Rodinal - uncapped for three weeks...Doh!

JeffD

Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
292
Location
Atlanta, GA
Format
4x5 Format
I did a dumb thing, and left my bottle of Rodinal concentrate uncapped for a 3 week or so period. It was about 3/4 full.

Would any one expect this would ruin it or degrade it's power significantly? Maybe I should dump it, and get a fresh bottle before my next developing run....
 

MMfoto

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2004
Messages
450
Format
Super8
You know, usually I would say to dump it. But as this is Rodinal... I would shoot a roll of you favorite film-nothing important-and give 'er a go. I'll bet it's probably fine. Good luck!
 

Dave Parker

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2004
Messages
4,031
Format
Multi Format
Hey after evaporation, maybe you have struck upon something!

LOL

 

reellis67

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 10, 2005
Messages
1,885
Location
Central Flor
Format
4x5 Format
Given that my currently open bottle is just about as dark as my tea, I would think that you are fine to use it, but if you have something really important, I would test it with a roll of "shootin' around" film first.

- Randy
 

Dave Parker

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2004
Messages
4,031
Format
Multi Format
Andy K said:
Wow! You were developing film when you were three?


Click to expand...

Andy, Andy, ....Andy,

Hell I said something like this about 6 months ago to Marko, and you would have thought I was the devil praying on small children.!

LOL



Dave
 

jim appleyard

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 21, 2004
Messages
2,415
Format
Multi Format
Your Rodinal is probably fine, but do a test roll as suggested. I recently finished up a bottle of Rodinal, partially used, that came in a glass bottle and had a rubber cork/stopper. Who knows how old it was? It worked just fine.
 

Alex Bishop-Thorpe

Advertiser
Joined
Jul 6, 2006
Messages
1,451
Location
Adelaide, South Australia
Format
Multi Format
It's sort of part of the scenery that you can find some polite banter with Marko about the place huh? part of the charm I'd say.

Have a go with it though! Worst case scenario, interesting-ness never hurt anyone.
And I really should try some Rodinal one day, all I've had a crack at is Xtol and T-Max so far, and Xtol's meant to have terribly keeping properties on prolonged exposure to air from what I've read.
 

srs5694

Member
Joined
May 18, 2005
Messages
2,718
Location
Woonsocket,
Format
35mm
Fleath said:
all I've had a crack at is Xtol and T-Max so far, and Xtol's meant to have terribly keeping properties on prolonged exposure to air from what I've read.
Click to expand...

Most developers don't do well when exposed to open air for prolonged periods of time. XTOL's real problem is twofold: It sometimes goes bad rapidly, and when it goes bad it doesn't darken or show any other obvious signs to warn you of its "badness."

FWIW, it took me slightly over a year to go through my first (and so far only) 5-liter packet of XTOL. I mixed it and kept it in 1-liter glass bottles, splitting those into smaller bottles whenever I needed to open one. Thus, XTOL can last a good while when properly stored -- but some of the tales of "XTOL sudden failure" relate to problems developing shortly after it's mixed.
 

Andy K

Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2004
Messages
9,420
Location
Sunny Southe
Format
Multi Format
srs5694 said:
I mixed it and kept it in 1-liter glass bottles, splitting those into smaller bottles whenever I needed to open one. Thus, XTOL can last a good while when properly stored --
Click to expand...


Just a tip: I find it easier to have a big bag of marbles in the darkroom. As bottles of chemicals get used I drop marbles into them to bring the fluid level to the top of the bottles.
 

deepcore

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
6
Format
Medium Format
On our school we have a Agfa paper saying that Rodinal lasts 6 months after the bottle has been opened. I don't know if this is true, but I have developed some films with some old Rodinal that was really dark brown, and the negatives did get really muddy tones. But it could be other causes for this though.
 

reellis67

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 10, 2005
Messages
1,885
Location
Central Flor
Format
4x5 Format
Every bottle I have (or have seen) states a 6 month lifespan, but a large number of people either *actually* have old bottles that are still good, or at least no one has stepped in to call them on it if they're lying... Mine is something like 2 years old, stored in the factory bottle the whole time (no marbles, lost 'em long ago) and is now quite dark red, but I can see no difference in the results of what I developed two years and what I developed last night.

- Randy
 

Markok765

Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2006
Messages
2,262
Location
Ontario, Can
Format
Medium Format
Probably, i got thin negatives the last time i used mine, but that always happeds to me with the new\old bottle of rodinal and stand developing.
My old rodinal is almost as black as espresso.
 

Petzi

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2006
Messages
851
Location
Europe
Format
Med. Format Pan
ajuk said:
So if my negs have been a bit thin recently is it not likely because my 10 month old bottle of Rodinal has gone off?
Click to expand...

I don't think so. 10 months is nothing for Rodinal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…