"Cubes" of chemistry

[jeroldharter]

I am tempted to buy some of the larger "cubes" of chemistry but have never seen them or used them. The Kodak Rapid Fixer Part A cube of fixer is 5 gallons for about $70.

• I wonder how the cube works and how much it weighs?
  
• I suppose you don't have to mix all at once? Does anyone use these?
  
• The 5 gallon size must be heavy and awkward. Where do you put the cube and how

do you get the solution out of it?

Thanks.

 

[fschifano]

* I wonder how the cube works and how much it weighs?

It looks like a big plastic bag in a box to me. Figure water weighs about 8lbs./gallon. Fixer is heavier, maybe about 9 lbs./gallon. Figure 45 - 50 lbs. including the cardboard box. Shipping from B&H to my address is almost $34, and that's only 20 miles away.

* I suppose you don't have to mix all at once? Does anyone use these?

No there's no need to mix it all at once. In that regard it's no different from any other rapid fixer concentrate. It makes 20 gallons of film strength working solution, 40 gallons at paper strength.

* The 5 gallon size must be heavy and awkward. Where do you put the cube and how

Beats me, but I could find someplace to stash it.

A better deal is Kodak Flexicolor Fixer and Replenisher. Shipping costs are about the same, but the fixer is half the cost. I use it the same as any other rapid fixer. Dilute it as directed for film, double the dilution for papers. Works as well as or better than rapid fixers sold for B&W. Been using the stuff for years now on almost everything with no problems at all. See this link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/27599-REG/Kodak_1597392_Flexicolor_C_41_Fixer_.html

Obviously, if a hardening fixer is required this isn't the best choice. For the rare times when I do need a hardening fixer, I use plain old Kodak Fixer in the yellow bag. It's not rapid and it's sold as a dry powder, but it works and is inexpensive.

 

[MattKing]

I am tempted to buy some of the larger "cubes" of chemistry but have never seen them or used them. The Kodak Rapid Fixer Part A cube of fixer is 5 gallons for about $70.

• I wonder how the cube works and how much it weighs?
  
• I suppose you don't have to mix all at once? Does anyone use these?
  
• The 5 gallon size must be heavy and awkward. Where do you put the cube and how

do you get the solution out of it?

Thanks.

Jerold:

1) the cubes work just like the wine boxes, but probably aren't as much fun. Every one I've seen has a spout with a tap and some tubing to make it easier to dispense into small bottles. As for weight, 5 US gallons is about 20 liters. Each liter weighs almost exactly one kilogram. Therefore the weight is 20 kilograms, or 44 pounds.

2) Working from memory, the cubes are about 30x30x30 cm, or about 12"x12"x12".

3) you dispense just what you need, and the internal bag shrinks as the volume contained in it is dispensed.

I expect that I don't need to do the metric to lb/foot translations for you, but just in case it helps...

Matt

 

[Neal]

Dear Jerold,

I have used the Kodak "cube" for fixer in the past. Very convenient. The only reason I stopped using it is that I don't need so much volume after going the Jobo route.

Neal Wydra

 

[jeroldharter]

Thank you all for the replies. I might give it a try - even though the shipping costs are sometimes more than the product. I did a little searching and maybe the Clayton Rapid Fix 2.5 gallon bottles in sets of 2 would be a good buy also. Sometimes I think that the ergonomics of using the stuff are as important as the price. for example, I am not sure that I want to lift a 50 lb cube to a shelf above the sink. The $5000 orthopedic bill will surely offset the savings. And my above sink shelves are probably not that strong.

In searching, I did find some very inexpensive hardener for film fixer. Nacco hardener is $1.89 at Calumet for 12-16 oz bottles. I assume it is the usual 2-3 oz per gallon of fixer.

 

[PHOTOTONE]

I have used "cube" chemistry off-and-on for over 30 years. The "cubes" do not come with spigots or hoses and clamps, so you will have to acquire those separately.

