Arista E6 kit -- wrong Blix Mix . . . help?

<p>Sometimes I just can't believe how stupidly dyslexic I can be. So I've got the 1st developer mixed and the color developer mixed and then I'm looking at the amount of water I need for the Blix, and it doesn't look right. It looks like too much. But I look at it again, and again, and that's what it says, so I shrug my shoulders and start to mix. Well, I've gotten the first of three Blix containers mixed with the water when I finally realize my error. I'd been looking at the water quantities needed for the Color developer, not the Blix. So, not knowing what else to do at that point, I went ahead and added the other two Blix bottles to the mix. My final quantity, which should have been 16 oz. is now 20 oz. The solution has been diluted by 25%.<br /> <br /> So, I'm telling myself that since it's Blix, perhaps I can just extend the time the film is immersed in the mixture to wind up with the same results. And this is what I plan to do. But I don't know for how long. I'm thinking I can just set up a basic proportion. If it's 10 minutes for a 16 oz quantity and I have 20 oz, then the basic proportion sez 10/16*20 = 12.5 minutes.<br /> <br /> Does this sound reasonable or am I being overly optimistic? More to the point, what would you do? Besides tossing the kit and starting over that is.</p>

<p>Fresh (unused) Blix is fairly robust and likely no change in immersion time will be required. To error on the safe side is prudent, so double the Blix time.<br>

In the event you notice ill effects like a color bias, you can Blix again. If you do, take care not to scratch or abrade the film. I advise not re-re-reeling, re-Blix by seesawing the film in a tray of the fluid. This operation is carried out in normal room light.<br>

I think you will be OK even if you make no time changes. </p>

<p>Thanks for the response, Alan. So, to recap, you're saying that, just to be safe, I can double the blix time, although no time increase will probably work fine as well?</p>

<p>I have five rolls I plan to develop with this pint kit of Arista. It's supposedly good for four rolls, although I've heard of people doubling or even tripling the quantity they've processed. I'm just curious, though, will blix weaken the more that film is processed, the way a developer does? I know b&W fixer doesn't really, and I'm thinking that perhaps blix won't either.</p>

<p>I'll let y'all know how it turns out. I started another thread on diy-ing my own E6, which I haven't updated in a while, but once I have some results, I plan to update that thread with pics and any discussion about how things went.</p>

 

<p>This film type and process was invented by Kodak in the 1940's and has been evolving ever since. Currently Kodak specifies a three stage bleaching consisting of a pre-bleach, bleach, and fixer. The E-6 process has some close relatives that accomplish the bleaching and fixing via a single solution. The single bleach-fix is borrowed from these. It is naïve to think that an abbreviated process will deliver equivalent results (close but no cigar).</p>

<p>The pitfalls of a poorly performing bleach-fix are retained silver. The dyes of the E-6 process are luscious transparent cyan - magenta - yellow. Metallic silver is generated in the 1st. developer. It is opaque and its presence veils the dyes. The bleaching and fixing operation removes the silver allowing the dyes to blossom.</p>

<p>If the fix portion fails, light sensitive silver halides will remain imbedded in the film and given time they will self reduce to metallic sliver.</p>

<p>The dyes of the process are organic and organic materials exist in a narrow range environmental conditions like temperature and pH. The three step Kodak process sets up maximum dye stability and brilliance.</p>

<p>Substandard results are likely if the bleaching and fixing are not carries out to specifications. The differences between films developed per specifications vs. films developed in a condensed process are likely subtle.</p>

<p>Luckily most pitfalls of substandard bleaching and fixing can be remedied by re-bleaching and re-fixing. Overtime in a bleach-fix solution will do little harm and maybe some good. If the pH is wrong, the dyes will revert to a leuco (Greek for white or hidden) state. The cyan dye is particularly susceptible. Should this occur, the color bias will be reddish.</p>

<p>Check out this link:<br>

http://www.kodak.com/global/plugins/acrobat/en/service/Zmanuals/z119-1.pdf</p>

<p>Okay, I just finished developing an old roll of Ektachrome 160, blixed it for double the time called for, as per your recommendations. It's hard to tell much about a strip of film when it's fresh out of the rinse because it isn't as translucent as it will be when dry, but initially it looks good. I hung it up to dry about 10 minutes ago. The color look decent. Not sure what to look for if there is residual silver, other than a sort of dullness to the colors, I guess. I'll let y'all know more once this roll dries.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Okay, I've duped the slides and played around with them some in PSP, and I guess I can't complain. This was a really old roll of Ektachrome -- it's been sitting in my freezer for 20 years, and I don't know how old it was before that. There's a slight bluish tint to the images, which are a bit foggy as well. I have them stored on another computer. I'll upload a couple of examples in the morning.</p>

 

<p>Blix is very maleable. Don't worry. Give it 6 minutes and you're good.</p>