Foma B/W Reversal Kit

[woods01]

Mixing the bleach is easy but you are using very toxic chemicals, you've got the acid and the dichromate is carcinogenic. So use gloves, eye protection & a proper mask (not those paper ones) and mix it outside or away from your living areas. IIRC I used the same or similar formulae to make R-9 bleach.

Its been a looong time since I did my own reversal regularly, I used kodak d-19 & ilford stop & fix. Bleach and clearing bath I mixed myself by using the formulaes available online and ordering the chemistry from a chemical supplier. You likely have one near you. Tell them you need supplies for photo-chemistry. You'll likely be forced to order more than you want to meet their minimum orders but you'll be stocked up for a good while.

Nowadays I process to negative and use a water stop bath to save time and avoid dealing with the bleach.

[mr_x]

thanks woods1,

have to comment though (London UK) last time i popped out for some bottled distilled water for photo-processing the hardware guy practically asked me to sign and date a witnessed statement before he'd sell it me over the counter - folks are ultra finicky over here now about almost everything

[aj]

Fomapan has an anti-halation layer which it drops in the bleach. The bath is unusable after that, the next film will be covered with debris from the earlier one. So this is bad for labs which run several films though baths.

In the US there is Photographers' Formulary Inc... http://stores.photoformulary.com/StoreFront.bok
they have reversal kits. Even a Tmax like kit which was so famed.
Shipping using air-transport is a bit of problem. Most seller don't want to spend that much time on it.
Try buying batteries from US.

In EU the Fomakit seems the most attractive option.

Apart from DIY home assembly, if you could get your hands on all the separate components.

[woods01]

It was about 2003 when I last bought chemicals for reversal processing. I remember talking to the chemist and being asked about why I needed sulfuric acid & the dichromate and upon telling him what I was doing he understood. I'm glad that they don't just dole that stuff out.

[mr_x]

... sulfuric acid & the dichromate ... I'm glad that they don't just dole that stuff out.

You have a point there indeed.

[aj]

... sulfuric acid & the dichromate ... I'm glad that they don't just dole that stuff out.

You have a point there indeed.

Sulfuric acid is used in many/all car batteries. Should you need some you can buy it from many car maintenance shops. Likely no questions asked.

[mr_x]

Thanks,

Will stick with Foma for Super 8 and D76 for 16mm, reversing in software (with apols to purists). D76 will help me a lot for custom processing because reversal does that bleach trick and i think i lose a lot of material that way which otherwise i could tone. As long as i keep a couple of feet of raw negative to use as a control.