Using a syringe to keep liquid developers longer?

[laingsoft]

You can also use "canned air", which is difluroethane. Less likely to react with anything, even in exotic developer.

 

[Old_Dick]

How about making use some how of a "saline" bag?

 

[Patrick Robert James]

Glass bottles and either Butane or Bloxygen will keep your developers practically forever. I've had some last for a year and a half mixed. It is a simple solution. Simple is always best. One spritz of Butane out of a refill bottle is all I do. Easy peasy.

Avoid water bottle type plastics. The developer will eat through it. Been there, done that. Mess....

 

[pentaxuser]

Glass bottles and either Butane or Bloxygen will keep your developers practically forever. I've had some last for a year and a half mixed. It is a simple solution. Simple is always best. One spritz of Butane out of a refill bottle is all I do. Easy peasy.

Avoid water bottle type plastics. The developer will eat through it. Been there, done that. Mess....

A bit worrying is this. I had always thought that water bottles with a PET label were OK for developers In fact I thought that I had seen numerous posts to that effect Can you say which developer ate through such bottles and over what time period

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[GLS]

Is this a ludicrous thought, or do you think it could possibly work?

It is pointless as you will just end up drawing the same volume of air into the bottle as liquid you removed, so you gain nothing over just opening the bottle top and sampling that way. In order for this kind of idea to work you would need to fit the bottle with a gas-tight septum, then pierce this with a needle fitted to a balloon of inert gas (such as nitrogen or argon) prior to removing the volume you wanted via syringe; this way the inert gas (rather than air) immediately flows in to replace the volume of liquid you remove. This technique is used all the time in chemistry labs when handling air/moisture sensitive reagents.

But really all of this is way overkill for the purposes of protecting developers. A simple blast of a protective gas into the headspace of the bottle after sampling (as others have said) is more than adequate.

 

[relistan]

Honestly if you are looking at Ilford Multigrade developer, you don’t need any tricks at all. Keep the mixed batch in a full bottle and it’ll last some months. The original stock can be in the original Ilford partially filled bottle for a couple of years with air and all and it’s not an issue.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

Honestly if you are looking at Ilford Multigrade developer, you don’t need any tricks at all. Keep the mixed batch in a full bottle and it’ll last some months. The original stock can be in the original Ilford partially filled bottle for a couple of years with air and all and it’s not an issue.

I've had a 500ml bottle of Multigrade that had 100ML removed last year. I opened it this past week and the remaining 400ML had turned as brown as kombucha tea. It printed though....

 

[relistan]

I've had a 500ml bottle of Multigrade that had 100ML removed last year. I opened it this past week and the remaining 400ML had turned as brown as kombucha tea. It printed though....

It will turn darker, but I've never had it affect development times on my papers. Might have a very slight effect on capacity. I never really push it on capacity.

 

[jvo]

tetenal protectan...

 

[Donald Qualls]

tetenal protectan...

Which is just argon. Butane is just as effective, and cheaper. Just don't try to use those 19th century candle safelights...

 

[Helge]

Wine bladders sounds intriguing. But three problems pop to mind.
- Punctures. How likely are they and how many reuses?
- Are we certain they are really gas tight?
- And are we certain that the plastic doesn’t react with the developer and fixer?

 

[Donald Qualls]

Wine blathers sounds intriguing. But three problems pop to mind.
- Punctures. How likely are they and how many reuses?
- Are we certain they are really gas tight?
- And are we certain that the plastic doesn’t react with the developer and fixer?

Punctures and gas permeability would rule them out for wine use, and they've been in photographic use long enough by now we'd know if they were prone to attack by developers. Enophiles probably only use them once, for fear of contaminating a new batch -- and that's probably not a bad idea for us, but if you can fill it, you can wash it out, and low levels of impurities from residue of the same stuff (last batch) are much less problem for developers than they would be for wines.

Mind you, the stock solutions you'd store in one are less alkaline than some one-shot concentrates, but that's okay -- I don't think anyone has proposed storing (for instance) Rodinal concentrate in a wine bladder.

 

[Helge]

Punctures and gas permeability would rule them out for wine use, and they've been in photographic use long enough by now we'd know if they were prone to attack by developers. Enophiles probably only use them once, for fear of contaminating a new batch -- and that's probably not a bad idea for us, but if you can fill it, you can wash it out, and low levels of impurities from residue of the same stuff (last batch) are much less problem for developers than they would be for wines.

Mind you, the stock solutions you'd store in one are less alkaline than some one-shot concentrates, but that's okay -- I don't think anyone has proposed storing (for instance) Rodinal concentrate in a wine bladder.

Well bladders for wine are not reused and they are probably not handled in “affect” while processing (unless you count cooking/development wine).

