Wetting Agent

Barney

Barney

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Wayne
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My wetting agent is running out of steam as evidenced by my negs full of water droplet marks.

Whats the best wetting agent in your experience?
 
I don't quite understand. I use a few drops of mine in water (dire warnings about using too much) and per instructions use once only. I'm still using a years old plastic mini bottle.
 
StephenM said:
I don't quite understand. I use a few drops of mine in water (dire warnings about using too much) and per instructions use once only. I'm still using a years old plastic mini bottle.
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I have been re-using it ! :facepalm:
 
Barney said:
I have been re-using it ! :facepalm:
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Even as a Yorkshireman, I feel that's taking cost saving too far! :LOL:

When I started developing my own B&W film in 2020 during the covid lockdown, I bought a 1 lite bottle. Six years, and hundreds of rolls later, it's still around two-thirds full.
 
The instructions on my 100cc bottle said to add 2 or 3 drops per litre. I'm still using that same bottle from the last century.
 
Only ever used washing up liquid, never had any marks. Mix 5ml with 500ml water, then one drop of that per 500ml water. Never bothered to work out the cost of it :)
Use it in plant sprayers and car windscreen washer bottles (then with some rinse aid too)
 
Does anyone want to chuck in for a 1ltr bottle ? :ROFLMAO:
 
I was given a small bottle of 'Kodak Photo-Flo Solution' when I started developing films more than 60 years ago now. One or two drops in the final wash of each film since and it is still going. I'm pretty sure that it will outlast me.
 
David_Mug said:
I was given a small bottle of 'Kodak Photo-Flo Solution' when I started developing films more than 60 years ago now. One or two drops in the final wash of each film since and it is still going. I'm pretty sure that it will outlast me.
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StephenM said:
The instructions on my 100cc bottle said to add 2 or 3 drops per litre. I'm still using that same bottle from the last century.
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I think you probably take the longevity award, David, although Stephen didn't say how far back in the last century he started his bottle!

One thing that I think is worth adding: I've changed to mixing my Photo-flo (in de-ionised water) in a separate jug. After 4 washes (Ilford cadence) in the tank, I pull the film out and let it curl in the jug, a few little shakes and then the film goes upstairs to the shower in the jug.

The point being, the Photo-flo never goes near my reels! So no more tedious scrubbing. And I can re-use the Photo-flo mix for the next film in that session. (In fact I probably save more from re-using the de-ionised water than the Photo-flo! That stuff is expensive...)
 
I tried to date it. It's Paterson Acuwet, in a plastic container. I think that makes it 1984 or later, but the container is much smaller than any of the developers and fixers they supplied in glass bottles, so nothing conclusive. I coulspd look sometime and see if there's still a price, and if so, post or pre decimalisation.
 
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