Developer stock solution, concentrating it?

[Andy Durazo]

I'm not sure about water or milk bottles. Developers tend to be light and air sensitive. Developers should be stored in dark bottles and as full as possible as the air above the developer, even in an inclosed container, can affect the developer.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Exactly. I use a large bucket, I thinks its 2 gallon in size, that has a pouring lip on it, and I made my own markings for the quanities, much like a large measuring cup, and only use it for mixing chemicals.

Similarly I use a white paint mixing bucket that I marked in liters and gallons. Following the directions, I have less that the final amount - less than 5 liters for one chemical or less than 1 gallon for another. Then I add the remaining water. I have not had a problem with chemicals I mixed when I followed the directions.

There are a few on APUG who proselytize newbies to use kitchen chemistry :w00t: - using dish washing soap for PhotoFlo, Using 20 mule team Borax for reagent quality borax - to save a few pennies. Experiment if you want, but if your photographs are worth something, following directions is the best.

Steve

 

[MattKing]

I'm not sure about water or milk bottles. Developers tend to be light and air sensitive. Developers should be stored in dark bottles and as full as possible as the air above the developer, even in an inclosed container, can affect the developer.

Please note that I only recommended milk bottles for initial mixing - not for storage!

 

[fotch]

I'm not sure about water or milk bottles. Developers tend to be light and air sensitive. Developers should be stored in dark bottles and as full as possible as the air above the developer, even in an inclosed container, can affect the developer.

I think Matt was talking about mixing, not storing, in milk bottles. However, not sure shaking to mix in a bottle is good, I stir to mix which is easy to do in a bucket. Maybe doesn't matter. Yes, get rid of the air, fill to the brim if you have to or use an inert gas.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I think Matt was talking about mixing, not storing, in milk bottles. However, not sure shaking to mix in a bottle is good, I stir to mix which is easy to do in a bucket. Maybe doesn't matter. Yes, get rid of the air, fill to the brim if you have to or use an inert gas.

When I mixed in a large bottle, I did not get all the chemistry to go into solution and later had to filter out the sediment. Once I started mixing in a bucket I never had a problem with incomplete mixing. YMMV

Steve

 

[cmacd123]

I think Matt was talking about mixing, not storing, in milk bottles. However, not sure shaking to mix in a bottle is good, I stir to mix which is easy to do in a bucket.

Years since I have seen a gallon size milk bottle, Here in Canada they just sell it in bags, much easier to handle, not so good for reuse. (one chain used to sell it in reusable bottles but had to stop as folks would use the bottles for mixing stuff then return them for a refund and reuse.)

Even in a bottle though, you can mix easily with a magnetic mixer. Just keep the motor speed down enough that you don't draw in too much air.

 

[MattKing]

Charles:

In BC, it's just about impossible to find the bags, while every grocery store has the 4 litre jugs.

So availability seems to be a regional thing.

 

[kossi008]

Concentrating: I do it.

I really don't know about D-76, but here's what I do with Xtol:

First, it's two component powders, so dividing up the powder is not for me. Boiling or even heating is out, too, because some chemical agents in the Xtol will go south above 30°C...

That being said I buy the 5-liter-pack and dissolve it double strength, i.e. in 2.5 liters of destilled water (just using an empty 5-liter canister of the distilled water for this). After letting it dissolve overnight and thoroughly stirring one last time, I fill it into smaller black bottles and top off with protective gas.

Usage has been over a year now and it's still good. I do test it before developing a film, by putting a drop of the stock onto the film ending and watching it turn black in the fixer...