Best storage containers up to 5 litres for developer etc

[sperera]

Recommendations please for how best to store 5 litres of (in this case) Kodak Xtol.....my 2 litre 'accordion' tanks dont have the capacity.....kodak mentions 'replenisher tank with floating lid'.....or would you split up the 'litres' for example.....also want to store Kodak fixer that mixes to 3.2 litres......or is it as simple as jerry cans.....ideally one wants collapsible so u can eliminate the air space as it gets used and dumped

 

[chris77]

the more i work the less i care about air. but it all depends on how often/much you print.
for me this kind works well.
https://www.fotoimpex.de/shop/fotolabor/adox-chemikalien-kanister-5-liter-natur.html

 

[chris77]

if you dont print so often i can recommend ordinary pet bottles and a funnel.
all i needed until not so long ago. easy to squeeze the air out. cheap. easy to bring toban desired temperature quickly.

 

[sperera]

if you dont print so often i can recommend ordinary pet bottles and a funnel.
all i needed until not so long ago. easy to squeeze the air out. cheap. easy to bring toban desired temperature quickly.

send me link of what a 'pet' bottle is and how to 'squeeze out the air??? thanks for taking the time to respond

 

[chris77]

pet bottles are all notmal plastic bottles (like mineral water, etc) its those with this sign, it means that the plastic doesnt let gas pass. i am sure you have one at home

 

[sperera]

pet bottles are all notmal plastic bottles (like mineral water, etc) its those with this sign, it means that the plastic doesnt let gas pass. i am sure you have one at home

hahaha yes yes of course......it all gets so technical here I really have to raise my hand up and ask! hahahaha

 

[Doremus Scudder]

Two things.

1. You'll be better off dividing your mixed developer into two or more smaller bottles (or even five one-liter bottles). The rest can be full while the one you're working from will be the only one that is risking much oxidation (and that one will be used up quickly. PET drink bottles are fine, just label them well and keep them out of reach if you have small children around who might mistake them for soda...

2. Accordion bottles are notoriously gas-permeable, i.e., they pass gas and will allow your developer to oxidize more quickly than solid bottles. I trashed all my accordion bottles years ago (they are also a PITA to clean). The concept is sound, but the material needed to manufacture a flexible bottle just isn't up to the task.

Best,

Doremus

 

[sperera]

Two things.

1. You'll be better off dividing your mixed developer into two or more smaller bottles (or even five one-liter bottles). The rest can be full while the one you're working from will be the only one that is risking much oxidation (and that one will be used up quickly. PET drink bottles are fine, just label them well and keep them out of reach if you have small children around who might mistake them for soda...

2. Accordion bottles are notoriously gas-permeable, i.e., they pass gas and will allow your developer to oxidize more quickly than solid bottles. I trashed all my accordion bottles years ago (they are also a PITA to clean). The concept is sound, but the material needed to manufacture a flexible bottle just isn't up to the task.

Best,

Doremus

thanks again for the help...appreciate it......so water bottle it is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sperera]

....so basically any bottle of water then with the PET logo actually keeps better than the paterson accordion bottles.....wow, never have thought.....

 

[chris77]

check the bottom area for the recycle regn with the number 1 in it and you can be sure..
glad to help

 

[chris77]

sign, not regn.. sorry im on a train...

 

[Doremus Scudder]

PET bottles need to be relatively gas-impermeable, otherwise fizzy drinks would go flat quickly. A PET bottle of cola will stay bubbly for years, and your developer should stay fresh for that time as well as long as the bottle is full.

 

[sperera]

great advice and makes perfect sense!!!!!!!!!!! and yes the bottle has 01 on the bottom! but I will go for the Coca Cola etc large bottles as you say the gas has to stay inside!!!!!!! hahaha its great to have all of you out there ready to help at a moments notice...the best thing by far of this digital world for us analogists! haha

 

[sperera]

....is it just oxygen that corrupts the chems.....light no? saying that its easy to just stick bottles inside kitchen cabinets etc so light is not an issue anyway i guess

 

[pentaxuser]

Dividing stock Xtol into 250/300 ml bottles and ensuring the liquid is taken to the top so no air remains would be ideal if you have the time and can find 20 bottles but try instead 1 5L bag and box with a dispenser - like a wine bag and box but made for 5L . They are available . Alternatively and if available in Gib or across the border in Spain buy 2x 3L wine containers, drink the wine then clean out the bags, fill with 5L Xtol and replace in boxes.

This is what I do for Xtol, fixer, paper developer etc.

pentaxuser

 

[tomfrh]

I use disposable 5L water bottles like this:

http://www.bigbag.com.ph/product/summit-pure-distilled-drinking-water-5l/

When it's hard to keep squeezing air I move to a smaller bottle like coke bottles.

 

[bernard_L]

Indeed PET bottles are fine... as long as they remain full. And may be perfectly OK if each bottle is used up rapidly enough (2 months??) that it has no time to oxidize. Wine pouches use a different oxygen barrier (polyvinyl alcool, PVA) and offer the advantage that if properly filled, they stay air-free. I've had Dektol kept 2+ years (possibly 3, now away from the lab and notes) with test strips (Stouffer) totally identical to freshly mixed stuff. Whether or not there is an aluminum layer is non-essential.

