How do you go about making you own developer?

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kcf
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How do you go about making you own developer?

Post by kcf »

I am assuming making your own developer is cheaper than buying it ready made. Am I assuming correctly? Where do you buy the ingredients?

Digitaltruth
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Post by Digitaltruth »

We sell raw chemicals for mixing your own developers here:
http://www.digitaltruth.com/store/cart/ ... c-215.html

The list is quite long so you may find it easier to use the search box to find the exact ingredients you require. For formulas, you should be able to locate whatever you need on our data page: http://www.digitaltruth.com/data.html

One thing to remember is that when you buy raw chemicals, you will need to purchase quantities such as 100g or 1lb, so you will inevitably have some left over. You will also need a balance or scale calibrated to a fraction of a gram, so the overall cost-saving is likely to be small.

Mixing your own chemistry is a good idea if you are looking for something specific that you cannot achieve with a commercial product. While it can save you money if you use the same ingredients for various different formulas, it probably won't save you much to make a single developer.

As with any chemical mixing, you should take adequate precautions including the use of a dust mask, protective goggles and gloves where appropriate.
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Jim Appleyard
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Post by Jim Appleyard »

Grab a copy of Anchell's "The Darkroom Cookbook" (thru internet bookstores or you local library). Lots of recipes in there.

A scale is best, but I mostly use kitchen teaspoons to measure out my chems.

Have fun!

Ornello
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Re: How do you go about making you own developer?

Post by Ornello »

kcf wrote:I am assuming making your own developer is cheaper than buying it ready made. Am I assuming correctly? Where do you buy the ingredients?
It is not necessarily cheaper to make your own developers. The best formulas are proprietary (unpublished), so any formula that you can make will be inferior to the best commercial products. Consistency is a problem for small batches of developers that use very small quantities of some ingredients (e.g. phenidone), as weighing these is difficult to do with consistent accuracy.

Another factor is spoilage. Some chemicals don't keep well, and if your chemistry is not fresh it will affect the results.

Metol-based developers are easier to make because the smallest quantities one is likely to have to measure are on the order of 2 grammes. Making larger volumes helps.

A good scale is essential, and those that can measure small quantities accurately are not inexpensive.
Last edited by Ornello on Mon Apr 09, 2007 12:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Keith Tapscott.
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Re: How do you go about making you own developer?

Post by Keith Tapscott. »

kcf wrote:I am assuming making your own developer is cheaper than buying it ready made. Am I assuming correctly? Where do you buy the ingredients?
I`m not so sure if it`s cheaper or even more convenient than buying packaged products. Also, published formulae often just gives a list of the main components without mentioning other important additives such as sequestrating agents etc.
It`s probably best to stick with proprietory products from reputable manufacturers although there are those who do make their own out of either preference or personal curiosity.
As Jon has mentioned, you can order the raw components from this site if you wish to try for yourself.

Jim Appleyard
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Post by Jim Appleyard »

Good article, if not quite brand new, on cost of devs:
http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/Devel ... /cost.html

Lots of other good info there as well.

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