Getting Closer to a Panthermic 777 developer
Posted: Mon Nov 04, 2013 11:26 am
I have been working with this formula for years now, and I called DuPont last week, and got no where with one of its personnel. So I started going through all of my materials on Defender, DuPont, and Harvey's 777 film developer products. Then I came across the two product reviews on Panthermic 777. One by Leica and the other by Focus Magazine. Then I went over two other reviews, both by Harold Harvey himself. And one of the things that I missed was the temperature control statement he made.
Then it hit me. In the 1920's to 1940, there were no new fine grain developer agents being sold on the market or other chemicals that could be used for temperature control, than what we know today.
In Ed Lowe's book, it shows a picture of a negative that used Panthermic 777 in its development. And I have a negative picture of Cachet AB-55 Panthermic Developer. And they look almost the same. But test of AB-55 shows the use of Sodium Sulfate.
So I have altered the formula below to use sodium sulfate, to bring the temperature control up to 90 degrees. I am including CD3, to replace Paraphenylenediamine. CD3 was invented in 1939 and was not available for sale by Kodak. Because it was one of their secrets in their color development projects. So it was not available to Harold Harvey to use.
I developed a roll of 35 mm and got good negatives at 89 degrees of development.
Glycin, CD3, Pyro Developer # 1 Very Fine Grain
Chemical Amount Units
Water (125°F/52°C) 750 ml
Sodium sulfite (dessic) 100.0 g
Pyro 5.0 g
Color Developer 3: 5.0 g
Borax 4.0 g
Glycin 7.0 g
Sodium Sulfate 30.0 g
Cold water to make 1000 ml
Still, pre-age the developer, to get better results. Instructions are listed in a previous post.
Thank You
KennyE
Then it hit me. In the 1920's to 1940, there were no new fine grain developer agents being sold on the market or other chemicals that could be used for temperature control, than what we know today.
In Ed Lowe's book, it shows a picture of a negative that used Panthermic 777 in its development. And I have a negative picture of Cachet AB-55 Panthermic Developer. And they look almost the same. But test of AB-55 shows the use of Sodium Sulfate.
So I have altered the formula below to use sodium sulfate, to bring the temperature control up to 90 degrees. I am including CD3, to replace Paraphenylenediamine. CD3 was invented in 1939 and was not available for sale by Kodak. Because it was one of their secrets in their color development projects. So it was not available to Harold Harvey to use.
I developed a roll of 35 mm and got good negatives at 89 degrees of development.
Glycin, CD3, Pyro Developer # 1 Very Fine Grain
Chemical Amount Units
Water (125°F/52°C) 750 ml
Sodium sulfite (dessic) 100.0 g
Pyro 5.0 g
Color Developer 3: 5.0 g
Borax 4.0 g
Glycin 7.0 g
Sodium Sulfate 30.0 g
Cold water to make 1000 ml
Still, pre-age the developer, to get better results. Instructions are listed in a previous post.
Thank You
KennyE