nose/eye - Passed Out, Part Two

John wrote

(Dan Quinn) wrote:

A one-method-fits-all mentality pervades the
silver-gelatine community.

Most simply understand that the vast majority of
the chemicals used in the B-&-W darkroom are not
going to cause...

That is one of the two main ingrediants of the "one-method-fits-all"
mentality. The second is the unbroken adherence of the industry, world
wide, to a process now 80 years running.
Only Ilford has budged. They do recommend a neutral, ph 7, stop
for film.

Photographer's Formulary does sell ready-mix ph 7 plus fixers. Also
there is the always available very plain fix, sodium thiosulfate.
It works fine as is and there are no fumes or oder.
Currently I'm giving P. Formulary's 60% ammonium thiosulfate a try.
At a 1:31 dilution it works quickly and has no oder. I'll test it two
bath at 1:63 each bath.
I've not checked the ph with my pHep ph meter. I think the ph to
be close to neutral.

As I stated in my first post, I do not ail when using ph less than 7
stop or fix. No oder and the chemistry of the process itself are
my justification for moveing away from less than ph 7.

...hypochondriacs.

Unfair. Dan

Tom Phillips wrote

Advising people building a darkroom to eliminate having a ventilation
system just because...

At the most I suggested that ventilation specificly for darkroom
work is not needed. To ventilate or not to ventilate is the
question. The answere is to fume or not to fume.
To fume opens the question to or not to ventilate. To or not to
is according to one's own willingness to resign oneself. Tolerance
is a major factor.
Advising those interested in doing darkroom work to go to the time
and expense of installing ventilation equipment when it is not
necessary is, in my opinion, irresponsible!
As for the big three, Kodak, Ilford, and Agfa, I think they missed
the boat. They have also caused many undue concern. Dan

Dan Quinn wrote:

Tom Phillips wrote

Advising people building a darkroom to eliminate having a ventilation
system just because...

At the most I suggested that ventilation specificly for darkroom
work is not needed. To ventilate or not to ventilate is the
question. The answere is to fume or not to fume.
To fume opens the question to or not to ventilate. To or not to
is according to one's own willingness to resign oneself. Tolerance
is a major factor.

Ventilation is prudent for other reasons already mentioned (fresh air,
dust, chemical particulates, temp/humidity control, smoking, etc.) The
possibility or presense of acid fumes certainly requires ventilation, but
should not be considered the fundamental reason for adequate venting.

Advising those interested in doing darkroom work to go to the time
and expense of installing ventilation equipment when it is not
necessary is, in my opinion, irresponsible!

Going to the trouble of construction and then ignoring ventilation in the
planning seems a wasted opportunity, if not foolish.

As for the big three, Kodak, Ilford, and Agfa, I think they missed
the boat. They have also caused many undue concern. Dan

David Nebenzahl wrote:

On 1/22/2004 12:39 PM spake thus:

On Thu, 22 Jan 2004 11:01:57 -0600, Mike
wrote:

Because they're too cheap! There isn't enough profit in them. And
especially because they'd be competing with all those fancy commercial
packages.

I'd rather not mix my own chemicals. Is there anybody that sells an
alkaline fixer? This is all I need, right? Is Photographic Formulary's
TF-4 fixer alkaline? I've read that this smells like strong ammonia...

Yes, they do. I forget what they call it, but others refer to it
frequently. There is no need to buy a ton of raw chemicals and keep
them around so you can mix your own... unless you like to.

You didn't say anything about the smell.

--
Focus: A very overrated feature.

- From Marcy Merrill's lexicon at Junk Store Cameras
(http://merrillphoto.com/JunkStoreCameras.htm)
At my age, the diverticuli in my large intestine make it essential to
have ventilation in my darkroom. That's why they call us "Old Farts".
Diverticuli are so called because they cause no end of diversions and
such comments as "Speak again, oh toothless one."

On Tue, 27 Jan 2004 00:17:55 -0500, Patrick Gainer
wrote:

At my age, the diverticuli in my large intestine make it essential to
have ventilation in my darkroom. That's why they call us "Old Farts".
Diverticuli are so called because they cause no end of diversions and
such comments as "Speak again, oh toothless one."

The version I heard was "The horn works, now try the lights" ...