Mixing chemicals quick & easy

[Kevin Crisp]

I just add hot water to a big bucket, then pour in the chemicals and stir with a big plastic spoon. When dissolved I top it up to the one gallon mark on the side of the bucket, then pour it into bottles. Doesn't seem to be an area of darkroom work that requires much technique.

[Michael Cienfuegos]

I can help with emptying those Grolsch bottles

[eric mac]

I use a battery drill and a paint stirrer made for use in the drill. Not much effort on my part and does a pretty good job. Could use the wife's mixer or blender, but she would probably frown on that. A d76 margarita is not in the cards.

[domaz]

I just add hot water to a big bucket, then pour in the chemicals and stir with a big plastic spoon. When dissolved I top it up to the one gallon mark on the side of the bucket, then pour it into bottles. Doesn't seem to be an area of darkroom work that requires much technique.

This is what I do, I don't enjoy doing it this way but it works. I always do it outside too, no reason to expose yourself to chemical dust. If your darkroom is one of those rare ones that actually has good ventiliation then I suppose it's fine to do it inside.

[Steve Wadlington]

To mix chemicals in glycol it really needs to be heated, so I used a hotplate underneath my drill press with a paint stirrer. Worked pretty good and didn't have to stir for half an hour.

[Frank Pittel]

Battery powered paint stirrers and drill presses? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to go to walmart, target, etc and pick up a stick blender and if you NEED one a hot plate?

I mixed up a liter of D76H for some fomapan I'm going to try out and it took longer to weigh out the chems then mix them! I didn't use a hotplate and used room temp distilled water. It dissolved the 100gm of sulphite in a few seconds!!

[Michael Cienfuegos]

I use a battery drill and a paint stirrer made for use in the drill. Not much effort on my part and does a pretty good job. Could use the wife's mixer or blender, but she would probably frown on that. A d76 margarita is not in the cards.

Just don't tell her.

[Vaughn]

This is what I do, I don't enjoy doing it this way but it works. I always do it outside too, no reason to expose yourself to chemical dust. If your darkroom is one of those rare ones that actually has good ventiliation then I suppose it's fine to do it inside.

One can always pour the in the chemicals with the top of the bag under the water -- no chemicals in the air.

[Ralph Miyashiro]

John, Ultrafine Online sells the Nacco product as Ultrafine liquid developer, pretty sure it is the super 76 (I just received an order). They also sell a UF-60 universal developer, but I don't know what that is. I just wish that the super 76 was sold in quarts as Ultrafine sells only gallon jugs.

[Jay DeFehr]

To mix chemicals in glycol it really needs to be heated, so I used a hotplate underneath my drill press with a paint stirrer. Worked pretty good and didn't have to stir for half an hour.

A hotplate/ magnetic stirrer is not very expensive, especially a used one, and doesn't introduce a lot of air into the solution.