Mixing and Reusing and Changing Bag

DRabbit

DRabbit

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My developing stuff has started to arrive.

I practiced with the changing bag tonight and it all went very well! The one I got is a little small so I may want a bigger one eventually, but I was able to use this one just fine.

BTW, just so I know I've got this right, the changing bag is actually a bag inside a bag. All the stuff goes inside the inner bag, correct? I know, I know... dumb question, but I want to be sure.

I have questions about chemicals...

Using DIAFINE and Kodak Rapid Fixer...

I can reuse solution A and solution B, correct (and just have to make sure B never gets into A, right?)?? How long can you keep reusing it?

I can also reuse the fixer, right? How long can you keep reusing it? I've hard approximately 20 rolls per quart...

I got a few 1 gallon chem-safe containers. I figured I mix up 1 gallon of Diafine A, B and Fixer. Should I also mix up 1 gallon of PhotoFlo? Is 1 gallon too much of each (I figure I'll be using it regularly, at least when I first start out).

When mixing, can you shake or should you stir? I was considering mixing them right in the 1 gallon containers, but that only works if shaking is ok...

Thanks!
 
Yes on the changing bag...everything goes in the inside bag...
I have never used Diafine so I cannot offer anything about it...
You can reuse the fixer until it's exhausted...when it takes longer than 10 minutes to clear the film it's time to remix...
Photo-Flo...mix only what you'll need at the time...I squirt a very small amount into the developing tank then fill it with water...next place the reels of film in the tank and let it sit for a minute or two...then dump the photo (only if you're done developing)...I've never stored or premixed Photo-Flo...
Shake or Stir...I don't think it really matters...if I'm wrong someone please corect me...
 
You are correct regarding the Diafine. You can re-use it for quite a while. My previous batch was good for about two years of moderate use in brown plastic bottles. I did have to filter the solution once to clean out some accumulated gunk.
 
Yes, its a bag in a bag.

1) What you need inside that changing bag: dev tank with spool, reels and light tight cover. You also need a pair of scissors and a bottle opener. Turn offlights, zip up bag, and use the bottle opener to pop open the film cannister. Cut off the leader and load neg onto reel. Tighten lid ntil light tight.

2) Use Diafine A for 4-5 minutes - reusable for years

3) Diafine B for 4-5 minutes - reusable for years.

4) Fixer for 6-8 minutes. It's resuable -- forgot how may rolls. I use Arista these days, convenient bottle, no pre-mixing required, just what you use (diluted 1 part fixer, 9 parts water).

5) Water wash for 30 seconds

6) Hypo clearing agent for 1-2 minutes

7) Water wash for 4-5 minutes

8) Use this mixture: 2ml Photo Flo, 30ml rubbing alcohol, 1 liter water for 1-2 minutes.

Hang negs to dry -- if you can, hang diagonally.

If you use something other than Diafine, the step #2 = developer, and step #3 = Stop Bath (about 30 seconds)

That's about it.


Good luck!

Keith
 
Thanks for the info everyone...


Keith,

Got the changing bag thing down already 😉

As for developing...
A video I watched went through these steps, which varied from your slightly...

Diafine A
Diafine B
Water (cold tap water?) - (you skipped this step?)
Fixer
Water
PhotoFlo
Water
Hang to dry

Is that right?
 
DRabbit said:
Thanks for the info everyone...


Keith,

Got the changing bag thing down already 😉

As for developing...
A video I watched went through these steps, which varied from your slightly...

Diafine A
Diafine B
Water (cold tap water?) - (you skipped this step?)
Fixer
Water
PhotoFlo
Water
Hang to dry

Is that right?
Click to expand...



I don't know about anyone else but I don't use water after Photo-Flo...
I just hang them up after the Photo-Flo...😀
 
My method is:

Pre soak with regular water
Developer
Stop bath (water)
Fixer
Thorough rinse with water (repeated 4 or 5 times, just to get all the fixer off)
Wetting agent (just a cap full into the tank and water to the top)
Hang to dry

Don't rinse after you use wetting agent, otherwise you're washing off the wetting agent and totally defeating the purpose of it.
 
