RE: [Leica] Re: Chemicals

["Lee, Ken" <ken.lee@hbc.com>]

Jim,

Thanks for your detailed reply.  Someone hase suggested using "Dustoff"  as
the inert gas.  I have not been able to find anything else to use.  The
camera stores I checked in Toronto weren't aware of anything either.  I may
try the marbles.  I am also thinking of going your current route if I can
find somewhere close who has consistancy in their process.  I don't shoot
that much slide film these days so chemical spoilage raises the cost, and
having to mix up chemicals each time increases the time it takes.  Right now
I have 5 or 6 rolls waiting to be processed, some of which were shot in the
early summer, so I guess turn around time isn't always an issue with me.

Happy Holidays

Ken

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jim Brick [SMTP:jimbrick@photoaccess.com]
> Sent:	Tuesday, December 22, 1998 6:25 PM
> To:	leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us
> Subject:	[Leica] Re: Chemicals
> 
> At 02:00 PM 12/22/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >DIY E6;
> >
> > I have tried to find something to seal the partially used
> >concentrate bottles without success so far.  Do you have any suggestions?
> 
> When I used to do all of my own film processing (over many many years), I
> used a product in a spray can, that had a long snout. The can was filled
> with an inert gas. You put the snout down in the bottle, pushed the spray
> nozzle for a few seconds, and capped the bottle. The inert gas displaced
> all of the oxygenated air. I don't remember the brand name, or anything
> else about it other than it did indeed work. Actually, before the gas was
> available, I used glass marbles. Pour glass marbles into the bottle until
> the fluid level is at the top, then cap. Before using new marbles, you
> should wash them in a dilute acid wash. Muriatic, HCL, whatever... because
> the unwashed marbles can change the pH upward. The pH of E6 first
> developer
> is, if I remember correctly, 10.62 (that may be C-22 dev pH)... Anyway,
> the
> point is still the same. The unwashed marbles can move it toward 11, which
> is undesirable. But a dilute acid wash (or soak), will eliminate this
> problem.
> 
> 
> The reason I don't process my own E6 anymore, is time. The only good
> process is the long Kodak process. Mixing chemicals, adjusting pH, loading
> reels, processing, cleaning-up (the worst part), and mounting the slides
> (second worst part) is VERY VERY time consuming.
> 
> Anyway, the easiest solution is to use marbles. Use some dilute swimming
> pool acid, soak the marbles, mix them around, let them soak overnight,
> then
> rinse well in distilled water, and store. Use them to take-up the used
> solution space in your developer bottles.
> 
> Jim