ilford rapid fixer

I got 1 liter of ilford rapid fixer. i'm only using this to fix my film. I'm a little confused about the mixing instruction. on the outside, it says:
to make
5 litres (1+4)
10 litres (1+9)

then on the inside it says 1+3...

which dilution am i supposed to use for film?

I use 1-4. 200 mil of fix to 800 water = 1 litre.
I determine fix time by fixing the film leader and doubling the time it takes to clear.

and how long will it keep in the bottle at 1+4?

and i don't see the storage life for the rapid fixer concentrate either.

Actually, you can use it 1+9 for both film and paper. While I don't use Ilford Rapid Fixer, they're all pretty much the same. At the higher dilution, you can expect reduced capacity per unit of working strength fixer, but overall the capacity is the same. It actually works out better as a more dilute solution since the fixing byproducts that build up over time are more dilute and easier to remove when washing the film. As for how long it will last as a dilute working solution, the answer is a long time. I've never had it go bad on me, though to be honest, I wear it out long before it dies of old age.

whoa i just read the whole data sheet. that was a lot of information. okay can i dump bad fixer down the drain?

Rinthe said:

okay can i dump bad fixer down the drain?

Click to expand...

:munch:

Rinthe said:

whoa i just read the whole data sheet. that was a lot of information. okay can i dump bad fixer down the drain?

Click to expand...

Depends. If this is a commercial application, never. Besides there's a financial advantage for commercial photo finishers to reclaim the silver from spent fixer. If you're doing two or three rolls a week and you're on a municipal sewer with a waste water treatment plant, OK. There's not enough silver to make recovery worthwhile and the treatment plant can handled what's there. Are you using a septic tank system? Not a good idea. Eventually the silver will suppress the bacteria that break down the other waste in the system.

Rinthe said:

I got 1 liter of ilford rapid fixer. i'm only using this to fix my film. I'm a little confused about the mixing instruction. on the outside, it says:
to make
5 litres (1+4)
10 litres (1+9)

then on the inside it says 1+3...

which dilution am i supposed to use for film?

Click to expand...

All the answers are in the manufacturer data sheet:
1+4 for film;
opened stock solution lasts 6 mo;
Working strength solution life:
6 months in full tightly capped bottles
2 months in a tank or dish/tray with a floating lid
1 month in a half full tightly capped bottle.
7 days in an open dish/tray.
Disposal: will depend on local regulations, you'll need to check that yourself. One possibility if you cannot put it down the drain is to ask a local lab if you can put it into their processor (which recovers the silver and leaves a safe to discharge liquid residue).

ok say my stock solution expires tomorrow. I make working strength solution 1+4 today and store it in full tightly capped bottles. will it keep for 6 more months?

With fixer don,t pay too much attention to expiary dates, fixer keeps a long time indeed,if you are worriied do the normal film leader test, if it works then fine, yes, in normal home usage you can dispose of it down the drain,I flush it down the toilet, dilutes the w/s solution even more, for film dilute 1/4 for paper 1/9,Richard

fschifano said:

Actually, you can use it 1+9 for both film and paper. While I don't use Ilford Rapid Fixer, they're all pretty much the same. At the higher dilution, you can expect reduced capacity per unit of working strength fixer, but overall the capacity is the same. It actually works out better as a more dilute solution since the fixing byproducts that build up over time are more dilute and easier to remove when washing the film. As for how long it will last as a dilute working solution, the answer is a long time. I've never had it go bad on me, though to be honest, I wear it out long before it dies of old age.

Click to expand...

Actually, you can use it 1+4 for both film and paper too, which is highly recommended by the way. The rule of thumb is: fix as strong as reasonable for as short as possible. This is what makes washing easiest.

Also, consider one-shot, two-bath fixing for film. For rotary processing, it's the most-effective method.

i scan my film so i dont need to worry about paper. So i have a bottle of Edwal Hypo Check, as long as no white clouds form, I can use the fixer. Is this correct?

Rinthe said:

i scan my film so i dont need to worry about paper. So i have a bottle of Edwal Hypo Check, as long as no white clouds form, I can use the fixer. Is this correct?

Click to expand...

I use that as a rough indicator of when my first fixer bath has gone south when printing, but I do not rely on it as the indicator when I am using only one bath, or for film. I count rolls and use a leader test, since I do not have any other way of testing, like some people who post here. (I save film trimmings and use the leader test for my paper fixer as well, chucking it when clearing time becomes double the time when the fixer was fresh.)

Each liter of 1:4 working solution should last you for 20 rolls, give or take. The rule of thumb is to stop using it when a leader takes twice as long to clear as it did when the fixer was fresh. The leader test is to drop a piece of the emulsion you are using into the bath of fixer. When that foggy milky stuff disappears, the film has cleared.

Rapid fixer times are very short when the solution is fresh. Clearing time is usually about 30 to 45 seconds with a fresh batch. I fix for two times the clearing time (but never less than two minutes) in the first bath, then give a one minute rinse, then fix for another two times the clearing time in the second bath. When using one bath, I fix for three times the clearing time.

However, if using fixer to capacity, I always use a double bath now. If not using a double fixer bath, I will only fix ten rolls per liter before I stop using the fixer.

As for disposal, just take it to a hazardous materials disposal center, after labeling it "photographic fixer." You are not supposed to dump used fixer down the drain.

Since you are scanning, you probably want to register at Hybrid Photo dot com. It is an affiliated site that focuses on analog and digital materials and methods, while this site focuses on analog only. The good thing about Hybrid Photo is that anything about film that you can ask here, you can also ask there, and you can also discuss the digital side of things

Thanks 2F/2F, when you say 20 rolls, are you talking about 35mm or 120? or does it not matter.

I am already a member of hybrid photo, but it's not nearly as active as apug. So I ask all my film questions here.

I should have been more clear. 20 x 80 sq-in is what I meant; this is one roll of 135 or 120. Also, I believe Ilford actually state that the capacity is 24, but I find 20 an easier rule of thumb to remember and pass on, and it is also a bit safer.