Syringes

hortense · Dec 23, 2005

As does Dave, I use syringes to measure small quantities of developer for one-shot dilutions. Plastic veterinarian syringes are what I use. With these, I find the plastic and the seal material (rubber?) on the end of the plunger after repeated use stick so that precise adjustments are dificult. Any suggestions would be appreciated. What about the more expensive glass syringes?

PeterDendrinos · Dec 23, 2005

hortense said:
As does Dave, I use syringes to measure small quantities of developer for one-shot dilutions. Plastic veterinarian syringes are what I use. With these, I find the plastic and the seal material (rubber?) on the end of the plunger after repeated use stick so that precise adjustments are dificult. Any suggestions would be appreciated. What about the more expensive glass syringes?

I have the same problem, i just buy new ones when needed.

Pete

Flotsam · Dec 23, 2005

Years ago, a friend that worked in a lab gave me a 20cc all glass syringe. It is wonderful. I fear the day that I drop and break it. It will be a terrible loss.

srs5694 · Dec 23, 2005

Syringes for oral administration of children's medicines are available pretty cheaply from drug stores. In my local CVS, they're on the shelves, with no need for a prescription or to ask a pharmacist. (These syringes have no threads for needles, but that's fine for measuring small quantities of developer.) I don't recall the exact price, but the two I bought were certainly trivial purchases. I won't be upset if/when they start sticking and need replacement.

Daniel Lawton · Dec 23, 2005

I sometimes have the same problem. I find that running hot water through the syringe and working the plunger several times before use helps to alleviate the problem. Eventually it gets to the point where they are too far gone and you'll have to buy new ones though.

Monophoto · Dec 23, 2005

Calibrated syringes designed for refilling ink jet printer cartridges can usually be found at electronics stores and computer flea markets, and are dirt cheap.

Nick Zentena · Dec 23, 2005

I use the kids ones. Never a problem. But I always wash them after use. Nothing fancy just put them under the tap. They come with nice rubber stepped stoppers to fit bottles to. Only problem is some times the rubber stops falls in the bottle :rolleyes:

Claire Senft · Dec 23, 2005

For years I had used syringes. There is a surplus scientific store nearby and the had pipettes in glass and plastic. The plastic ones were $.25 each. Even easier to use than a syringe.

Photo Engineer · Dec 23, 2005

The Formulary sells a wide variety of syringes including an ultra inexpensive syringe with a bulb on the end to assist in filling it. They are more like inexpensive pipettes and come in a variety of sizes.

I use all sizes and types of their syringes for my lab work. I also use the baby and pet syringes for some purposes.

They are all handy in the lab.

PE

Shinnya · Dec 23, 2005

Hi,

Pipettes and Pipette pumps are very handy like ones below

http://www.cynmar.com/product_info.php?cPath=197_135&products_id=2060

They come in three different capacities, 2ml, 10ml, and 25ml. You just turn the wheel to pick up the solution at desired amount, and push long white button to release it.

By the way, I bought too many pipettes (10ml) if anyone is interested...

Warmly,
Tsuyoshi

Flotsam · Dec 23, 2005

This another thing that I love.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
Just a couple of bucks at the big chain drug stores.

eumenius · Dec 23, 2005

I use glass pipettes almost exclusively (I work in a lab, so there's my benefits). But the syringes can be very halpful, too - I use them sometimes... if they get sticky, it's always easier to discard them and buy some new ones. But the stickiness is related to a lubrication loss, so if you coat the rubber plunger tip with the smallest amount of silicone or Vaseline grease, it'll slide like new (a smallest quantity of lubricant on your fingers, smear it well as if you were appliying the cosmetic cream, then wipe it against the whole rubber tip). Always works fine with dried-out rubbers.

