Thank you to those who responded to my last email regarding fogging and printing. I apologise to those who took me literaly and thought I was asking a fairly interesting and obscure question about processing colour film with B&W chemicals. I was actually intending to ask about making prints from colour negatives. One person anticipated that it was unlikely I was capable of the former obscure question and assumed I meant printing.

I have another very basic question. I keep reading about contamination. So far I don't think I've had a problem but I'm very wary as a result of all the warnings. I would like to know whether it's necessary to keep separate graduates for different chemicals or whether a good soap washing will decontaminate a graduate. I gather in the case of Trays such cleansing cannot be assured hence the clear instructions to keep 3 separate Trays. Related to the same subject, if separate graduates are necessary, would this be so for film and paper developers?

Thanks again for everyone's very helpful advise.

-- Shelley Levine (shelleylevine@hotmail.com), June 06, 2001

Answers

Shelley, On B&W darkroom contamination isn't such a source of trouble. Keeping different trays and graduates for developers and another set for the rest will obviously minimize risks and save you a lot of water for cleaning purposes. If you play a lot with toners, it may be wise to keep a tray just for that. Developers are more sensitive to contact with other chemicals, due to the risk of changing PH and it's working strengh. Good work.

Cesar B.

-- Cesar Barreto (cesarb@infolink.com.br), June 06, 2001.

Glass cleans easily and that's what I prefer for most darkroom usage. Plastic is good, and I don't worry about contamination with graduates. Storage is another matter. I wouldn't store acids or fixer in plastic, then use the container for developer. I do label my developer tray and don't switch it with the stop or fixer.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), June 06, 2001.

I use separate trays for dev, stop, fix & hypo clear. All are permanently marked. Same for chemical storage bottles permanently marked and never interchanged. I use 1 set of glass and polypropolene graduates and beekers with a very through running water wash before and after each use.

-- Robert Orofino (minotaur1949@iopener.net), June 10, 2001.