November 24, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

It's a working solution. No dilution. It has
a capacity of about 25 8x10s (or equivalent)
per liter, same as most sodium thiosulfate
based fixers. I always use it as part of a
double bath setup, and I also only use it to
about two thirds of its supposed capacity (so
that's around 50 8x10s per three liters of
fixer). (Actually, since I use a double
bath,I fix 50 8x10s in a total of six liters,
which I then discard and replace, but that's
just my belt and suspenders approach.)

regards,
--le

I know I should know this, but is the Thiosulfate in the formula
pentahydrate or anhydrous?

November 24, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Well, in my quest for odorless working
solutions in my darkroom, I tried F-24 fixer
in its various guises. Citric acid or
whatever, it always stank.

I found that _absent_ acid was the key. No
acid in my fix. No acid in my darkroom.
Sounds like a song.

By the way, Kodak fixer formula F-6 is an
acid fixer with no smell. The usual
presentation of the formula implies that the
acid should be added before the borax or
Kodalk (sodium metaborate), but this
liberates a gust of sulfur dioxide while you
are busy getting the borate ready. I prefer
to add the borate ahead of the acid, so no
smell is evolved. F-6 works if one wants an
acid fix that has no odor. I have other
reasons for total elimination of acid from my
processes.

Incidentally, Kodak fixer formula F-5 is
sometimes advised. In fact, it is of
historical and academic interest only, due to
high odor. F-6 is the same as F-5 except for
the stench.

regards,
--le

I use acetic acid to clean with. Seems to work pretty well. I just cut  
glacial 1:3. Of course I don't think this will help the finish of fine  
wood furniture though  ;>)

 Quite the opposite. As you know I've taken one-shot
with one-tray processing to the extreme. You in part can
take some of the responsibility for that. One-tray
processing has made for me a roomy darkroom.
 One-shot developing was not a problem. Least solution
volumes, greater dilutions, and a minimum of three minutes
in the developer are the techniques I use.
 The question for some time was, is it practicle to use
fixer one-shot? Eddie Ephraums suggested a sixty gram print
fixer and and Bill Troop said forget it; too little capcity, too
slow. The too slow had me worried. The fixer had to be
very dilute to be used one-shot. After all some amount
of solution is needed to process. I knew a little A. or
S. Thiosulfate would go a long ways.
 Well, the story ends happily ever after. Very dilute S. or A.
Thiosulfate will finish off a print in two to four minutes. I've not
by a long shot worked with all papers so four minutes is an
allowance. The BIG BONUS came as a surprise. It dawned
on me one day that the small volumes used to fix one print
were enough to hold silver levels within ARCHIVAL limits.
Archival results and great capacity with one fix!!
 "... the use of hypo clearing agent is absolutely essential
to good washing technique." That according to Martin Reed.
Whatever the fix I don't see any good reason not to use HCA.
Of course it's another one-shot for me so fresh each use;
least volume, one percent. I will likely make my first still
water tray wash a one percent HCA.
 A Gas Really. One-Tray and One-Shot. Takes some
getting used to what with everything going down the drain
after one use. A real change of pace recommended for
those who like to experiment and those with two,
three, a few prints to do. Dan

Greg:
   Sorry for the miscue, diy = do it yourself. I'm looking for a formula.
I'll mix it from scratch; I already have the raw chemicals on hand. The
issue that motivated my post was that acid fixers (powder or otherwise)
reduce the staining effect of developers.
-Lew