Patience vs. Fixer

[johnmyers]

I feel like a noob by asking this...

 

I'm impatient right now, and I just finished mixing some new fixer

(Kodak Fixer powder). How long would you say until all the particles

are fully dissolved into the water? I have some pretty important shots

I'd like to develop tonight, but don't want to accidentally screw it

up some how.

[Ed_Ingold]

I suggest waiting at least 24 hours to make sure the stuff is completely dissolved. Believe me, your patience would be doubly tried if you had specks on all of your negatives. You can't filter the solution either. That would remove something that should be in solution.

 

Next time (so wise, so late), use a liquid concentrate like Kodak Rapid Fixer. Developer can be a problem too. Some come as liquid concentrates, but not the most popular ones. Continue to work on the "patience" too - and plan ahead.

[wickedmartini]

If mixed correctly, those grains should fully disolve during the mixing process. The only thing you should have to wait for is the water cooling down. Try a liquid rapid fixer. It's easier to mix, you can mix it on an as needed basis and it will decrease your fixing time.

[Ed_Ingold]

When you think everything is dissolved, put the jug in front of a dark background and shine a flashlight through it from the side. You will be surprised just how long it takes powders to dissolve. You can easily see particles larger than about 5 microns, which is about the size of a pixel in a DSLR.

[jtk]

I don't know why anybody would want to be patient with chemistry, but I suppose that's just my insensitivity.

 

If it were me, I'd be using liquid fix. Rapid Fix, at that.

 

I'm willing to use patience in development (eg 20 minutes in Rodinal, coming up) but not in fix. It's a character flaw, I guess.

[discpad]

Use C41-RA fixer, which is not only a liquid, but it will also fix film in 60 seconds! :)