Does anyone know if there actually was a Champlin #17 formula. And if there was, does anyone have the formula? I've made Mr. Champlin one of my pet historical projects and would like to track down this rumored potion. Garry

-- Garry D. Lewis (glewis@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov), February 14, 2002

Answers

Can you tell us more about this Champlin fellow?

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), February 14, 2002.

Harry Champlin was a photo-lab owner, photographer, and inventor of Champlin #15 and #16 developers. He did lab work for some of the major studios of Hollywood and Life photographers and the general public. In the late 30's he came up with a fine grain developer called Champlin #15 (one of the most complicated formulas I've found [maybe that was what attracted it and him to me]). He went on to invent a simplfied develper called Champlin #16 (that is quite simular to Edwal FG-7). That's as much as I've gotten without taking a weekend and trying to find old Camera Craft magazines- he published articles on film grain. His basic start was the Dr. Sease formula and added pyro for film speed. The finished formula has 10 ingrediants. Dr. Edmund Lowe (founder of Edwal Labs) said in his book- "...Champlin 15 formula is really a very good one...". I've been trying for the past 2 years to track down more bio. information, but keep running into blank walls. No clues past 1939 about this man. I would love to try Champlin #15, but the chemicals would cost over a $100 to make just 32 oz of working developer.

yours Garry.

-- Garry D. Lewis (glewis@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov), February 14, 2002.

Cool, I'm facinated. Can you tell us the formula for the #15? Also, any clue as to what's in FG-7?

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), February 14, 2002.

I love this developer esoterica. I'll dig through my old formularies tonight.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edb@unblinkingeye.com), February 14, 2002.

Champlin #15-

water...1000 ccs Pyro....3.5 grams Sod. Sulfite....60 grams benzoic acid....1.2 grams salicylic acid... .5 grams boric acid......2.5 grams digallic acid(Tannic)....1 gram glycin.... 11.5 grams Paraphenylenediamine.... 11.5 grams Iso Propyl alcohol 97%.... 50 ccs Nickel ammonium sulfate.... 1 gram

Edwal FG-7: Haven't a clue and can't locate a MSDS for it.

Garry

-- Garry D. Lewis (glewis@ftw.nrcs.usda.com), February 14, 2002.

Whew! That is about everything but the kitchen sink. It makes some sense, except I've never seen nickel ammonium sulphate used in photo chemistry. It really wouldn't be too expensive to make up except for that- Photographer's Formulary sells in reasonable quantities, but the nickel compound would have to come a general chemical supplier- Fisher wants about $100 for 500g, but there are probably cheaper places.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), February 14, 2002.

Yup, Postapplescientific.com has 25g for about $6.

-- Conrad Hoffman (choffman@rpa.net), February 14, 2002.

The Nickel ammoniun sulfate was there to act as a metal to attract the free floating silver particles, so they wouldn't replate themselves back onto the developed image- thereby causing more grain. An idea that was revived by Ilford with there ID-11plus. Garry

-- Garry D. Lewis (glewis@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov), February 14, 2002.