Is it safe to combine 2 bottles of HC-110 ?

wblynch · Aug 3, 2011

I have a half-used bottle of HC-110 that's about 1 year old. I was given another 1/2 bottle that appears to be 1 1/2 to 2 years old. (Both work fine for developing)

Is it safe to combine the contents into one bottle?

I need to clean up my storage area and reclaim some space.

Thank you all, Bill

BradS · Aug 3, 2011

pretty sure that would be totally fine but, you could try this....

draw 5ml from one bottle and 5ml from the other , mix with water to make 400ml. Use this to develop a roll or sheet of film.

Christopher Walrath · Aug 3, 2011

Um, yes.

Gerald C Koch · Aug 3, 2011

How much space does one bottle take? In a laboratory you would never do this. If one bottle is contaminated the result is that the mix is also contaminated. Yes, your darkroom isn't a lab, but it is never a good idea.

TareqPhoto · Aug 3, 2011

Don't combine until you are sure both can develop same way fine, then i don't see why can't combine both if they both are working just fine same, but as it said, check out first if both bottles developers working fine the same.

2F/2F · Aug 4, 2011

wblynch said:
(Both work fine for developing)

And they will work fine for longer if you combine them to get rid of the air. It isn't something you'd normally want to do with chemicals, but I would hazard to guess that it will be absolutely fine in this case. HC-110 is not very finicky. I wouldn't even bother trying to mix them. I'd just pour one into the other and let it stand.

That being said, when I get a new bottle, I pour it into two smaller glass bottles. In your case, I might just do that. There should be some mini (240 or 250 mL) PETE water bottles at the market; they would work well.

michaelbsc · Aug 4, 2011

Gerald C Koch said:
...Yes, your darkroom isn't a lab, but it is never a good idea.

I don't think that's a good perception. I certainly think of my "photo lab" as a lab.

No, it isn't a licensed business, and it isn't a commercial lab of any sort. And it probably pales compared to what some here have.

But good results require good practices, so whether you have a single piece of plywood across a toilet seat or something that makes Clyde Butcher embarrassed thinking of it as a place that requires discipline like a lab is a "good thing" in my mind.

MB

Leigh B · Aug 4, 2011

I would leave them separate, and use the older one first.

That way if at some point you decide it's bad, you still have the other one.

If you combine them and decide it's bad, you must discard all of it.

I don't use HC-110, but I've heard that the concentrate has a very long shelf life.

- Leigh

2F/2F · Aug 4, 2011

They simply will not be bad at that age.

Leigh B · Aug 4, 2011

michaelbsc said:
But good results require good practices, so whether you have a single piece of plywood across a toilet seat or something that makes Clyde Butcher embarrassed thinking of it as a place that requires discipline like a lab is a "good thing" in my mind.

Best advise I've read in many a year.

- Leigh

Mainecoonmaniac · Aug 4, 2011

I've used HC-110 syrup that was dark and it seems to resist oxidation. I don't think it matters if you combine the bottles or not. I don't know if other APUGers have the same experience. I wonder if it's the glycerin in the developer that makes it so robust?

MattKing · Aug 4, 2011

HC-110 isn't particularly susceptible to oxidation or other degradation from exposure to air. It is susceptible, however to degradation from exposure to water.

Gerald C Koch · Aug 4, 2011

michaelbsc said:
I don't think that's a good perception. I certainly think of my "photo lab" as a lab.

No, it isn't a licensed business, and it isn't a commercial lab of any sort. And it probably pales compared to what some here have.

MB

You missed the point I was making. I was expecting someone to say that his darkroom wasn't a lab and therefore a lab rule made no sense for him. There are some on APUG who revel in not being professional in their manner. It is a badge of honor to them.

wblynch · Aug 4, 2011

Gerald C Koch said:
I was expecting someone to say that his darkroom wasn't a lab and therefore a lab rule made no sense for him.

Well, I'm not proud, but my darkroom/lab is no more than a spare bathroom sink at this time. That's why I need to tidy up and reclaim some space.

I think I'll leave well enough alone and simply start shooting more black and white to use it up faster ! Lord knows I've got a fridge/freezer full of the stuff.

BetterSense · Aug 4, 2011

I normally label all my chemicals with the approximate date of acquisition and expiration, but my HC110 is labeled only "immortal".

I think mixing them will be fine.

MattKing · Aug 4, 2011

Bill:

Try an experiment. If you usually use 6 ml of concentrate per roll (12 ml for two) try mixing 6 ml from each bottle and develop two rolls.

If they both come out well, go for it!

Leigh B · Aug 4, 2011

MattKing said:
If they both come out well, go for it!

And if not... You just wasted two rolls of film. :confused:

- Leigh

MattKing · Aug 4, 2011

Leigh B said:
And if not... You just wasted two rolls of film. :confused:

- Leigh

At most, one more than if you mix the two bottles together, and the resulting mixture doesn't develop your film correctly.

2F/2F · Aug 4, 2011

Look, since posters have so many reservations about year-and-a-half old HC-110, why don't you just send the bottles to me?

Just don't worry about it, and use them. Together. Separately. Whatever. They will work fine.

Leigh B · Aug 4, 2011

MattKing said:
At most, one more than if you mix the two bottles together, and the resulting mixture doesn't develop your film correctly.

That's why I said not to mix them in the first place. :munch:

- Leigh

michaelbsc · Aug 4, 2011

Gerald C Koch said:
You missed the point I was making. I was expecting someone to say that his darkroom wasn't a lab and therefore a lab rule made no sense for him. There are some on APUG who revel in not being professional in their manner. It is a badge of honor to them.

Point taken. Thanks for clarifying.

wblynch said:
Well, I'm not proud, but my darkroom/lab is no more than a spare bathroom sink at this time.

My first darkroom was my parent's bathroom. I think that's pretty common here.

Many people produce superb quality work with nothing more than a bathroom. Does a bigger room, especially now that I'm old, fat, and gray with an empty nest and enough disposable income to afford a dedicated room make me better. No. It makes me more comfortable. And makes some tasks easier.

But as I pointed out earlier, from my perspective at least, what makes one successful is having the discipline to be able to produce/reproduce results at will. And you can absolutely do that in a part time conversion bathroom or laundry room in a cramped studio apartment. You work with what you've got where you are. No shame involved.

If it's all just haphazard we may as well shoot Holga's and pray the black tape doesn't fall off at the wrong time. (Or is that pray that it does fall off at the right time? I can't keep that part straight.)

MB

wblynch · Aug 4, 2011

Leigh B said:
And if not... You just wasted two rolls of film. :confused:

- Leigh

And how would that be any different from all my other photography ??? :confused:

Christopher Walrath · Aug 5, 2011

Um, yes.

alanrockwood · Aug 6, 2011

Christopher,

I like your youtube posts (mostly).

Alan

Is it safe to combine 2 bottles of HC-110 ?

wblynch

BradS

Christopher Walrath

Gerald C Koch

TareqPhoto

2F/2F

michaelbsc

Leigh B

2F/2F

Leigh B

Mainecoonmaniac

MattKing

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Gerald C Koch

wblynch

BetterSense

MattKing

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Leigh B

MattKing

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2F/2F

Leigh B

michaelbsc

wblynch

Christopher Walrath

alanrockwood

Is it safe to combine 2 bottles of HC-110 ?

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