I remember they specifically mention how hard it Is to make on your own. I’d be happy to email you the pages if you can’t find them.

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

I second a few of the other comments here. I have the photographers / darkroom cookbook somewhere and I think I remember they specifically mention how hard it Is to make on your own. I’d be happy to email you the pages if you can’t find them.

I would appreciate if you can send me the pages on Rodinal. The recipes on apug are so variable so I don't know which one to make. Also my main concern is the shelf life. I want something with long life. I am sure all will work that way or the other way. Which one has the longest life or what is done to improve its life? Using analytical grade chemicals with pure water rather than tap water for example?

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

Ive only used "Home Brewed" formula Rodinal

I used Paracetamol /Caustic soda recipe. Equal parts of them. Crushed paracetamol and dissolved on water. Next dissolve Lye. Let it rest for 2 days and use with 1/25, 1/50 dilution.

There a lots of videos/page of them on the net. Quick search gave me this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPTv16e0HCk


My main language is Spanish, so based my recipe on this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiy8vgt2nug

This is test using Ultrafine Xtreme 400 and HB Rodinal:

I am sure it works but parodinal has only 90 days of shelf life. I want something like the original rodinal. Not oxidized easily.

 

[Noserider]

I have used "original" and "official" versions of Rodinal and mixed my own using recipes and doing massive testing and for *nearly ALL* photographers they are equal and can be used interchangeably. Anyone (and I mean ANYONE) that can show a difference has either mixed the recipes wrong or doesn't know how to test film/developer (or they are on the level of a PhD photo chemist and can mix up anything useful). My decades of advice is to IF you need to use Rodinal either find a consistent supply of the packaged version OR learn the easiest version and practice consistency. As for the longevity of the home-brew I've not noticed any change for several years (+4 years or more).
The recipe that I seem to recall using was 30 tablets of generic extra strength Tylenol 50g Sodium Sulfite 20g Sodium Hydroxide into 250ml of water. Stir, store for 3 days and decant with a bit of the sludge at the bottom. This I think is the original homebrew by Donald Qualls and I *vigorously* tested against Original AGFA Rodinal when that went off the market 10+ years ago.
Here's a quick google search link I found; good luck its actually way easier to mix than it is finding a good source of Sod. Hydrox since the drug heads started using it.
http://www.martinzimelka.com/homepage/Blog/Entries/2012/9/10_Parodinal.html

 

[Joao]

I am sure it works but parodinal has only 90 days of shelf life. I want something like the original rodinal. Not oxidized easily.

No, the paRodinal I mixed years ago is still active and working as it should. The colour changes, but it performs as expected.
My experience (several years using Donald Quall's recipe) is very satisfactory.

Go ahead and try it !

Regards

Joao

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

Ok however as I said I have a source of aminophenol so I won't do parodinal. I also tend to mix potassium metabisulfite an potassium hydroxide. Would I need KBr as seen in some formulas?

 

[Erik van Straten]

Would I need KBr as seen in some formulas?

No, when you do exactly this, you'll have Rodinal:

solution A: water 500cc; paraminophenol hydrochloride 50 g; potassium metabisulphite 150 g.
solution B: water 450cc; potassium hydroxide 350 g.

In solutions A, so much of B is poured under stirring until the initial precipitate is almost completely dissolved, then the solution is made up to 1 liter with water, pH-value +/- 11.8. As a negative-phase developer, this solution is diluted 1:20 to 1:30, development time at 20 degrees 3-6 minutes.

Erik.

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

Thanks Erik, and thanks for pulling me to this direction. It will be fun. However I have a question. I also read that aminophenol is not soluble in water so do you heat the water to increase solubility?

The ebay seller also writes aminophenol (rodinal) without hydrochloride in the end. I assume it is the same?

 

[LeicaFoReVer]

No, when you do exactly this, you'll have Rodinal:

solution A: water 500cc; paraminophenol hydrochloride 50 g; potassium metabisulphite 150 g.
solution B: water 450cc; potassium hydroxide 350 g.

In solutions A, so much of B is poured under stirring until the initial precipitate is almost completely dissolved, then the solution is made up to 1 liter with water, pH-value +/- 11.8. As a negative-phase developer, this solution is diluted 1:20 to 1:30, development time at 20 degrees 3-6 minutes.

Erik.

And can I use this developer for stand development?

 

[Erik van Straten]

I assume it is the same?

I don't know, as I've never made Rodinal myself. But I can advise you to try it.

Just shoot piece of film with twenty or so random shots. Then develope it in your home made Rodinal. I am sure that you will get the pictures developed. I would never take the risk to put film with important exposures in this soup before you'll know what you get.

You will see how proud you will be with the results!

Experiment! Just do it and tell us your experiences.

Good luck, Erik.