j.w. Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I've heard from previous discussions the merits of using isopropyl alcohol as a final rinse agent, in place of surfactants such as Photo-Flo, but hadn't tried it until this week. The film was Tri-X 320 Pro, 120 format, developed in HC-110 using dilution B for 5:30. For the final rinse, I mixed a 2:1 ratio of distilled water and 91% IPA in my Jobo tank, then dipped and dunked the film reel intermittently for several minutes. The film was then immediately hung to dry in a warm, clean environment. The results were what I was hoping for: absolutely no drying marks or streaks, just nice, clean negatives. I hope this helps someone who has been having issues with streaks post drying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rowland_mowrey Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Joe; Please be careful. IPA is flammable. Ron Mowrey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronald_moravec1 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I had a lot of trouble with Photo-flow until I started mixing it 1:200 instead of a few drops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phule Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I hope I'm not the only one that thought there was something odd about rinsing with an India Pale Ale. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helenbach Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 How many of you read this thread then got an image of rinsing film in strong ale? IPA also means India Pale Ale, the stuff of the Empire, the kind of stuff that made men fight for the pink bits. Best, Helen 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gerald_shively1 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 IPA is a good idea. Hadn't thought of it. I've been using Guiness but it seems to dry unevenly and leave marks on the film. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent1 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 That was my first thought, too -- "How could India Pale Ale do anything good for film?" But isopropyl alcohol, now that makes sense (except that, in my experience, it's no better than the water without the alcohol). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jordan_w. Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 I'm getting thirsty... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_finch Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Tried drinking isopropyl alcohol? Sounds yummy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_ullsmith1 Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Ethyl alcohol (india pale ale) is metabolized by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, converting it to ethyl aldehyde, which is the thing that gives ya a hangover. (Many American Indians have very little of this enzyme, which is why alcoholism so prevalent.) Iso or methyl alcohol is metabolized into formaldehyde, which makes ya blind. Least then I'd have an excuse. So don't drink it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 Be careful - some rubbing alcohols contain oily substances to make the actual "rubbing" part more comfortable on the skin. But if it works, it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_zimmermann Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 Better than a dilution of pure isoprop is a more dilute mix of it together with a wetting agent like Triton-X--- I tend to like to use Agfa's Agepon product at a fraction of its normal concentration-- in Aqua Dest ("<cite>distilled</cite>" water). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trixshooter Posted March 6, 2005 Share Posted March 6, 2005 After 30+ years of processing negatives I have found that dipping the film into distilled water as the final rinse and then hanging to dry works as well as anything else on the market. Why spend lots of money when distilled water will do the trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edward_zimmermann Posted March 7, 2005 Share Posted March 7, 2005 "<cite>Why spend lots of money when distilled water will do the trick.</cite>" <P> The cost of the wetting agent and isoprop as a Aqua Dest additive is measured in pennies per litre of final rinse. Aqua Dest alone is significantly less efficient and can, under some conditions, still leave spots. The cost of such damage, even if limited to the pure material costs, is significantly higher than the cost to process many rolls of film with an "enhanced" rinse. <P> If one is looking for thrift one can instead of the expensive demineralized water or Aqua Dest as the main ingredient in the final rinse use boiled and decanted tap water. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alzanin Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 After 30+ years of processing negatives I have found that dipping the film into distilled water as the final rinse and then hanging to dry works as well as anything else on the market. Why spend lots of money when distilled water will do the trick. In my experience rinsing in distilled water still leaves dry marks :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_appleyard Posted June 20, 2018 Share Posted June 20, 2018 And to think I've been using cheap Pilsner all these years... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan_rothwell1664886124 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 I hope I'm not the only one that thought there was something odd about rinsing with an India Pale Ale. Dunno how it helps prevent water spots, but I'm sure it raises the IBUs a bit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodeo_joe1 Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Dunno how it helps prevent water spots, but I'm sure it raises the IBUs a bit... Who the h*ll understands International Bittering Units? I once asked a publican how bitter a beer simply described as 'well-hopped' was. He quoted me the brewer's IBU specification, as if that helped in the slightest. IBUs don't tell you if the misguided use of Citra hops turn your beer into a grapefruit shandy style drink either. :eek: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conrad_hoffman Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 Bit of an elderly thread ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben_hutcherson Posted October 2, 2019 Share Posted October 2, 2019 As a chemist and teetotaler, when I see IPA my mind does immediately go to isopropyl alcohol, although I can understand why it may not for may folks. I'm going to try what's suggested in this thread the next time I process film, although it will be a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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