How to mix kodak hypo?

[ryanmills]

If I don't want to mix up the whole bag is it 1 table spoon for each liter of water?

[vinny]

you can't mix dry chemicals like that. must use whole bag since things settle out and there's no guarantee you're getting equal amounts by using partial quantities.

[C_Remington]

That's liquid chemicals r 4

[ryanmills]

then what the heck does someone mix 5 gallons of hypo and store it in :/

[ac12]

You should not get large size packages.
I only buy 1 gallon size packages, so my max size bottle is 1 gal.

Even in high school yearbook/newspaper and photo classes, we did not use fixer fast enough to mix up 5 gallons of the stuff at one time.

You could mix it at double strength, in 2-1/2 gal of water in a 5 gal plastic paint bucket. Store it in 1 gal bottles. Then when you use it you dilute it 1:1.
The problem you may have is as the concentration goes up, it gets harder to disolve the chemicals in the water. We used to cheat by using hot water, to disolve the chemicals easier, but some chemicals do not like to be mixed with hot water. Also higher concentrations some chemicals percipitate out (undisolve), and you have to mix up the chemicals again to get it back into solution before you use it. Such a pain.

[ryanmills]

I guess i never thought about it, I got the smallest package B&H had to just try it, never expected to need a 55 gallon drum to mix it all :/

guess I will have to look into something else.

[ac12]

Chalk it up to experience.
For any powder chemicals, you have to be aware of the volume it is packaged to mix.

Your other option is liquid fixer where you can measure off the amount you want to mix.
So rather than a full gallon you can mix up 1/2 gal.
I use mostly liquid chemicals for that reason, it is easier to mix up smaller batches.

[Doremus Scudder]

Ryan,

You don't mention specifically what you are trying to mix. "Hypo" could mean a couple of things. Strictly, it should refer only to the chemical sodium thiosulfate, a basic ingredient in many fixers. However, many use the term generally to refer to many kinds of fixers with many different formulations.

So, if you have a packaged powdered fixer, like Kodak Fixer for example, you have a hardening fixer with lots of other things in it besides sodium thiosulfate. These you should mix in their entirety all at one time, since it is difficult to be sure all the different ingredients will end up being in the right proportion otherwise.

If this is the case, then just mix according to the directions. You may need several bottles to keep it all in. Read the directions carefully and note the lifespan of the fix. You may be able to use up most of it before it goes bad, especially if you store it in good airtight containers.

If, however, you really have bought only the chemical sodium thiosulfate, then you must get at least one or two other chemicals to mix with it to make a fixing bath. I imagine that this is not the case, but if so, do a search on basic fixer recipes to get an idea.

FWIW, I like to buy rapid fixers, which come in liquid concentrates. One pays a bit more in shipping, since these are heavier than powders, but one can mix exactly the amount one needs from the concentrate. Lifespan is fairly long too.

Best,

Doremus

[Sevo]

What "hypo"? The product called Kodak Hypo Clearing Agent, a hypo (sodium thiosulfate) containing ready made fixer, or do you want to mix a fixer from separate component chemicals?

If the latter, read your chemistry text book and attend chemistry classes - that seems to be too much beyond your competence for mere learning by doing without getting killed in an explosion.

If it should be some ready-made product, you must mix it all - you cannot part out powder mixtures as these aren't homogeneous across the bag and critical low concentration components like stabilizers, activators and inhibitors may end up all in one part.

If you bought a five gallon pack of fixer, get a five gallon canister, or (cheaper) a smaller pack - I don't know of a powder base fixer that can be used to make a concentrate stock (the liquid concentrate fixers I know use different acids to prevent crystallization).

Hypo clearing agent is supposed to be prepared as a 1:4 stock solution, so you'll be fine with a gallon bottle - your five gallon pack would be stirred into one gallon water, and one part stock later mixed with four parts water to form a working solution.

[vinny]

Guys, afaik, kodak doesn't sell raw hypo ingedients so i think he means bagged fixer. Not sure why the remainder of my post needs to be repeated.