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Fixer Times

ShiroKuro

New member
For Fiber based prints how long do you like to leave the print in the fixer ?
2 baths or 1 ?

Had 3 discussions with 3 different friends of mine and of course got 3 different answers... and these are old school photographers with lots of experience in the darkroom ...... What say you ; )

Thanks for your input

Charley
 
N

nei1

Guest
Whatever it says on the box Charley and then wash it forever,keep changing that water.
 

helenhill

Senior Member
Hi Charles :)

I do not have any Experience beyond my newbieness
of developing negatives
however
www.rogerandfrances.com
have a SUPERB site
some info for FREE & other requires a yearly membership of $29.00

They mention "Film can Tolerate much higher Fixer Silver levels than Paper"
and "when putting Paper in Film Strength Fixer (to save Time /much faster)
the capacity of Fixer remains Unchanged"

Do hope this sheds abit of Light...
 
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Stuart Richardson

Active member
2 minutes max (assuming a fairly strong fixer and dilution). One bath. This is assuming rapid fixer...it is called rapid for a reason. You don't want the fixer to penetrate the fibers of the paper too deeply, or it will take forever to wash out (if it ever washes out). You just want it to act on the emulsion. The vast majority of the fixing action will take place in the first 30 seconds (and will be visible). The old rule of thumb is to fix for twice as long as it takes to clear, so if it takes 30 seconds for the image to clarify, fix for 1 minute. Overfixing will destroy the archival life of the print. This is from both the packaging (of ilford rapid fixer), and my darkroom professor at ICP -- Brian Young. Brian prints for some of the best photographers in the world...he knows his ****, as they say.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
Charley, are you doing your developing in Hawaii or Japan? (I cannot even begin to think about developing anything in Japan. :( )

I'm asking because I want to recommend fixing chemistry if you are developing stateside. Or if you have access to bulk chemicals in Japan -- LET ME KNOW WHERE!!! -- I can give you the formula and times for fixing.
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Why wouldn't you think about developing in Japan? I found it really easy. I was there for 3 months in 2005 and just bought a stainless steel tank, a 35mm and 120 reel, a 125ml bottle of rodinal, some fuji fix and wetting agent. Voila! It was extremely easy to find chemicals, supplies and everything. I was in Sapporo and they had it all at Bic camera and Yodobashi...
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
Stuart - how did you dispose of your exhausted chemistry?
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
shotgun...

no, I just put it down the drain with lots of water. I used so few chemicals that it had minimal impact. I developed with rodinal 1:100, which is around 5mL of rodinal a roll. If you are worried, use Xtol which is very easy on the environment. For fixer, you can often bring it to a lab and they will take it for you. It contains silver, so you are actually given them money in a way...they usually run it through a reclamation process to extract the ionic silver and then dispose of it according to regulations.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
You haven't experienced Japan's self-appointed recycle police, have you? :D

My home is in the countryside, the eco-nazi's are vicious. That said, if I can properly dispose of the chemistry I'd be developing my own. I sent in a single roll of 35mm/36exp to test exposure, cost me $20, got back negs and proof strips, no prints. :(

I do not buy much in the way of pkgd photo chemistry. I buy bulk chemicals and make my own.
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
In that case I recommend a bucket and a flashlight. The bucket to dump the chemicals in, and the flashlight for finding your way into the forest at 3am when you engage in your illegal dumping mission.
 
O

Oxide Blu

Guest
:ROTFL: :ROTFL:

That is what the local 'artists' recommended. The holiest of all holy ground in Japan is in my backyard. I already feel bad for all of the aluminum beer cans that have piled up in the bushes of the shrine there. :D
 

ShiroKuro

New member
Charley, are you doing your developing in Hawaii or Japan? (I cannot even begin to think about developing anything in Japan. :( )

I'm asking because I want to recommend fixing chemistry if you are developing stateside. Or if you have access to bulk chemicals in Japan -- LET ME KNOW WHERE!!! -- I can give you the formula and times for fixing.
Stateside at the moment ..... so recommend away :lecture::)

Don't Kitamura and Bic Camera sells photo chemistry ? Maybe not bulk to make your own ..... I will ask this one guy I know about buying bulk and let you know .... I am sure it is possible .. Its Japan ; )

As for disposing of chemistry ...I have heard of people putting it in buckets and letting it evaporate ..... allowing the fixer to evaporate to harvest the silver would fit right into the Mottainai ,ketchi way of thinking ; ) lol

Japan is pretty nuts about recycling ... I also live in the country side and know exactly what you are talking about lol ...... We still bring all the burnable stuff to the beach for an evening burn .... which is fun ...all the old people do it ... they burn everything .....
 
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