D-76 Powder in a pull top can. How long does it last?

MenacingTourist · Feb 22, 2006

More stuff from the vault...
I have no idea how old it is but the little 7oz cans will make half a gallon or 1.9 liters. So how long does the powder last if it's sealed like this? I don't want to try and sell it as a developer option is it's bad. The cans are pretty cool so maybe someone would want one as a paper weight. I have 24 cans!

Thanks,

Alan.

gainer · Feb 22, 2006

Well, you will only know if you open one and test it. It's probably good. Without air and water the chemicals in D-76 have little chance of interacting. If they are old enough, there is another package inside the can to separate some components. Kodak found a way to avoid that.

If you find one that's good, you still have 23 left. If it's no good, it might be worth more. Someone like Warhol, (was it?) might want to get famous by painting one.

jim appleyard · Feb 22, 2006

A friend recently gave me an old can of Microdol-X. I don't know how long it's been since Kodak stopped putting their devs in cans, but I mixed it up, tried it on a test roll and it was fine.

Kino · Feb 22, 2006

The stuff will probably outlast all of us...

MenacingTourist · Feb 23, 2006

Thanks for the info everyone!

fwp · Feb 23, 2006

MenacingTourist said:
More stuff from the vault...
I have no idea how old it is but the little 7oz cans will make half a gallon or 1.9 liters. So how long does the powder last if it's sealed like this? I don't want to try and sell it as a developer option is it's bad. The cans are pretty cool so maybe someone would want one as a paper weight. I have 24 cans!

Thanks,

Alan.

I'll trade you brand new bags of D76 for the cans. One bag per can and I'll pay for shipping!

Gerald Koch · Feb 23, 2006

The developer in cans was sealed under nitrogen. Unless the can is somhow compromised they are practically eternal.

MenacingTourist · Feb 23, 2006

fwp said:
I'll trade you brand new bags of D76 for the cans. One bag per can and I'll pay for shipping!

FWP, I can appreciate your offer but my neighbor who I'm helping with all of this is retired and probably needs the cash. If it were just me, I would trade

fschifano · Feb 23, 2006

I honestly think that you'd get more for these cans as collectible items rather than selling them as developer. I have a few of the old Kodak cans myself, Microdol-X, DK-50, D-76, and Dektol, that predate even the pull top cans and would not ever consider opening them. They sit on the shelf in a curio cabinet. Yeah, ok, I'm a geek.

jim appleyard · Feb 23, 2006

fschifano said:
I honestly think that you'd get more for these cans as collectible items rather than selling them as developer. I have a few of the old Kodak cans myself, Microdol-X, DK-50, D-76, and Dektol, that predate even the pull top cans and would not ever consider opening them. They sit on the shelf in a curio cabinet. Yeah, ok, I'm a geek.

Actually, Frank, I don't think so. I go to ebay's chemistry section on an almost daily basis and quite frequently these old cans are listed. They don't go for much. Plus, the buyer has to add in shipping.

An old friend gave me several cans of old dev and even some D-76 with the components separated in a two-section glass jar. I got more out of them mixing them up and using them then I would have on ebay.

However, perhaps ebay isn't the best place for that kind of thing. I there's a better market, go.

D-76 Powder in a pull top can. How long does it last?

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