[va2ir]

I am in the print and graphics trade. We use imagesetter film thru an offline film processor to do our litho films. Our fixer is dead. Supplier is out of stock until mid December.

Is there anything else I can use to temporarily replace or strengthen the fixer we have on hand?

I read on the net that household ammonia will work, or swimming pool chemistry to lower the PH (ph- at my local pool store ) would do it.

Isnt fixer acid based? What about a diluted solution of sulfuric acid? I have some old car batteries that I could drain, and cut with water.

Thanks for any help.

[cscurrier]

I've met a few filmmakers who have used car battery acid to fix their black and white film... Though I don't know their exact "recipe" or methods, and I'm not sure how the Dept. of Labor and Industries would feel about you trying that in the workplace.

[Steinback]

A proper developing manual would probably give you what you need.

Unless you understand the chemistry involved and how to handle all of the components safely you shouldn't be messing around with mixing your own developing chemicals. It is possible to replenish some fixers and remove the silver from them but I don't have a formula at hand for the process.

How close is your process to traditional black and white (silver based) film development? The formula for mixing some types of black and white fixers is fairly straight forward.

[Wheatfield]

Presuming you are using a silver based emulsion, you need a thiosulphate to fix the emulsion.
Two kinds are common, one is a sodium salt (sodium thiosulphate), the other is an ammonia salt (ammonium thiosulphate).
Sodium based ones are the old powdered fixers, and aren't really used much any more, since the fix times are quite long and they aren't as soluble, consequently requiring long wash times.
The ammonia based ones (rapid fixers) are what is being used these days.
Now, simply adding ammonia to a fixer is not going to do anything to it other than make it smell even worse, since you are not adding the thiosulphate component which is needed for dissolving the undeveloped silver.
Changing the PH via acid (BTW, if you really want to attempt this bit of foolishness, use acetic acid not sulfuric) isn't going to do anything either, for the same reason.
Anyway, nothing you can do with car batteries or grocery store cleaner additives is going to do what you want.
What you want is fixer.
If you have a camera store around that still stocks chemistry, what you want is one of the liquid fixers that needs to be diluted somewhat with water.