collapsible chemicle bottles?

[Daniel_Buck]

I picked up a two liter Arista Air-Evac Bottle to hold my TF-4 fixer because my usual batch of fixer is a bit over 1 liter, making most 1 liter bottles useless to me, and I figured a 2 liter bottle (that doesn't collapse) would have to much air in it. So, I got the Arista from Freestyle Photographic Supplies, but noticed after a few days it had expanded back to it's full size, letting air in somehow... so it's kind of useless. And also I don't really like the ridges on the inside of the bottle, it seems like that would make it difficult to clean out.

So, I'm looking for another air collapsing container to hold my fixer in with minimal air space, that holds in between 1 and 1.5 liters of fluid (usually 1100ml), what do yall suggest?

If I can't find something, I suppose a 1.5 liter bottle would work, if I could find one.

[Brook Martin]

Fixer, unlike most developers, isnt too prone to oxidation. You may be trying to fix a problem you dont really have.

[Daniel_Buck]

yea? hm... I hadn't thought about that before, you may be right! In that case, a two liter bottle would do just fine!

[paulr]

Those things are really hard to clean.

A friend of mine had a great solution (borrowed from 19th century pharmacists, I think): amber glass bottles, with the air displaced by glass marbles. He had a big jar of clean marbles handy to top off a bottle, any time he used up some solution.

He only did this for developers and other things prone to oxidation.

[Marko]

Paul beat me to it - the marble trick works nice and it's easy to clean. Not really marbles, but let's not nitpick... :D As an aside, if the bottle is clear instead of amber, an aluminum foil wrapper will do just fine. The purpose is to prevent or reduce the chance of light-induced oxidation.

[paulr]

I wonder why people don't use the marble trick for wine? makes more sense than the high tech things they sell to pump the air out of bottles ...

[venchka]

The bladders from box wine work well. Assuming you can tolerate the box wine in the first place. Camping supply places like REI sell water bags built on the same principle as the box wine. The bag collapses as it's emptied.

[paulr]

Yeah, a bladder would be practical, but I think you'd lose some of the mood.

"darling, bring your glass over to the hose and I'll dispense a few more millilitres of bordeaux ... "

[Marko]

I wonder why people don't use the marble trick for wine? makes more sense than the high tech things they sell to pump the air out of bottles ...

Why, they wouldn't be able to sell the gadgets in that case and that would be bad for economy! Besides, too many people have a tendency to lose their marbles too easily... :D

[Nathan Potter]

Brilliant! I never thought about using marbles in partially consumed wine bottles. Maybe the marbles would need to be made from borosilicate glass to avoid possible contamination by soda from soda lime glass. Could soda contamination possibly happen with certain darkroom chemistry?

Nate Potter

[paulr]

aren't wine bottles themselves just regular glass?

[blevblev]

How about those gizmos with floating lids - like:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/DN5000/

you'd use with

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/DN5005/

I'm don't know if they make ones as small as 2 liter.

[Glenn Thoreson]

I always remove as much atmosphere as possible from my bottles by shooting that canned air stuff into them and quickly capping. It's usually Isobutane or something in the can, but no oxygen. I have a couple of 2 liter brown beer bottles with screw caps that I would never part with. There is a difference between glass and plastic. No matter what the plastic bottle makers say, it's subtle, but it's there.

[JOSEPH ANDERSON]

Hey Daniel, First a large box of small balloons.Lower the balloon into your bottle and
slowly blow up the balloon. This will displace all the air/oxygen. You may use non-oxygen
canned air for this, if you don't want to get your face to close to the chemicals. Be sure
to tie a good knot at end of balloon then put the top on. All balloons over time will seep
air very slowly. But, if you prosses regularly you may not see any seepage at all. I've been doing this for over 35 yrars and it works for me. Important HINT use quality AMERICAN
made balloons,not the cheap imports. Good luck,
Joe A

[ic-racer]

How about those gizmos with floating lids - like:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/DN5000/

you'd use with

http://www.calumetphoto.com/item/DN5005/

I'm don't know if they make ones as small as 2 liter.

I use that item for my fixer. I keep un-diluted ammonia thiosulfate fixer in it. I use the floating lid, but don't know if it does anything (for fixer, that is).

[Gregg Cook]

saran wrap works well in old tea pitchers like restaurants use.