Broken liquid column in Minox thermometer

[Donald Qualls]

I recently acquired a Minox daylight loading developing tank, which came in its original box and included the thermometer (which agitates the developer by pumping it up and down). The only issue is that the liquid column in the thermometer is slightly broken, with a thin piece a couple millimeters above the top of the main column. I know the usual advice is to use the top of the unbroken portion of the column (especially when the break is as thin as this one), but I'd like to reunite the upper layer with the main liquid column if possible.

I'm not sure whether I'd be ahead to hold the bulb under hot tap water (mine is about 125 F) or put the thermometer in the freezer (a bit below 0 F) overnight. Suggestions?

 

[MattKing]

The instructions for the Kodak Process Thermometer may assist: https://www.photrio.com/forum/threads/kodak-process-thermometer-type-3.210293/#post-2846450
The relevant portion:

 

[Bill Burk]

There’s a bubble chamber above the column. Warm in hot water 35-degrees C about 96-degrees F will get some of the liquid in the chamber. Depends how far down the break is.

 

[FriedLouisStudio]

I never ever used the thermometer in developing hundreds of rolls in my Minox tank. Not to determine temp, not for agitation. I mean, I literally never used that thermometer pump method.

I always found that simply shaking the tank and banging its bottom on the table every half-minute was fine for agitation, at least with standard films like TX, PX, APX 100, TMX and developers like D-76 and Microdol-X.

Just sayin'...

 

[Donald Qualls]

Thanks, Bill & Matt -- that's what I thought I recalled, but I wanted to double check before overheating my 70 year old thermometer. I'll heat it up and see if that will unbreak the column. I happen to have an electric kettle that reads out temperature in C, so I'll heat some water to 35C or so and see if that's enough for this thermometer. If not, I'll try 40C.

@FriedLouisStudio I'm likely to try following the original directions first and see what I get; apparently the thermometer-as-pump method has worked for many Minox tank users for three quarters of a century...

 

[cowanw]

Go up very slowly. it is very easy to blow out the top if you go over the Max temperature.

 

[Donald Qualls]

Go up very slowly. it is very easy to blow out the top if you go over the Max temperature.

Thanks. I'll probably use my hot tap water, it's plenty hot but not extremely so (125F or so).