> I've always had a problem with powders (the preference in the class so far). > They don't completely dissolve and can make little bursts of over-developed > spots on the paper or negative. Are you properly mixing the developers? When I ran our lab, I mixed dry chemicals every week. My stock paper developer was Dektol, mixed five gallons at a time to create a stock solution for further dilution. Perhaps your temperature was wrong. Also, did you try to portion out the package? Some people think they can mix part of the bag; half now, half later. This does not work and it can lead to problems. Another problem might be your assumption that the spots you see are signs of over development. Hard to diagnose unless I can see the negatives. Contamination can be a problem and some compounds created during development cannot be dissolved. I "fondly" recall one of our ceramic deep tanks became contaminated. It was a difficult tank to deal with because it was eight feet tall, one inch thick, and the walls were one inch. Very heavy to lift because the tanks sat in a solid concrete well with a sump pump to drain and clean the tanks. The developers used in our deep tanks for film processing were mixed from dry ingredients and I never experienced the problems you speak of. The only problem I did have was when I dropped a glass bottle of glacial acetic and cleared the building for a day. I suspect inadequate mixing or contamination. Just a guess. Many problems can occur that are not caused by improper chemical mixing. Like velocity density increases near the sprocket holes created by rapid agitation. Bob
