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ccrazy08@hotmail.com - 11 Apr 2007 07:26 GMT

I'm just learning how to mix chemicals and develop my own film. I
have followed all instructions given when mixing the developer for the
paper. The problem is that once I get it into the tray it crystalizes
in a matter of minutes. This leaves my photos blochy and muddy.
Could this be that my darkroom is too cold? or maybe the Kodak Dektol
developer has gone off? When I first mixed it i cooled it to 20'C
like it says, but does this mean it must stay at that exact
temperature for the duration?

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darkroommike - 11 Apr 2007 16:07 GMT

Run this by me again...
You mix the Paper developer according to the instructions,
cool it to 20 degrees, dilute it as per instructions and the
stuff crystallizes??

Something is not right. I have seen Dektol freeze in a tray
but that darkroom would be plenty cold.

As far as temp control, if a tray of developer starts at 20
degrees it's nice if it stays there (more or less) most
papers have a minimum development time and an optimum
development time, for repeatability it's nice to be able to
hold temp and a warmer "standard" time keeps processing
times shorter.
darkroommike

> I'm just learning how to mix chemicals and develop my own film. I
> have followed all instructions given when mixing the developer for the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> like it says, but does this mean it must stay at that exact
> temperature for the duration?

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Nicholas O. Lindan - 11 Apr 2007 16:52 GMT

> Run this by me again...
> You mix the Paper developer according to the instructions, cool it to 20
> degrees, dilute it as per instructions and the stuff crystallizes??

I agree, Almost seems a troll... Did the OP use 1 ounce of
water instead of 1 litre? Cool to 20 degrees Kelvin instead
of 20 degrees Celsius? Use Ice-9 instead of water?

FWIW: to keep developer warm when room temperature is low
I use a plastic covered heating pad under the developer
tray. This violates every warning message printed on the
heating pad. Like most things Mother warned against, it
works great. Use at your own risk. All the electrical
gear in your darkroom should be connected through a ground-
fault protector.

Signature

Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation: F-Stop Timers, Enlarging Meters
http://www.darkroomautomation.com/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

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ccrazy08@hotmail.com - 11 Apr 2007 20:18 GMT

Thanks for all your help guys I figured it out.It's working
beautifully now.

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Nicholas O. Lindan - 11 Apr 2007 20:34 GMT

<ccrazy08@hotmail.com> wrote in message

> Thanks for all your help guys I figured it out.It's working
> beautifully now.

No, no, no. You don't get off that easy ...

Now that you figured it out, you have to spill the
beans and tell the group:

1) What were you _really_ doing
2) What _really_ happened
3) How fixed it

For the next time someone comes to the group
with the same problem.

Signature

Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation: F-Stop Timers, Enlarging Meters
http://www.darkroomautomation.com/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

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