C-41 Newbie: Storing Tetenal Press Kit Mixed Chems?

[little-infinity]

LOL, I love that pic. Wouldn't be nice if you mistook the blix for Coke.

Back on topic though, I dont get how you can even squeeze those bottles. Like do you crush them like an accordion? Do you re-use the chemistry? I mean, I think if you fill them to the brim and use funnels, I don't see how you would need to squeeze your bottles unless you're sloppy and lose alot of chems. I plan on re-using them for a very long time, I probably plan on doing maybe one roll per shot, and if things work out I'll increase my shooting so I can do maybe 5-6 rolls a month.

 

[tbeaman]

I was thinking it looked more like black cherry soda, but I suppose the result would be the same.

If you look at the bottles of stabilizer and blix there, you'll see that they aren't filled to the top, even though those are ostensibly 1 liter bottles and that is very much exactly one liter of liquid in each. So squeezing is necessary, as was done with the developer bottle in behind (notice that the "DEV" label is slightly deformed).

It isn't an elegant operation, but you simply squeeze the sides of the bottle between thumb and forefingers. Try it on a bottle of soda sometime and you'll see. You'll also see why others advise not to re-use them too often; it does put stress folds into the plastic.

 

[Mike Wilde]

I'm more intrigued by the clear cream soda in the photo.

The last time I noticed it was sold as clear I was living in Australia, where it is called creaming soda, which at least makes a bit of sense.

In Canada I though all Cream Soda is sold coloured red.

 

[hrst]

If you have any chance that children or other people not accustomed to darkroom chemistry will visit your darkroom, of course you should label all the chemicals clearly. This is regardless of the origin of the bottles. Brown color can, of course, be an extra precaution, but not enough IMO if you are concerned about safety, and it has its own drawbacks. Clear labeling with big labels works for both "soda bottles" and commercial chemistry bottles, brown or clear.

Squeezing is almost too easy, much easier than with accordion bottles because of these facts:
1) thin neck -> more visual precision in solution level & less air captured there even if you close the cap too early. Not possible with accordion bottles at all!
2) clear plastic -> you can actually see the solution level. Extra benefit: you can evaluate the solution for color and insoluble matter
3) Tight caps that have a clear point when they are tightly closed. I've found most accordion bottle caps worse.

So, you squeeze like this: almost close the cap. Squeeze the both sides of the bottle between your thumb and forefingers, see how the solution is rising in the bottle. Simultaneously, use your other hand to close the cap, to the point when you cannot squeeze anymore. Then open the cap a bit, so that squeezing is possible again but with restricted speed. Then, squeeze until you see the solution hit the cap, or you can feel how you cannot squeeze anymore, as all of the air has come off from the small gap where solution cannot pass. At the same time, without loosening the grip, close the cap. Actually writing or reading this description will take much more time. It will take 5 seconds to do it properly.

 

[hrst]

I posted a video showing this... It's not that hard lol .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdu4cCOrf3I

 

[little-infinity]

THANK YOU

That helped alot. Still can't get over the odd shape (I mean how would you stand that thing?) but if it works, why not?