Re: Diafine HELP

Kevin Lock (kalock@cleo.murdoch.edu.au)
Wed, 23 Oct 1996 19:00:43 +0800

>At 6:08 PM on 10/22/96, Kevin Lock wrote:
>
>> I have been meticulous in my measurements with accurate equipment (0.2g
>> phenol???)
>> Anyone know what I am doing wrong?
>
>
> Kevin-if you are really using PHENOL instead of PHENIDONE (aka
>1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone), you are only developing with the hydroquinone in
>the formulas, which is a weak reducing agent when used alone. The
>phenidone/hydroquinone combination is well known for being apowerful
>combination (superadditive), and producing a slight film speed increase as
>compared to traditional metol/hydroquinone developers. If you do not have
>phenidone, you need to get some pronto and remix the diafine substitute
>formula with it. You will get usable negatives .
>
> Maxim M. Muir
>See the "Maximum Monochrome" homepage at:
>http://www.nfinity.com/~mdmuir/

Thanks for your reply.

I am using 1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidone and not phenol (must be the homebrew!)
so would you think that any other bits of the formula could be 'stale'. Is
this possible?
My school lab technicians say that borax is borax and there are no
different strengths.
The poor results were exactly the same as the last time I made it up with
the only difference being that I made a percentage solution of the
phenidone and 100ml of this solution gave the 0.2g.

Any ideas?

TIA

Kevin in Fremantle