a good home-made film developer.

[pentaxpete]

I found a good film developer in '35mm Camera Magazine' from the 1960's - I was given a complete set- I have used this for ORWO NP22 film and I can get 20x16" prints from 35mm with no probs! NOT so good for 400 ASA films though. It works with FP4, Pan F etc
[B]PH35 Film Developer[B]
[FONT="System"]Sodium Sulphite anhyd. 60 gms
Hydroquinone 7.0 gms
Kodalk 6.0 gms
Phenidone 0.2 gm
Potassium Bromide 1.0 gm
Water to make 1 Litre
Dilute 1+ 5 for use
Orwo NP22 8 mins, Ilford FP4+ 35mm 8.5 mins,Pan F@25 ASA 6.25 mins,EFKE R 21 8 mins,Kodak Tmax 100 8.5 mins all at 68oF

[Rob Archer]

What's 'Kodalk'? Is is it available and if so where from? If not what can be substituted for it?

Otherwise it sounds a good recipe - perticularly as it doesn't contain metol.

Rob

[Bill]

Hi Rob,

According to the list of raw chemicals on the Silverprint site it is Sodium Metaborate.

Bill

[Peter Hogan]

Sodium metaborate is used as a buffer...
The dev is a pretty standard PQ developer, but works fine, nonetheless...

[agenoria2]

Kodalk is used as the alkali, it's a mixture of Borax & Sodium Hydroxide, Kodak call it "Kodalk- Kodak Blalanced Alkali" ie a buffered alkali.

It's use in place of Borax gives significantly more developer activity, due to the higher pH.

Kodak Professional UK used to suggest substituting 1.5g Sodium Hydroxide + 7g Borax for 10g Kodalk - Sodium Metaborate

Mac