A couple of points; first, don't skip the water between the developer and fix steps. Three minutes in A, then three minutes in the B, then a water rinse (just fill the tank, swirl it around a few times, tehn dump it, THEN pour in the fix.

Second, yes, you should be able to fix about 20 rolls per quart of fixer before it's exhausted. You can test your fix every so often by droping a piece of exposed film (the leader you clip off the front of the roll works prefectly). When it takes more than a miniute to clear, your fix is exhausted. Fixing times from most modern films should be about 6 minutes

Third, don't rinse in water after the photoflo, and don't squeegee it with anything, including your fingers. Fix and wash properly, then give it thirty seconds to a minute in the photoflo with a little gentle agitation, then pull it straight out and hang it up to dry. You're done.

Oh- and DON'T use a pre-rinse when processing with Diafine. It's a good idea sometimes with other developers, but it's contra-indicated with Diafine.
 
Mix up all the Diafine. After each use, pour it back into the A or B bottle (don't pour back into the wrong bottle!). It keeps years.

With the fixer, only mix enough for your needs. Don't pour it back into the original bottle. You'll need another bottle for dilute fixer.

Corrected an error - "It doesn't last very long once dilute (a day or so)." is completely wrong! I learned something
 
Last edited:
DRabbit said:
Thanks for the info everyone...

Water (cold tap water?) - (you skipped this step?)
Fixer
Water
PhotoFlo
Water
Hang to dry
Is that right?
Click to expand...

Oops, yes, I did skip a step -- water wash after developer, before fixer. Also the PhotoFlo mixture I use is: 2.5ml Photoflo plus 30ml rubbing alcohol in 1 liter of water -- soak it in that for 1-2 minutes.

After that, hang to dry... do NOT wash in water after Photoflo -- as someone said, it defeats the purpose of using Photoflo.

Keith
 
Thanks everyone! I got my scanner delivered yesterday and still have a few more developing supplies coming, but hope to do my first roll this weekend!

BTW, any more thoughts on shaking vs. stirring when mixing the chemicals?
 
About Diafine: http://www.fotohuisrovo.nl/documentatie/Diafine-data.pdf

So if you have a Quart ( 950ml) Diafine you will loose for each film 10-15ml (A) solution so that means for a minimum volume of your 500ml developing tank 450ml/15ml = 30 films.
The liquid will last 1 1/2 - 2 years and 30-40 films.

For B you can throw for each film 10ml away to keep the same volume as in bottle A.

Follow the Diafine instructions. It will coloring to the A.H. layers of the films you are using. If necessary you can filter the solution to keep out particles. Because the pH of part B is very high (alsmost 14) use a water stop before the fix.
 
I'd suggest stirring rather than shaking for mixing any chemicals, as it would reduce the amount of air dissolved in the water. That said, Diafine sounds very robust in this respect so you might get away with it. Also, whenever you use water for rinsing etc. keep it within a degree or so of the other chemicals, instead of cold from the tap.

Have fun 🙂
 
Can the water stop (between B and fixer) be cold tap water, or should it be room temperature like the Diafine?
Click to expand...

In the whole film processing it's important to keep the temperatures of all baths about the same (+/- 2 degrees C). In earlier times the film emulsion was shrinked when you had a too outstanding temperature. Reticulation is the word, the film emulsion is shrinked and this is an irreversable process.
Modern films can have a temperature difference over 5 degrees C.
 
DRabbit said:
Can the water stop (between B and fixer) be cold tap water, or should it be room temperature like the Diafine?
Click to expand...

Your water stop should be about the same temperature, and tap water should be fine, as long as it's about room temp- not hot, nor full COLD.

The point about temp that is most important is that you not "shock" the film by changing the temperature drastically. Generally speaking, the more precise you are with your temperatures (i.e. keep all chemicals at exactly 68F/20C for the whole process) the better; but in practice- especially with a developer like Diafine, which is supposedly indifferent to temperature control- just keep everything at room temperature and you'll be fine.
 
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