 

[sperera]

Dividing stock Xtol into 250/300 ml bottles and ensuring the liquid is taken to the top so no air remains would be ideal if you have the time and can find 20 bottles but try instead 1 5L bag and box with a dispenser - like a wine bag and box but made for 5L . They are available . Alternatively and if available in Gib or across the border in Spain buy 2x 3L wine containers, drink the wine then clean out the bags, fill with 5L Xtol and replace in boxes.

This is what I do for Xtol, fixer, paper developer etc.

pentaxuser

EXCELLENT ADVICE....and a very 'personalised one too hahahaha thanksssssssss....so nice of you all to help

 

[sperera]

....just got in touch with some friends of mine who run a very popular wine business her locally and they are going to send me ideas for what to get.....will post in case its of interest to anyone.....Im cool with storing in PET bottles but if there's a really really good alternative that will do a better job why not investigate!!!! thanks for the 'wine' angle.....

 

[pentaxuser]

....just got in touch with some friends of mine who run a very popular wine business her locally and they are going to send me ideas for what to get.....will post in case its of interest to anyone.....Im cool with storing in PET bottles but if there's a really really good alternative that will do a better job why not investigate!!!! thanks for the 'wine' angle.....

There is only one snag and it depends on the winebag maker but your friends can help here. You need to ensure that the winebag has a removable dispenser. All winebags had these a few years ago but recently I have come across some bags with dispensers that cannot be levered out. No doubt this makes the production of the bags quicker and/or easier but it ruins them as holders for other liquids. They are use once and throw-away. If all your friends' bags are of that kind then you can buy new empty bags and boxes from the likes of home-winemaking stores or e-bay. The advantage is that these come in 5L as well as bigger and smaller sizes and are specifically designed for holding wine so are airtight and are designed for for re-use

If you buy a winebox from a supermarket you will not be able to tell until you drink the wine and empty the bag whether it had a removable dispenser.

pentaxuser

 

[sperera]

There is only one snag and it depends on the winebag maker but your friends can help here. You need to ensure that the winebag has a removable dispenser. All winebags had these a few years ago but recently I have come across some bags with dispensers that cannot be levered out. No doubt this makes the production of the bags quicker and/or easier but it ruins them as holders for other liquids. They are use once and throw-away. If all your friends' bags are of that kind then you can buy new empty bags and boxes from the likes of home-winemaking stores or e-bay. The advantage is that these come in 5L as well as bigger and smaller sizes and are specifically designed for holding wine so are airtight and are designed for for re-use

If you buy a winebox from a supermarket you will not be able to tell until you drink the wine and empty the bag whether it had a removable dispenser.

pentaxuser

thanks again really appreciate it!

 

[rpavich]

I went to soda bottles and never looked back. I use 3 sizes.

2 liters for all of the big bulk liquids. all are topped off to the very top and then sealed tight with the lid.

355ml (normal soda bottle) for after that 2 liter is split up.

150ml (small water bottles) for when I've opened the 355ml bottle and I'm working from it day to day.

It's a good system that's free since we drink sodas, we just clean the bottles out and put them in the darkroom box!

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Recommendations please for how best to store 5 litres of (in this case) Kodak Xtol.....my 2 litre 'accordion' tanks dont have the capacity.....kodak mentions 'replenisher tank with floating lid'.....or would you split up the 'litres' for example.....also want to store Kodak fixer that mixes to 3.2 litres......or is it as simple as jerry cans.....ideally one wants collapsible so u can eliminate the air space as it gets used and dumped

Accordion pleated bottles are probably the worse possible containers you can use. They are made of low density plastic that are permeable to oxygen. PET plastic soda bottles are free and have a low permeability to oxygen.

 

[mgb74]

I've been impressed with how long D-76 and Dektol keep when put in 750ml to 1 ltr brown whiskey bottles with plastic screw caps. Easily 6 months or more. Filled to the very top so there is very little (if any) air at the top. Of course, the color doesn't matter if kept out of the light.

The smaller the bottle the more quickly that amount of solution is used. And easy to handle. These are relatively heavy-duty glass; I've never broken one though YMMV.

 

[MattKing]

If you re-purpose containers that were originally designed for something else, some of the details to pay attention to are:
1) what material is the container made from? (already covered above)
2) can the lid be fully sealed and re-sealed (be cautious of cardboard liners)?
3) is the container easy to handle or slippery and hard to handle?
4) will the container fit in the space you have for it?
5) how big is the opening - important for containers that you are filling and emptying regularly, but not so important for containers that are filled infrequently?
6) is the container easy to clean thoroughly (avoid nooks and crannies)?
Consider using different containers for different purposes - long term storage vs. use and re-use.
Don't get all caught up in extracting every last bit of use out of every milliliter of chemical - a new package of XTol every 6 months is not that expensive!
For the working solution for my replenished developer - HC110 not XTol - I use 64 US ounce Clamato Juice containers - note the moderately wide lid and (hard to see) built in handle:

They have the additional benefit of being relatively short.