Curt · Dec 23, 2005

Glass works best for me, I have a couple with stainless steel blunt needles that I use with Rodinal. They cleanup with ease and are accurate.

derevaun · Dec 24, 2005

All my infant syringes were like 2.8ml maximum, so I asked the drugstore pharmacist for a syringe, and she gave me a nice 10ml plastic one for free. I try to leave some airspace at the top so the rubbber doesn't come into contact with the Rodinal.

noseoil · Dec 24, 2005

The small plastic pipettes are the best thing I have found. Easy to use, clean, cheap and surprisingly, they last a long time. I have mine marked for soultions a & b (pyrocat, pmk, etc) in marking pen to avoid cross contamination. tim

Ed Sukach · Dec 24, 2005

derevaun said:
All my infant syringes were like 2.8ml maximum, so I asked the drugstore pharmacist for a syringe, and she gave me a nice 10ml plastic one for free. I try to leave some airspace at the top so the rubbber doesn't come into contact with the Rodinal.

I use one of those myself. All I have to do is wash it out after use by recycling water through it. It has seen six or seven (?) years of measuring Rodinal - with no unusual precautions - and the original one is still working *fine*.
I don't know what the material used in the rubber-like "piston" is - I doubt that it is actually rubber.

Papa Tango · Dec 24, 2005

When the piston starts to stick, a little non-petroleum based lubricant can add a little more life. I use a very slight touch of olive oil. In a pinch, rubbing the piston against the side of my nose or cheek does the trick. As always, a little dab will do it! Exacto used to make a wonderful glass syringe for hobby use, and glass is really great for alkaline solutions whether a syringe or pipette. eBay has a lot of stuff like this.

Papa Tango · Dec 24, 2005

PS--the olive oil trick works great for the ground glass piston in glass syringes too if they start to get a little tough to push.

Photo Engineer · Dec 24, 2005

Please be careful of getting oil into any processing solution.

If it gets on the surface of film, it can cause irregular or non-uniform development causing streaks and density variations. This probably will not happen easily with vaseline, but is more likely with olive oil or other thin oils.

Some lubricating oils contain metal or organic salts that can affect films.

PE

Papa Tango · Dec 24, 2005

PE, thats right. The way I apply is to place on a finger, wipe all but a sheen off, and gently transfer an ever so slight touch to just the compression rings of the piston. For glass, just enough to slightly clarify the ground glass matte.

I have had many ugly experiences with Vasoline. The most obnoxious is when it gets on the plunger tip and causes the plunger to slip out of the piston leaving it at the bottom of the syringe. Some plunger materials will turn to mush after exposure to Vasoline. So maybe the moral of this story is to buy new and chunk out...

PS: Dont use your mouth to pull solution up a pipette....

lee · Dec 24, 2005

I used to use syringes for transfering part A and part B PMK to the 1 liter mix. the syringes finally fell apart. I switched to pipettes with a blub on it and that solved my issues and I think they are much easier to operate.

lee\c

Photo Engineer · Dec 24, 2005

lee said:
I switched to pipettes with a blub on it and that solved my issues and I think they are much easier to operate.

lee\c

Lee, I find that when I have a blub on the end of my pipette, I'm sucking too hard and using my mouth.

That typo made my day. Sometimes simple things do count. Sorry.

LOL.

PE

Phillip P. Dimor · Dec 24, 2005

http://www.sciplus.com has glass syringes, 20cc's, about $3 each
just search for 'syringe'..

I use syringes too, usually with an 18g 1.5" needle. I'd love a pipette (or is it a burette?) but I haven't come across any. Sciplus used to have some good Pyrex/Falcon/Kimax ones for pretty cheap.

Glycerine I believe is/was traditionally used to lubricate syringes. I've washed them with photoflo diluted half and half and it's usually soapy enough that it gives it some glide. Just my two cents..

lee · Dec 24, 2005

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Quote:
Originally Posted by lee
I switched to pipettes with a blub on it and that solved my issues and I think they are much easier to operate.

lee\c

Lee, I find that when I have a blub on the end of my pipette, I'm sucking too hard and using my mouth.

That typo made my day. Sometimes simple things do count. Sorry.

LOL.

your welcome

lee\c

hortense · Dec 25, 2005

Thank you all for your help. Phillips suggestion for American Science Surplus shows a 10ml glass syringe that should do the job for me without sticking. He also suggest using glycerine for lubrication. I would not think small quantities use for this would be deleterious to the the developer (Rodinal or HC110)? HC110 concentrate is too vicious for 10ml pipettes.

Syringes

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