fohl@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Fohl) (09/03/85)
Help! I recently bought a package of Kodak's Selectol Soft paper developer. Knowing I wouldn't be using it often, I divided the contents into four equal amounts, intending to mix a quart at a time. When I weighed the contents, I put them into garden variety baggies for storage, fastening the tops with twist ties. A mere two weeks later, I mixed the first batch. I thought some- ting was fishy when I noticed the twist-tie had turned brown. After mixing the stuff in water, it turned just an awful shade of brown. I realize the stuff must have oxidized, so I pitched the rest of it. Can anyone out there recommend something for storing dry photo chemicals? I keep the stuff in my basement where the humidity is fairly high. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Replies over the net are OK. Mark Fohl - Bell Labs, Columbus 6200 E. Broad St. Rm 3Q343 713 Timberlake Dr. Columbus, OH 43213 Westerville, OH 43081 614-860-5734 614-891-6775
simsong@mit-amt.MIT.EDU (Simson Garfinkel) (09/03/85)
In article <1457@cbosgd.UUCP>, fohl@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Fohl) writes: > Can anyone out there > recommend something for storing dry photo chemicals? I keep the stuff in my > basement where the humidity is fairly high. I'd appreciate any suggestions. > Replies over the net are OK. Those freezer-bag sealer systems that were fairly popular a few years ago seem to work fine for photo chemicals, but be sure that there is no water in the bag when you seal it. The system consists of bags and a sealer. You put the chemicals (or food to freeze) in a specially made bag. The bag is then sealed with heat -- the opening is fused. This is a fairly good storage system.
rdp@teddy.UUCP (09/03/85)
In article <1457@cbosgd.UUCP> fohl@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Fohl) writes: > >Help! I recently bought a package of Kodak's Selectol Soft paper developer. >Knowing I wouldn't be using it often, I divided the contents into four equal >amounts, intending to mix a quart at a time. When I weighed the contents, I >put them into garden variety baggies for storage, fastening the tops with >twist ties. A mere two weeks later, I mixed the first batch. I thought some- >ting was fishy when I noticed the twist-tie had turned brown. After mixing >the stuff in water, it turned just an awful shade of brown. I realize the >stuff must have oxidized, so I pitched the rest of it. Can anyone out there >recommend something for storing dry photo chemicals? I keep the stuff in my >basement where the humidity is fairly high. I'd appreciate any suggestions. >Replies over the net are OK. > First of all, I get a brown solution when I mix up Selectol Soft also, I think that's relatively normal. Secondly, dividing the chemicals up the way you did is inviting problems. There is no assurance that the various powders are uniformly dispersed through the mixture. As a result, there is no way to assure that each batch will be identical. Even though it is more expensive initially, you'll end up saving by buying smaller packages because you can depend on consistant results. Dick Pierce
kanner@tymix.UUCP (Herb Kanner) (09/04/85)
In article <1457@cbosgd.UUCP> fohl@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Fohl) writes: > >Help! I recently bought a package of Kodak's Selectol Soft paper developer. >Knowing I wouldn't be using it often, I divided the contents into four equal >amounts, intending to mix a quart at a time. When I weighed the contents, I >put them into garden variety baggies for storage, fastening the tops with >twist ties. A mere two weeks later, I mixed the first batch. I thought some- >ting was fishy when I noticed the twist-tie had turned brown. After mixing >the stuff in water, it turned just an awful shade of brown. I realize the >stuff must have oxidized, so I pitched the rest of it. Can anyone out there >recommend something for storing dry photo chemicals? I keep the stuff in my >basement where the humidity is fairly high. I'd appreciate any suggestions. >Replies over the net are OK. > In general, even ignoring your apparent problem with humidity, it is a bad idea to subdivide any mixture that is in powder form. This is because the different components will have different particle sizes and the smaller particles will tend to migrate to the bottom of the package. Thus, you have no assurance of a uniform mixture when you divide up the batch. You don't even know if the manufacturer went to any pains to mix the components well. Many commercial paper developers over the past decade have had their formula changed to replace metol with phenidone. The ones using the latter have excellent keeping properties. I do not know specifically about Selectol. However, you might consider Ilford's Phenidone, which I buy in gallon batches. The gallon is a stock solution, which is diluted with three parts of water for use. I have kept the stock solution for over a year with no noticeable discoloration and no apparent change in behavior. -- Herb Kanner Tymnet, Inc. ...!hplabs!oliveb!tymix!kanner
jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) (09/05/85)
Alas, I feel I must grumble about this a little. > Secondly, dividing the chemicals up the way you did is inviting problems. > There is no assurance that the various powders are uniformly dispersed > through the mixture. Sure there is. You can either pick up the container and shake it awhile, or stir it with a stirring rod. Shaking it works better since if you don't stir right you can make the heavy parts just settle out, instead, whereas shaking tends to be somewhat more random. As for what to store it in, whatever happened to brown chemical bottles? The kind people keep ordinary laboratory chemicals, even hygroscopic ones, in? If you want to be safe, you can put in a little packet of silica gel, and it will stay fairly dry, if you don't leave the lid off long; the main way water gets into the chemicals is from leaving the bottle open, not from the small air space in the bottle. I generally buy large packages and divide them, storing the extra in brown bottles. You can get them from your pharmacy, if it's a friendly pharmacy. (Actually I also buy the very large boxes of color chemicals, too. It holds up very well, though I use it fairly rapidly. The chemical that is least stable (the complex organic one) comes in a conveniently small, brown, glass bottle which seems to keep it very well.) -- Shyy-Anzr: J. Eric Roskos UUCP: ..!{decvax,ucbvax,ihnp4}!vax135!petsd!peora!jer US Mail: MS 795; Perkin-Elmer SDC; 2486 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, FL 32809-7642 Uryc! Gurl'er cnvagvat zl bssvpr oyhr! Jung n qrcerffvat pbybe...
fohl@cbosgd.UUCP (Mark Fohl) (09/15/85)
Thanks to those who responded to my request for info on saving developer. There seemed to be two common opinions. The first is that it seems not to be a good idea to divide powdered chemicals for fear of uneven division of some of the individual chemicals. The second is that mixed developer can be saved in dark brown full glass bottles. I'll give those a try. By the way, we seem to be having a dry spell on the photo net. Do we need more members or more controversy? Either way, I've enjoyed the net. Best regards, Mark
hgp@houem.UUCP (#H.PAGE) (09/17/85)
> Thanks to those who responded to my request for info on saving developer. > There seemed to be two common opinions. The first is that it seems not to > be a good idea to divide powdered chemicals for fear of uneven division of > some of the individual chemicals. The second is that mixed developer can > be saved in dark brown full glass bottles. I'll give those a try. > > By the way, we seem to be having a dry spell on the photo net. Do we need > more members or more controversy? Either way, I've enjoyed the net. > > Best regards, > > Mark A little trick my father taught me: If you find yourself with a half full bottle of developer, fill it with glass marbles. -- Howard G. Page AT&T HO 3D-534, (201)949-0366, ..!ihnp4!houem!hgp