What Keeps For A Month

[David Hall]

Howdy Wise Ones...

On another thread, Ed Buffaloe mentioned that he keeps a bottle of selenium diluted at 1:15 handy at all times. I mix everything fresh every single time because I don't really know what keeps and what doesn't, and I figure I will know only after I am all set up and to temp and the first piece of paper (or worse, film) comes out looking funny.

So here's the question: What can I premix and keep on a shelf for up to a month?

-Bromide
-Sulfite
-Metaborate
-Selenium at 1:128 or any dilution, with Permawash in it
-Thiosulfate with and without Bisulfite.
-Stop, at working dilution (currently Clayton odorless, 1:20)

Can't think of anything else I mix from powders currently, other than adding Amidol to sulfite+bromide. But I know that has to be last minute. And I use pyro from liquids, so it doesn't count.

Thanks!

dgh

 

[Jorge]

Selenium will keep for years but the permawash wont, so keep them apart. Bromide will keep, stop bath will keep.

Metaborate depending on the water will keep or not.
Sulfite wont, thiosulfate wont.

 

[Les McLean]

I keep 10% solutions of Bromide, Sodium Carbonate and Benzotriozole for years. Selenium will keep for years as Jorge suggested provided you don't mix with permawash, although this depends on the number of prints you put through. I Selenium every finished print and the troughput is high, and renew my toner, usually 1 to 9, about every 12 months.

 

[David Hall]

Les,

You mean you use the SAME toner over and over, and renew it every nine months?

dgh

 

[Les McLean]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (David Hall @ Mar 11 2003, 06:28 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Les,

You mean you use the SAME toner over and over, and renew it every nine months?

dgh </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
David,

Yes, although it does get murky after a while so I filter it through a coffee filter paper or kitchen tissue to clean it up. The toning times get longer and when they are so long that I get bored with rocking the tray I mix a fresh batch. A one litre bottle of toner lasts me quite a long time, several years in fact. I normally dilute 1 to 9 and have played with it at 1 to 4 at very high temperatures to get some very interesting affects but the fumes are really bad and play havoc with the chest and breathing unless you wear some sort of mask and work in a very well ventilated room.

 

[David Hall]

Yeah, those fumes. I was toning some prints sitting down over the table and trays for the first time the other niht (usually I stand). I actually had the same sensation you get when you get too much car exhaust and not enough fresh air. Kind of a numbing of the mind that sneaks up on you.

dgh

 

[David Hall]

Jorge and Les,

Thanks for the info. You've probably shaved a half hour off my darkroom time!

dgh

 

[Ole]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (David Hall @ Mar 11 2003, 08:50 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Yeah, those fumes.&nbsp; I was toning some prints sitting down over the table and trays for the first time the other niht (usually I stand).&nbsp; I actually had the same sensation you get when you get too much car exhaust and not enough fresh air.&nbsp; Kind of a numbing of the mind that sneaks up on you.&nbsp;
</td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
So you normally have one-night-stands in the darkroom??

 

[chrisl]

Maybe you guys should buy one of these $30 Dow Chemicals brand breathing mask? Has both gross filter, and a cartridge that does fumes. Works great for when I spray fertilizers/insecticides. Got it at Home Depot.

 

[David Hall]

Ole, I'm not sure how the lovin' is up there at the Arctic circle, but MY one night stands usually don't involve sniffing selenium toner!!!

Seriously, usually I have the windows open and I stand over the trays. This week I was tired and chose to sit, so my nose was about eight inches above the stuff. Yikes!

As for the mask, I am getting one for mixing of pyro. It would make sense to use it over the chemistry as well.

dgh

 

[Aggie]

..

 

[Robert]

With the mask check the life of the filters. I've got a nice little mask. It's rated for everything you could think of. BUT and it's a big BUT the life of the filters is only eight hours. [I think have to check the paperwork]. Now you say that doesn't sound too bad but it's eight hours after you open the package. So if you open the package to look at the things they start working. I put mine into a double ziplock bag when not in use. That supposedly keeps them going longer.

I actually think the mask I got is over kill. It likely would have been better to go with the cheaper model.