Need help with Tetenal Acetic Acid (stop-bath)

[Pirate]

I feel silly posting this here, I have the internet at my finger tips and can't find what I'm looking for.

I just got a bottle of Tetenal Acetic Acid for Stop-Bath usage and can't find any literature for the amounts to use. Can't find it on their web site or with a google search.

Just need to know how much to dilute it for usage.

Anyone help me out?


Thanks

 

[Roger Hicks]

It's not very critical. Try 5 ml/l of the 60% if you're not re-using the stop bath. Remember, many use plain water instead of a stop bath. Just don't make it too strong (over about 15 ml/l) or you may in theory get pinholes on the film. That's never happened to me, but then, I never use strong stop baths...

Cheers,

R.

 

[rxmd]

Tetenal recommends 1+19, resulting in a 3% acetic acid solution. But as Roger said, it's not very critical.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Tetenal recommends 1+19, resulting in a 3% acetic acid solution. But as Roger said, it's not very critical.

Wow! That's strong. But you're right, so my 15 ml/l was far too cautious. I think the reason for making it strong is so you can re-use it: the pH remains the same even as the acid is progressively neutralized. Hence my observation on one-shot (which is all I've done for decades).

Cheers,

R.

 

[Pirate]

Thanks guys, that does explain a lot.

I do plan to reuse the stop-bath, or I would like to, but if I cut it down to such a small amount, maybe I won't.

 

[rxmd]

Don't worry too much about stop bath. As Roger mentioned, water will do the job, too.

In the end I stopped using readymade stop bath altogether. Instead I bought a pound of citric acid powder (available in Germany as "Heitmann" brand for something like 2 EUR) and used water with a teaspoon of acid as a one-shot bath.

Also, it smells less than acetic acid and you can use it for cleaning pots in the kitchen.

 

[bizarrius]

Didn't know where to ask but this is a stop bath thread so why open a new thread when you can hijack another one that has been inactive for 37 days 😀

Do you use plain water instead of a store stop bath? What is your workflow with plain water ? At a certain temperature? hm?

 

[Pirate]

Good question.

For my own stuff I've been using room temp tap water. The rinse with some photo flo is where I'll use the Brita filtered water to keep the minerals down to a minimum. This has not made a difference in any of my stuff, things still come out great.

And about the Acetic Acid I originally asked of: I made a 1 litre dilution of 1:19 and then use just a smidgen of that in with the room temp tap water, at about 1:9 ratio. Because this is so small an amount to use, I have not been reusing any of it, and everything has been coming out just great.

 

[bizarrius]

I just did my first develop ever.
On a Delta 3200 with Rodinal 1+50 for 18 minutes.
Bathed it 3 times with plain water around 20-25 degrees for 2 minutes every time.

Film is in the bathtub.
Worse smell ever.
Best feeling ever.
until i wet print 😀

 

[bwcolor]

I just diluted white vinegar.