Rapid fixer formula wanted

Can someone provide me with a formula for a non hardening

rapid fixer. I can't seem to find one in all the usual books.

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Preferably I'd like the formula for Ilford Universal fixer or similar

where I mix a stock and further dilute from that for use.

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Ilford lists the ingredients on their bottle but I don't know what

proportions I'd use.

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Thanks for any help

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Mark

Just off the top of my head, Ammonium Thiosulphate at 100gms to the

litre plus a few grammes of an acidifying agent like Sodium Citrate or

Acetate seems to ring a bell.

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I'll look it up properly tonight, if no-one else comes up with it

first.

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Fixer strength should be different for films and paper anyway. What do

you want to use it for?

I'd like a formula that allows for the 60 second paper fix routine

as outlined by Ilford. Using Ilford Universal or Hypam I use the

same strength for film or paper.

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Thanks

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Mark

Photographer's Formulary T-4. They sell it as a concentrate that you

dilute for use. Formula is not available. I'm lucky, as my local

store stocks it.

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This is the only fixer I've ever gotten excited about.

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Film clears in 30 seconds. No kidding. Half a minute. Unbelieveable.

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Papers: recommend fixing RC for 30 sec, FB for 60 seconds. Continuous

agitation.

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This is an alkaline fixer. Don't use an acid stop bath with it. Just

running water. Keeps the process alkaline all the way through.

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Enjoy it.

Well, I've been away and looked in my old copy of Ilford's formulary,

and they don't publish the formula for Hypam. I did find a formula for

rapid fixer in C.I.Jacobson's book "Developing" however:

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200gms Ammonium Thiosulphate; 15gms Sodium Sulphite; 55ml of 28%

Acetic acid; 7.5 gms Boric acid; 50gms Potassium alum; water to 1

litre.

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The Potassium Alum is the hardening part, so you should leave this

out. 55ml of 28% Acetic acid is about 20ml of glacial, and it's

important to only add it <i>after</i> the Sodium Sulphite has fully

dissolved.

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Other fixer formulae use Potassium Metabisulphite instead of the

Acetic acid and Sodium Sulphite. You can also replace the Ammonium

Thiosulphate with 250gms of Sodium Thiosulphate plus 40gms of Ammonium

Chloride (this makes Ammonium Thiosulphate in solution). The British

Journal of Photography Alamanac for 1963 recommends solely using Boric

acid as the Acidifying agent. Jacobson also gives the formula for a

super rapid fixer using Sodium Thiocyanate, which fixes in seconds

apparently.

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So it seems that fixer formulae are pretty much mix'n'match really, as

long as you've got the 3 basic components.

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Silver Halide solvent: Sodium or Ammonium Thiosulphate; Potassium or

Sodium Thiocyanate; Potassium Cyanide (not recommended for obvious

reasons)

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Acidifier: Potassium Metabisulphite; Sodium Sulphite + Acetic Acid;

Boric Acid.

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Hardening agent: Potassium or Chrome Alum; Formalin.

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Have fun.

Rats! I made a mistake with the quantity of Potassium Alum in the

above formula. It should be 15gms not 50gms. Apologies.

Here is the formula for TF-3. It is an akaline fixer. Do not use a

stop bath.

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TF-3

Ammonium thiosulfate 57-60% 800ml

Sodium sulfite anhydrous 60g

Sodium metaborate 5g

Add water to 1 liter. Dilute 1:4 for use.