need help with mixing ILFORD rapid fixer

awsjulio · Jan 25, 2009

i've spent a decent amount of time on google and cannot find an answer, hoping i can get some help here :rolleyes: this is my first time mixing chemicals.

instructions on the bottle reads

2.5 liters (1+4)
5 liters (1+9)

the bottle contains 500ml

the problem is i cant mix 2.5 liters since i only have one 1 liter bottle to use.

can someone help or explain how i can do this? thanks in advanced!

EDIT: fixed spelling....wow

SMG · Jan 25, 2009

just mix 900 ml of water with 100ml of fixer. Provides a 1:9 ratio and works for me. They are saying that the bottle would make 5 liters of correctly formulated fixer if you used the whole bottle at once.

Cheers,
Sean

Anscojohn · Jan 25, 2009

What is the size of the stock bottle? I ASS u ME it is 1 liter. Thus, you should mix it along with four parts of water for the stronger working solution and with nine parts of water for the weaker working solution.

As long as you stick to those ratios, you should be fine. So 200 Ml plus 800 Ml water for the first dilution gives you 1 liter of working fixer at the more concentrated strength; 100 ML plus 900 ML for the second dilution.

I don't use Ilford fixer, so I ASS u ME dilution is for film and the other is for paper???

Toffle · Jan 25, 2009

Now, just for fun.... ask whether 1+9 is the same thing as 1:9.
(last time I saw that one go around it got quite lively)

Cheers,

SMG · Jan 25, 2009

man I hope that 1+9 is the same as 1:9. I setup my developer for the paper I have been printing on at 1:9 and have not had any issues.

Cheers,
Sean

awsjulio · Jan 25, 2009

SMG said:
just mix 900 ml of water with 100ml of fixer. Provides a 1:9 ratio and works for me. They are saying that the bottle would make 5 liters of correctly formulated fixer if you used the whole bottle at once.

Cheers,
Sean

yep. that makes so much sense...what a horrible first post huh?
thanks for the fast help guys! looking forward to sticking around

dancqu · Jan 25, 2009

One to Four or One to Nine - Why Two Dilutions?

Very simple. Film has a very high tolerance for dissolved silver.
Roll after roll after roll can be through a film strength fixer and
at film strength the fixer has the chemical capacity to handle
the load.

Not so with paper. Paper has less tolerance for dissolved silver.
So, less chemical capacity is called for.

My suggestion, go 1:9 all the way and reduce by half the amount
of film put through. For reasons I'll not go into now keep your
film and paper fixers separate.

Actually fixers, film or paper, can be used at just about
any dilution. I use Very dilute fixers one-shot. Dan

need help with mixing ILFORD rapid fixer

awsjulio

SMG

Anscojohn

Toffle

SMG

awsjulio

dancqu

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