Homemade "Soups"

[srtiwari]

I 'd like to try and make some developers, like the Adox Borax MQ, at home, but not quite sure what equipment, other than the chemicals, I will need. Just obtained a Triton T2 scale for measuring small amounts, but could someone advise me about other things I will need ? I'm thinking thermometers, measuring cups, stirrers, gloves etc., that may be necessary for clean, accurate, measuring and mixing. Also, any safety and other pointers that I should keep in mind ?

 

[charjohncarter]

Follow the instructions carefully. Many of these chemicals don't dissolve well so you may have to heat up the water, if it says that; do it.

 

[presspass]

What Charjon said. Use distilled water if you have questions about what comes from the tap; you can heat it in one of those $20- pots (?) with the heating element in the bottom. You will also need a Pyrex or other mixing bowl that can stand hot water. Don't breathe the powder. All common sense - enjoy.

 

[Tom A]

You really only need some basic beakers. I use Paterson 2000 ml plastic ones and their 1000 ml ones. It is also handy to have a couple of small ones (100 -200 ml).
Modern plastics can handle warm and even hot water (50-60+C). Glass or Pyrex is a bit of overkill - and when they break it is messy!!
With the scales you need a variety of sizes of measuring cups. I use small plastic cups that I get from a pharmacy (most for small volumes of Metol, Hydroquinone, Potassium Bromide, Borax as you only use from 1 gram to 10-20 gram of these chemicals) - for larger volumes I use kitchen type plastic cups that can handle up to 100-150 grams.
Do label the cups as to what they are used for to prevent contamination.
Mixing is straight forward - get some long plastic spoons or as a luxury, Kodak's plastic stirrers.
One thing to keep in mind - always ensure that each set of chemicals are fully dissolved before adding the next one! When you make "standard" Metol/Hydroquinone developers - add a pinch of the Sodium Sulphite to the hot (50+C) water before adding the Metol. Stops the Metol from oxidizing.
I tend to measure out the dry chemicals first - line up the cups in the order they are going in and add that pinch of Sodium Sulphite first and then add the chemicals while stirring (dont stir too vigerously - you dont want too much air to enter the soup).
Once everything is nicely dissolved - pour into the storage bottle, cap and shake and leave overnight to settle.
For a developer like Adox MQ or Kodak's D96 which uses a replenisher - I pour the developer into the tank - add the replenisher to the beaker (usually 20 ml/roll) and once the developer is poured back - just decant the extra volume and dump. Some volume is lost with the film - roughly 7-8 ml/roll so just decant enough to keep the bottle full.
Once you have standardized the process it is quick and painless - and with Adox MQ or D96 you get 50 rolls out of a 2000 ml stock and 1000 ml replenisher - so even being a heavy user, it does last a while.
I do filter the solutions (using a Melitta #4 coffee filter) after each batch of films (usually 10 rolls) as you can get flakes or specks showing up - particularly with pretty saturated solutions like Adox MQ.
As for risks - most of the basic stuff is fairly benign, but try to keep it off your skin (keep a bowl of water next to the mixing area and rinse the hands occasionally) and, yes - avoid inhaling the dust.
You will need a good filter mask if you start doing Pyrocatechol or more toxic stuff, but for basic developers - common sense care is enough.

 

[Fotohuis]

All good points.
I can only add: Wear always glasses for your eye protection.

 

[Roger Hicks]

One further point: I used to do this (before the days of eye protection, etc.) but gave up, not for safety reasons but because in the vast majority of cases there are no real advantages over commercially made developers, and because it gets harder and harder ti buy the raw chemicals.

In other words, do it out of interest, rather than in the expectation of better images.

Cheers,

R.

 

[Nokton48]

I've been mixing Adox BORAX MQ for over three years now, and a few other developers as well. It's very cost effective, compared to commercially mixed products.

Adox BORAX MQ is cheap and easy to make. Make sure and make some replenisher, also. And filter (I filter -before- each use) since it seems to develop alot of "floaties".

Artcraft and Photographer's Formulary have both been good sources of raw chemicals for me.

 

[srtiwari]

I've been mixing Adox BORAX MQ for over three years now, and a few other developers as well. It's very cost effective, compared to commercially mixed products.

Adox BORAX MQ is cheap and easy to make. Make sure and make some replenisher, also. And filter (I filter -before- each use) since it seems to develop alot of "floaties".

Artcraft and Photographer's Formulary have both been good sources of raw chemicals for me.

Thank you. I had bought some XX-5222 from Leo a while ago. While it looks good (to me) at iso400 in Diafine 3+3, I loved its look on another forum which showed it souped in Adox Borax MQ by Tom A and others.
I have a few rolls left, and another 400' in the freezer 😀

 

[Nokton48]

Thank you. I had bought some XX-5222 from Leo a while ago. While it looks good (to me) at iso400 in Diafine 3+3, I loved its look on another forum which showed it souped in Adox Borax MQ by Tom A and others.
I have a few rolls left, and another 400' in the freezer 😀

You don't need alot of stuff, other than a large graduate to mix in, but it dosen't have to be of the darkroom variety. Spread some newspaper or other paper under the graduate and scale, to catch any minute spillage. Just shake it over the trash and throw it away after you are done. Also buy a large plastic funnel, that will fit the soda bottle, and some coffee filters or laboratory filter paper, that will fit in the funnel.

On the other hand, Paterson makes some nice darkroom stuff. Here is what I bought for mixing:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Paterso...241?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1e64eb39d1

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Paterso...628?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item1e64eb27cc



Get some clear plastic 2-litre soda bottles for stock solution storage. A 16 oz clear soda bottle works well for holding the replenishers. I mark mine with masking tape and sharpie marker.