 

[Nick Zentena]

If you're buying the big Kodak or I guess Fuji stuff the idea IMHO is to buy local. Your local minilab etc all buy big jugs. Somebody must be serving them. Or maybe you can try asking the lab owners to order something for you.

I know B&H etc list this stuff on the website but save the shipping and ask around.

Also you don't have to buy 5gallon jugs. They may have 1 or 2 litre jugs. Check the Kodak website. It used to list everything.

 

[Photo Engineer]

The "one gallon" cube was about 1 foot square and weighed in at over 8 pounds (water + chemistry). It was a cardboard box with a thin plastic container inside. When you opened the tab on one side of the box, there was a bullseye that said "Puncture here". You used a special tap with a pointy end that went in there. If you missed, it would leak. The center of the bullseye was a sweet spot.

The bag was thin enough to collapse as the chemistry was used. It was almost impossible to use all of it.

Another company manufactured empty cubitainers with spigots installed. You could fill them and reuse them. The plastic was heavier.

The spigots on all of these wore out with time and began to leak.

How do I know? I had to clean up many messes on my lab floor at EK due to missing the bullseye or having bad valves on the spigot here at home when I used the refillable type. I have a few here yet, but they still leak.

They were designed to go into photofinishing machines where mixing chemistry was not an option. They work very well for that purpose and seem to rarely glitch.

PE

 

[Bob F.]

Agfa do an economical fixer: Agfa FX UNIVERSAL, in 5 litre bottles - it is available in mini-lab sizes too I believe. Neutral pH with a very low odour. Not sure how readily available in the US though.

 

[glbeas]

I've used many a cubitainer of fix and lithographic developer. The best way to use it is with the spigots, and you will need to get one. I have a couple on hand for just such occasions. The best usage is off a low shelf, easy to get on and off. It should be stored spigot side up and rolled over to dispense so any tendency to leak will be alleviated. Keep it in a cool place because it will take so long to use it up you run the risk of heat deterioration at some point where the sulfur comes out and settles all over the inside.

 

[PHOTOTONE]

The "best" way to purchase chemistry in cubes is from a friendly local photo store that has a mini-lab. What they can do is combine your order of chemicals with their order for their own lab (it doesn't have to be the same chemicals, just the same brand), and usually mini-labs order supplies once-a-month. If you can wait until they make their order, usually on a big order the shipping is free to the mini-lab. Thus you can save the shipping cost, even if you have to pay closer to retail for the chemicals. Remember even digital mini-labs such as Frontier machines use photo chemistry to produce the prints, the digital bits are just in the exposure of the paper.

 

[haziz]

Sprint makes economical cube sizes.

Sprint systems makes economical chemistry in cube sizes. I am currently using their 1 gallon size cubes but they also make a larger size for schools, colleges and communal darkrooms. It is popular in many schools and colleges in the northeast. Several retailers including Calumet, and Central camera in Chicago carry them, as well as other retailers.

http://www.sprintsystems.com/

http://www.sprintsystems.com/retailerlist.htm

They mix 1:9 for all (1:4 for film strength fixer), making them very economical. I have used all their chemistry and find the film and paper developers equal to and possibly better than some better known developers. I use Sprint Standard film developer for my usual film FP4+ in preference to other developers I tested like Xtol, Rodinal or DDX probably at least in part due to the fact that I have settled on a routine with the combo that gives me excellent and very predictable results.

Sincerely,

Hany.

 

[MikeSeb]

I have used "cube" chemistry off-and-on for over 30 years. The "cubes" do not come with spigots or hoses and clamps, so you will have to acquire those separately.

Old thread, hope someone's out there!

Any idea where to get the spigots? Not even sure what search terms to use.

I'd like spigots specifically to fit the Flexicolor bladder/box chemistry, eg fixer.

 

[bdial]

Sprint sells them from their website; http://www.sprintsystems.com/ecom/product/3/11/