[pure-silver] Re: Sediment in my XTOL, and another question.
- From: William Harting <wm.harting@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 3 Feb 2010 12:33:54 -0500
I should note that I also use distilled water for mixing the stock, and use
generally only stock, replenished Xtol.
-bill
On Wed, Feb 3, 2010 at 6:17 AM, Claudio Bonavolta <claudio@xxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:
> Hi Elias,
>
> I don't have sediments, maybe due to the fact I use demineralized water to
> prepare the stock solution.
>
> One time I had a very strange behaviour, "something" developed in
> suspension inside the bottles. This "something" looking like "glass
> curtains" floating in the developer that break into smaller crystal-like
> flat particles if you shake the developer.
> I developed once a film without filtering the solution before and these
> particles got "imprinted" in the gelatin, probably due to a difference in
> the development.
> I had it in one batch only but I'm always filtering (coffee filters) the
> developer before use since then.
>
> Regarding the replenishment and Xtol storage topic, I prefer to work
> one-shot with film developers and Xtol in particular.
> I mix the 5 liters with demineralized water and store them in 4 1-liter
> brown glass bottles and the rest in 100ml bottles. For both I use pharmacy
> bottles that are pretty cheap.
> I p! ay a particular attention to fill the bottles completely as to avoid
> any air in them.
> Once all the 100ml bottles are empty, I open a 1-liter, fill up to 8
> bottles and use the rest for the development I have to do.
> Because the bottles can store slightly more than their nominal capacity,
> you're never able to have round multiples and you end up in losing some
> volume.
> Xtol being pretty cheap, I'm not that picky ...
>
> Why 100ml bottles ? Because it's the minimal quantity chemically required
> to process a 135-36, 120 or 8x10". As I develop by rotation and dilute it
> 1+1 this quantity is more than enough to wet all film during processing.
> To dilute 1+1, I just fill the bottle with water again, so no need to
> measure volumes ...
>
> A friend of mine uses a slightly different approach: he puts exactly 100ml
> of stock solution abd completes with water. At dilution he completes with
> water as to obtain 200ml.
>
> Some boil the water to outgas it (! I don't do it because I prefer to avoid
> that Xtol comes in contact with metals) and try to avoid to put air in the
> solution while stirring.
> I store then the bottles in a dark cupboard.
>
> This way, I'm able to keep Xtol for more than 2 years routinely. I did some
> tests over 4 years and it was active. I still have some Xtol dated March
> 2003 (mixed to develop my daughter's birth films) stored this way and I'll
> soon check it's activity.
>
> Claudio Bonavolta
> http://www.bonavolta.ch
>
> ----- Message d'origine ----- *De:* Elias Roustom <
> elroustom@xxxxxxxxx> *Date:* Tue, 2 Feb 2010 21:41:51 -0500
> *Sujet:*[pure-silver] Sediment in my XTOL, and another question.
> *À:* pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> My XTOL isn't that old. I use about 450ml per roll of either 120 or
> 135. I fill the working bottle (full strength stock) with 70ml fresh
> unused stock, then I pour the developer I just used back into the
> working bottle until it fills to the top, and I dump the rest. So I'm
> replenshing my working bottle. So far so good, I've developed a half
> dozen films so far - it's been about a month or so, and the bottle is
> filled to the top and closed tightly. It's got sediment along the
> bottom. Does this mean anything to anyone? Should it mean anything to
> me?
>
> Using marbles to fill fresh stock bottle, to keep developer level up
> to the top: the bottle if full of marbles, and since there's plenty of
> room between the marbles, the liquid inside isn't going to the top
> anymore. Should I worry about oxidation when the bottle is half full
> of liquid, but full of marbles? Or can ! I assume that the marbles are
> cutting down on the air in the bottle enough to keep the developer
> good for three months?
>
> Elias
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