jennifer_edwards1 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Hi! OK, stupid question of the day... I ran out of fixer. Instead of packing up my 2 year olds and 4 year old and dragging them through the local photo shop while hoping they dont break anything and paying vastly inflated prices, can I use my husbands dental xray fixer from work? It is Kodak Readymatic Dental Fixer and replenisher, at 14% Ammonium Sulfite and 1-5% Acetic Acid. Is this a crazy idea? Would I ruin my film? Would I have to fix for a longer time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titrisol Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I think not. You need some thiosulfate for BW fixer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_edwards1 Posted March 2, 2005 Author Share Posted March 2, 2005 OK, I looked up the MSDS and then called DH back, he did not read the whole label, it is 80-85% water, 14% Ammonium Thiosulfate, 1-5% Acetic Acid, <1% Ammonium Sulfite, and <1% Aluminum Sulfate. How's that? Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 I'd guess that it'll work OK. The general rule is to fix twice as long as it takes to clear the film. Take a piece of film leader and see how long it takes to clear. You can do that with the lights on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowell_huff1 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Readymatic fixer will work fine. It is ready to use so do not dilute it. Fix for the normal time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce_watson1 Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Probably fine. What Al said. I feel for you with the kids. Remember that you can always mail order things like fixer and have it delivered to your door in just a day or three. My last remaining camera store doesn't like to stock mundane things like fixer, so I end up ordering a years supply at a time from Badger Graphic: http://www.badgergraphic.com/BADGERS%20CATALOG/9.pdf I'm sure there are a number of other sources as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discpad Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 <a href = "http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0084Dl" target = "_blank"><u>No more whining about fixer!</u></a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dean_williams Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Who was whining, Dan? Jennifer just wanted to know if she could use x-ray fix. That's all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank.schifano Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 You know what? Fixer is fixer. There are basically two kinds, the rapid type based on Ammonium thiosulfate and the more traditional Sodium thiosulfate type. Among the rapid type fixers, some are alkaline and some are acidic. All of them work, with the rapid type being, well, more rapid in action. Looks to me like the dental x-ray fixer is one of the rapid type formulations. If that's what I had available, that's what I would use without hesitation. Fix for twice the amount of time it takes an undeveloped piece of similar film to clear and all will be just fine. This stuff ain't rocket science folks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 That's just Dan's sense of humor, Dean. Don't worry about it. Jennifer, I'd try the stuff just for the heck of it. So you lose a test roll of film? Nothing ventured... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titrisol Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Jen, on a second thought, drop a leader of film and see if it becomes clear. If it does, then it may work, or you'll end up with a clear roll ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silent1 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 If it fixes X-ray film (which is sensitized with silver halides, just like the film we use) it'll fix Tri-X or Fomapan or any other silver-based B&W camera film. And it'll probably do it *fast*, even at room temeprature, because X-ray processing makes mini-lab C-41 look pokey. When the doctor orders X-rays *stat* she doesn't mean she wants to wait a half hour to read wet film. Polaroid got out of the X-ray film business a while back because their process was too slow to compete with the much cheaper 2-3 minute automated processing of "conventional" x-ray films. So yes, X-ray fixer should work fine. Don't use X-ray developer, though, unless you have a reliable way to get your film covered, agitated, drained, and stopped in under three minutes at room temperature (and don't mind huge grain and very high contrast). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted March 4, 2005 Share Posted March 4, 2005 Y'know, Donald, those characteristics you described about X-ray developer for photographic film sounds perfect for what some folks have been asking for recently. They *want* huge grain and high contrast. I'll have to remember that tip. Anyway to get X-ray developer if you're not in the medical profession? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennifer_edwards1 Posted March 5, 2005 Author Share Posted March 5, 2005 Thank you all for the advice. I used the Readymatic fixer and it seems to have been fine. I did check with a piece of leader and it cleared OK in about 3 minutes, so I fixed for 6 minutes. I developed 3 rolls of film today, one IR750c, which came out normally for me, one Tmax 400 120mm, which came out badly, not sure where my problem is, this was my first Holga roll of b&w home developed, could be camera, who knows! And one roll of Tmax 100 which I had laying around in my darkroom, I dont remember what I had on it, but there's nothing now! I have no idea what happened there! Aaargh! You know, for someone who used to work in a chemistry lab, this lack of skill and understanding is awfully frustrating and fairly humiliating, LMAO! Strangely, I am still hopeful! :) Jen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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