liter

[Turner Reich]

Bought some chemicals, powder and liquid, and they are to make 2.6 gallons US. I went to find a container and could only come up with 2 gal. and 5 gal. containers. Any one know where to get closer sized liter or gal. containers? For now I have to mix store chems in a 5 gal. bucket. I guess I could make a floating lid from some plexi. Any thoughts on that? :confused:

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[Bruce Barlow]

Mix in the big buckets, and decant into smaller bottles, such as 2-liter soft drink or water bottles. The chemicals will keep fresh as long as the bottles are full (little or no air) and tightly capped.

I recently finished using some Ansco 130 print developer that had been in a tightly-stoppered bottle for over two years. It was still wonderful.

I mix Dektol a gallon at a time and decant into 16 oz. bottles. One bottle of developer and two bottles of water makes enough working solution for any 8x10 printing session I do. I've kept Dektol this way for as much as a year with no ill effects. Would have lasted longer, except I used it instead.

Good luck!

[Ron Marshall]

Bought some chemicals, powder and liquid, and they are to make 2.6 gallons US. I went to find a container and could only come up with 2 gal. and 5 gal. containers. Any one know where to get closer sized liter or gal. containers? For now I have to mix store chems in a 5 gal. bucket. I guess I could make a floating lid from some plexi. Any thoughts on that? :confused:

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Photographers Formulary have a good selection of glass and plastic containers of all sizes:

http://www.photoformulary.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=2&tabid=9&CategoryID=9&langID=0

[ronald lamarsh]

I haven't tried this yet but it occured to me the last time I finnished off a bottle of wine that the empty wine bottle(which is dark glass) would make a perfect container for chemicals, as you can stopper the bottle with a special rubber stopper which allows you to apply a vacuum via the special pump they sell with the stoppers. these systems are available from any reputable wine dealer. They are sold to keep the half empty bottle of wine fresh and they work very well. I can't wait to mix that gallon of rodinal(photo formulary) and put it up for storage using this system.

[Colin Graham]

I like these (http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=2) well because they're very inexpensive. Been using them for a couple of years and seem well cast and air tight. Be sure to get the sealing caps, they sell seperately. I make up 3 liters of 130 at a time and store them in seperate botttles.

[Brian Ellis]

Is your problem the fact that you don't have anything marked 2.6 gallons so that precisely mixing the stock solution is difficult or is the problem storing the chemicals after you've mixed them or is it both? If it's the former, I had the same problem. I used a 5 gallon tank to mix. I had a beaker marked in ounces that went up to 32 ounces. I filled the beaker with water, emptied it in the tank, filled the beaker, emptied it, and continued that process until I had poured 2.6 gallons of water into the tank. I then marked the water level at that point with a little water-proof paint so that I'd know when the 2.6 gallon volume had been reached when mixing stock solution. If the problem is storage after mixing, as others have noted there are plenty of sources for storing in smaller containers. I stored stock paper developer in one-gallon containers that I bought at some photo supply place, I forget where.

[Turner Reich]

Great ideas, I'll mix in the 5 gal tank and then put in smaller bottles. I like the wine bottle idea and completely forgot about the Boston glass company, I have it book marked too! Once I get the tank to volume I'll mark it like Brian said. Bruce, how do like the Ansco 130 developer? It's one I just haven't tried. I am using LPD and Amidol that I mix up. It wasn't until I started ordering larger quantity that I had the mix and store problem. I was used to the gallon sizes but was using it up too fast. Isn't that the way it goes? Again thank you all for the information.

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[Jay DeFehr]

My local Walmart carries 2.5 gal. plastic gas cans, complete with pour spout!

Jay

[Jim Jones]

As Bruce says, soft drink bottles work great. Store clear containers out of the light, and they don't have to be amber.

Sometimes drinking water comes in maybe a 2.5 gallon containers with a convenient spout. It is great for dispensing wash water already stabilized at room temperature when developing negatives. Liquid laundry detergent also sometimes comes in smaller containers with a similar spout. Such containers are rather large for photo chemicals.