[Leica] Mixing XTOL

[abridge at gmail.com (Adam Bridge)]

You do need to pay attention to the water temperature. I recommend
having it at the upper end of the band. In the winter I put my big jug
of DI water in the sink and bring it up to 83 F before mixing and that
works just fine.

I've always thought of the color change as you slowly mix in the A
chemical as being toward an amber and it's good to add it slowly while
stirring vigourously. I have a teflon-coated long flat spatula (as in
what you'd use to put icing on a cake) and that works very well. The
initial solution is amber colored but goes to clear with almost the
first touch of the B mixture.

Stirr well and then decant immediately into tightly filled bottles and
you're good to go.

I sure hope Kodak sells off their photochemical business to someone
who keeps XTOL around.

I have to think that the investment in the film coating plant (or is
it two plants) for black and white would be worth something to someone
- enough to keep it in business. Otherwise I might have to go on a
Tri-X buying splurge.

Adam