 

[pentaxuser]

Wine blathers sounds intriguing.

I can state absolutely that I am sure I blather intriguingly when I have had wine. In fact, I am what is called a wine blather It is possible that others might not share my view of how intriguing my blather is, of course

pentaxuser

 

[Helge]

I can state absolutely that I am sure I blather intriguingly when I have had wine. In fact, I am what is called a wine blather It is possible that others might not share my view of how intriguing my blather is, of course

pentaxuser

Too much beer. ;-)
Gotta empty that bladder soon.

 

[Helge]

So I’m using glass bottles with butane on top.
I’m happy with them, but they are heavy.
How would wine bags be better apart from being lighter? How do you store them for instance?

 

[MattKing]

How would wine bags be better apart from being lighter?

As you empty them, they collapse rather than letting air in.
They are often used in cardboard boxes that provide some structural integrity, and stand on their own on a shelf.
The boxes have holes near the bottom on one side that a spigot protrudes through.
Here is a non-photographic application - I like the stand!

 

[eli griggs]

You might try using a pint size Mason Jar, in which you take a 9ml thick silicon or nitrile bag or glove, fitted to the inside by streching the cuff inside by slipping it over the jar mouth down far enough that, with some corn starch, the metal ring lid will move smoothly when tightened down.

Instead of the standard lid top, the second part of the 2 part lid, cut a good fitting soft silicon membrane, about 2 - 3 mm.

You can before hand (no pun) tie each of the fingers closed at the base of 'the sack' or no, just to see how it works out.

Close the jar, with the developer/chemical in place, up to the brim, and lid tightened.

To use a syringe, insert the needle, with a properly sized needle, no larger than a inch or so, then turn/hold the jar upsidedown, and withdraw the need volume needed.

DO NO INJECT AIR INTO THE JAR.

The sack should slowly collapsible, as liquid is withdrawn, the silicon lid membrane is 'self-healing' and you should no have to hard a time no punctuating the glove sack.

If some of our chemists here on photrio.com can decide if either of the materials used in gloves, plus vinal and rubbers, and give their 'OK', then there's no reason no to try this for yourself.

IMO.

 

[cliveh]

I just had a thought. It's a scary thought, but none-the-less a thought.

I can only get to my dark room, which is 2.5 hours away, about twice a month.

I would question why your darkroom is 2.5 hours away? Why don't you bring it closer, or move?

 

[eli griggs]

I failed to mention that extra large gloves are needed.

I also want to add, you can do the same with large test tubes and extra large 'fingers' with a soft silicon plug, secure and thin enough for your needle to pierce.

IMO.

You might try using a pint size Mason Jar, in which you take a 9ml thick silicon or nitrile bag or glove, fitted to the inside by streching the cuff inside by slipping it over the jar mouth down far enough that, with some corn starch, the metal ring lid will move smoothly when tightened down.

Instead of the standard lid top, the second part of the 2 part lid, cut a good fitting soft silicon membrane, about 2 - 3 mm.

You can before hand (no pun) tie each of the fingers closed at the base of 'the sack' or no, just to see how it works out.

Close the jar, with the developer/chemical in place, up to the brim, and lid tightened.

To use a syringe, insert the needle, with a properly sized needle, no larger than a inch or so, then turn/hold the jar upsidedown, and withdraw the need volume needed.

DO NO INJECT AIR INTO THE JAR.

The sack should slowly collapsible, as liquid is withdrawn, the silicon lid membrane is 'self-healing' and you should no have to hard a time no punctuating the glove sack.

If some of our chemists here on photrio.com can decide if either of the materials used in gloves, plus vinal and rubbers, and give their 'OK', then there's no reason no to try this for yourself.

IMO.

 

[VinceInMT]

What ever happened to the method of replacing liquid with marbles?

 

[Sirius Glass]

I mix the full batches and put it into 1 liter plastic bladders.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

I would question why your darkroom is 2.5 hours away? Why don't you bring it closer, or move?

We live on a boat. And I’m stuck where I am for the next 5 years otherwise I give up the chance to retire early at 47, and move into a new career. My darkroom is set up 2.5 hours away in the family farmhouse.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I bought marbles to drop in plastic bottle to replace the air. After a while the plastic bottles got really heavy.

 

[eli griggs]

I and other darkroom users have been warned off on using marbles, because "soda glass" interacting with chemistry.

I suppose you could make clear quartz balls if you can dig, shape and rock polish large quartz l crystals, or even Amethyst, say from public mines in Georgia or S.C., for example but whom wants to go through that much fun, just to have to let them sit around in jars of HC110, etc?

Perhaps some of our members can point to non-reactive marbles for use, or other materials and means.

IMO.

What ever happened to the method of replacing liquid with marbles?