mixing fixer - help!

FrankS

FrankS

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Read instructions? Why, when you already know how to do it?

So I mixed up some Kodak powdered fixer in really hot water, just like with D-76, right? Wrong! Looking carefully at the instructions on the pouch, it says to use room temp water. Now the fixer is really cloudy. Did I screw it up or is it still useable?
 
I clipped a piece of film off a fresh roll and held it in the hot fixer. It cleared the film so I guess it's okay. Anyone know for sure?
 
hmm.... good question Frank.. I would think that the fixer is ok.. but hmmm..

Dave
 
I knew I could count on you 2 for trying to help. Thanks!
The film clip cleared, so it should work. I'm going ahead with it. I've got about a dozen rolls to do.
 
Frank:

I've done it before. It should clear up after it cools down and sits awhile. It might precipitate some solids out too.

Just don't breathe the fumes.

-Paul
 
I've done that many times and never had a problem using the fixer. The biggest thing to remember when mixing from powders is to gradually pour the powder into the water and not the other way around. If you pour water over the powder it will never full dissolve. If you let the fix sit for an hour or so it will clear up.

Peter
 
Frank, I just went through something similar last weekend. The Kodak fixer packet I got said to mix at between 64-78f. The problem was that in Tucson in the summer the "cold" tap water comes out at about 95f .

I asked on another site about whether the higher temp would damage the fixer and the short answer is no.

Apparently mixing in water up to about 125f will not damage the mix. The cloudy look should go away after a bit.
 
Well, the 3 batches of film came out all right. The water I used was about 60C. To convert, double it and add 32 roughly. That'd be about 150F. I'll toss it now as I'm about to head off on holidays for 2 weeks to the east coast, and I'll want to use new chemicals for those films anyway.

Is Rodinal good with Agfa APX 100?
 
Thiosulphate will decompose a bit and precipitate (cloudy)
The fixer should be fine after sitting for a while.... if in doubt filter the clear liquid.

A trick I used to so was to put the powdered fixer (Na Thiosulphate) in a cheese cloth "bag".
Then put the "bag" in a wide mouth jar on the top part of the water and let it stand overnight..... it was all dissolved without effort.
 
Frank

Your fixer should still be OK. The warm water you used to dissolve the powder must have decomposed some of the thiosulphate in the presence of the alum..
But if you've seen the mixture work as it should, then it should be fine. Such always happens here in the tropics. Most of the time, my fixer really mixes cloudy at first but then clears in time
 
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