Uncle Jonesy's Cameras Podcast #47: Mixing It Up!

by Kevin Lane

I am a devoted user of Kodak D-76 for film development. Why then, have I recently become interested in mixing my own developer? The answer lies in the way I use D-76, which is always diluted 1:1 with water and disposed of after a single use. While I believe that some household cleaning products are more dangerous to the environment than D-76, I still think about all that D-76 going down the drain. Coincidentally, Wayne recently had suggested to me alternative developers like caffenol and D-23, developers that are not only more friendly to the environment, but also easy to mix at home. And Wayne should know, as he has been mixing his own developers for years. 

So, this show is all about chemistry that you can mix at home. You will learn about what equipment you will need as well as why it may work for you. For myself, I will be mixing some D-23 soon. It only requires two ingredients, both of which are friendly to the environment. And of course, Wayne's developer of choice is caffenol, which is based on instant coffee! 

 Getting ready to mix up some developer in Wayne's darkroom.

Wayne's antique Kodak chemistry scale.

Here is Wayne's formula for caffenol C-L:

            Water         500 ml
            Instant Coffee 40.0 g
            Water         500 ml
            Washing Soda     16 g
            Vitamin C             10 g
            Potassium Bromide     1.5 g 

Combine and let stand 5 minutes.

Here are Wayne's developing instructions at 68ºF:

    - Brief water presoak of 15 – 20 seconds with agitation.

    - Pour in caffenol developer and agitate gently for the first ten seconds. Let stand for fifty minutes.

    - Stop and fix a normal.

For those of you who want to give mixing your own chemistry a try, the Photographers Formulary is an invaluable resource for supplies and information. https://stores.photoformulary.com

Here is the link for the digital scale that Wayne recommended to me:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083HRD96K?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details

The Darkroom Cookbook by Steve Anchell is a compendium of photographic chemistry formulas and best practices and is now in its fourth edition:  https://www.amazon.com/Darkroom-Cookbook-Alternative-Process-Photography/dp/1138959189/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2Q6XQQORH2HC8&keywords=darkroom+cookbook&qid=1647203860&s=books&sprefix=darkroom+cook%2Cstripbooks%2C82&sr=1-1

Here is the link for the free online version of the third edition of The Darkroom Cookbook:  https://silveronplastic.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/the-darkroom-cookbook-3rd-ed-s-anchell-elsevier-2008-ww.pdf

The Caffenol Cookbook that Wayne mentioned can be found here:  https://www.caffenol.org/2012/11/27/the-caffenol-cookbook-bible/e

Here is a lengthy blog site dedicated to the use of Caffenol:  http://caffenol.blogspot.com

Wayne and I also read some great listener feedback, and one question listener Billy led Wayne to talk about his 3A Kodak Series II camera, which used 122 film. The 3 1/4 x 5 1/2 negatives were contact printed to make postcard size prints.

Wayne's 3A Kodak Series II folding camera. 
If only 122 film were still available . . . 

As always, we here at Uncle Jonesy's Cameras would love to hear from you, so send us an email at unclejonesyscameras@gmail.com. You also can find us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Happy Shooting!