[Leica] JOBO C41 Press Kit

[kanner at acm.org (Herbert Kanner)]

During the years that I have been processing C41, the smaller kits 
have been disappearing.  Now, the smallest Tetenal kit is 2 1/2 
liters  (30 rolls of film) and I have some concerns about the 
concentrates keeping in good condition in the lengh of time it takes 
me to do that number of rolls. So, I was delighted to see that the 
"new and improved" 1-liter press kit now incorporates a stabilizer.

Well, I had a bad experience with it.  I discovered that while all 
the other components of the Press Kit are identical to those of the 
all liquid kits, the stabilizer is a different compound--I suppose 
the one in the all liquid kits does not exist in solid form.  The 
problem was that the one in the Press Kit was completely lousy as a 
wetting agent, and droplets of liquid persisted on the non-emulsion 
side.  When dry, I found a number of spots on the back of the film. 
I was able to remove them by brisk rubbing with a clean cloth.  After 
seeing this happen to four rolls of film, I used a Jobo squeegee on 
the next two rolls. It did not scratch the film, I hope, but the 
sounds it made were really unnerving.  I have not, over many years, 
had to do this to film.

I wrote to JOBO tech support.  Unfortunately, Ken Owens does not seem 
to be working for them, at least in that capacity, any longer.  The 
guy who answered me kept insisting that I use distilled water.  Well, 
the Palo Alto water is damn near as good as distilled.  I've boiled a 
potful to dryness and seen no mineral residue.  I finally wrote and 
asked if there was any reason not to throw a bit of Kodak PhotoFlo 
into the stabilizer--never got an answer.  Can any of the experts on 
this list tell me a) how important is it to stabilize the negs?, and 
b) would it be ok to add a wetting agent to the stabilizer?
-- 
Herbert Kanner
kanner@acm.org
650-326-8204

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