Paper chemistry and trays

[reub2000]

I'm planning on setting up an enlarger in my new darkroom. However, I wouldn't print that much. So I'm planning on keeping the paper chemistry in trays, but covering the trays when I'm not using it. Since my darkroom is in a laundry room, I was wondering if the fumes from chemistry could do any harm to clothing.

 

[palewin]

Not sure about the effect on clothing, but the basic premise really doesn't make a lot of sense. Developer oxidizes fairly quickly, I doubt you can save it for long periods, and certainly not with the surface area of a tray. Stop bath would keep, but its so inexpensive it hardly makes sense. Fixer you can keep for a while if you haven't exhausted it. But rather than keep the fixer in a tray, find a screw top bottle of an appropriate size (or several smaller ones); you can buy chemical containers (I know darkrooms are going extinct, but the larger stores still carry them) or simply use some old bottles instead of throwing them in the recycling bin. Anything in a closed bottle (the less air the better) will keep longer than in a covered tray.

 

[srs5694]

I agree with palewin; rather than keep chemistry in trays, keep it in bottles. I use IBC Root Beer bottles; they hold a liter each, which is a convenient size for print chemistry for me, and they're dark glass. I've successfully kept DS-14 (similar to the commercial Silvergrain Tektol Standard) in bottles for months, using replenishment, with no visible changes in the prints I get from it.

 

[Ian Grant]

Saving and reusing print developer is false economy, it's so cheap in the first place, and unlike some film developers not designed for repenishment.

You might get waway with re-using prnt dev if using RC papers particularly those with developer incorporated, but not with fibre based papers as the developer is absorbed by the paper base as well as the emulsion.

Ian

 

[bwakel]

Stop and Fixer should be OK

I put a large piece of MDF over the trays of stop and fixer. I'm generally doing lith printing and lith developer won't last more than a few hours so the used lith goes into a jar to act as 'old brown'. Although the others have talked about putting the stop and fixer into jars, I like to keep it all set up under the MDF because it saves time and I'm lazy! The chemicals keep for a couple of weeks no problem which is long enough for me to get additional use out of them.

Don't be afraid to do what you want. Other people's views are just that. If leaving everything set up but under some kind of cover makes you more inclined to go and do some more printing because you don't have to set everything up again then do it! The chemicals seem to last longer than is suggested on any of the packaging and I've had no ill effects (don't know what it might do to you laundry though!)

Barry

 

[reub2000]

I'm thinking about doing this to keep chemistry stored for the short term. Like for just a weekend. Just so that I don't have to mix this stuff just to print one or 2 prints.

 

[Nick Zentena]

I'd still say pour it into bottles. It takes seconds.

Some print developers are designed for replenishment. The Afgfa Multicontrast [I guess it's gone now] lasts a long time and can be topped up.

 

[srs5694]

The DS-14 I mentioned earlier is another that supports replenishment. The replenisher is the DS-14 developer itself minus one ingredient.

 

[gainer]

You can use a paper safe as a developing tray. Get one with a full length lid. At least it will keep the bugs out. Depending on the developer, you can't depend on it keeping even in a covered tray much more than a day. A lot also depends on how critical are your needs for accuracy and repeatability. You will have to try it on non-critical work to see if it suits you.

I use a developer concentrate which keeps very well and is easy to mix a liter or two at a time.

 

[reub2000]

Another stupid question:Can I mix the paper developer with the same measuring cup and stiring stick that I use for HC-110?

 

[Monophoto]

Another stupid question:Can I mix the paper developer with the same measuring cup and stiring stick that I use for HC-110?

Sure - just rinse everything when you are done.