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Bart B
27-Apr-2011, 14:57
Got three square bottles of this for only the first verse of a short song (10 cents each). Question is, can it still be used for developing 4x5 sheet film? The newer bottles are round but this stuff's in the older 16-oz. square ones; sealed and unopened. No date on these bottles so its age is a big question.

Probably would work but development time would be longer or have to mix a stronger solution.

Just curious. Any suggestions are helpful. Thanks in advance.

mikebarger
27-Apr-2011, 15:06
I'm still working out of some of the little square bottles.

Mike

Robert Ley
27-Apr-2011, 15:26
I have used HC-110 that was many years old with good results. HC-110 has legendary keeping qualities and the only way you will know for sure is to give it a test.

John Bowen
27-Apr-2011, 16:54
Bart,
Here's your chance to double your money, just send me the 3 bottles and I'll send you 60 cents :-)

Yeah this stuff lasts forever

Bruce Barlow
27-Apr-2011, 16:55
Betcha it will be just fine. I had some last for about ten years. Sometimes it gets dark, but that didn't seem to affect it.

Vaughn
27-Apr-2011, 16:58
I don't even remember there being an "use-by" date on the bottles. My square sided bottle has sucked in a little, so there has been some oxidation, but I would not adjust dilution or times if and when I use it.

BetterSense
27-Apr-2011, 18:11
If I remember correctly, the Kodak datasheet lists the shelf life of the undiluted concentrate as "indefinite".

Kevin Crisp
27-Apr-2011, 18:36
When it oxidizes it turns brown. If yours is yellow, I am sure it is fine. I think what I'm using now is years past the expiration date. They didn't put any expiration date on it for a long time.

johnielvis
27-Apr-2011, 19:10
I've used stuff thats brown and it still worked---I had like "the last 1/2 ounce" in a bottle one time and it sat....for years....when I finally found it when moving I decided...what the heck...worked just fine---had plenty of strength--I was pushing, so I DID give it "more than recommended" dev time anyways, but it had plenty of get up and go...it looked like guinness in that bottle---mixed with water and it looked like normal developer at the mix conc

if it ain't brown, it surely MUST be good

Kevin Crisp
27-Apr-2011, 19:22
The original version was brown all the time. Looked like something you scooped out of a clogged sink, and smelled like it too.

David R Munson
28-Apr-2011, 07:27
Last year I bought and used a bottle of HC-110 that I think I dated to something like the mid-90s. It had largely crystallized, but once I mixed it up it behaved like all the rest of the HC-110 I've ever used. Sure, it was a bit brown, but it worked perfectly. I swear you can't kill HC-110.