Shelf life of Kodak Rapid Film Fixer

[Nguyen "Billy" Kok]

Hello to everyone helping,

I just buy some liquid Kodak Rapid Fixer that comes with the extra small bottle of hardener, to use with 4x5 black and white film processing. I was surprised to read in the instructions that that the mixed fixer only has a 1 month life. I a lways thought fixer would last so much longer than 1 month. Is there any other F ixer that I should use instead that will last longer, and do I even need the har deneing type of film fixer for 4x5 black and white negatives.

[Ed Buffaloe]

My information comes from a rather old Kodak publication, but it states that working solutions of rapid fix will keep for 2 months in a full stoppered bottle.

[kthompson]

It's two months in a closed container for the concentrate, and sorta vague for the life of the working solution in a tightly closed container...I've always dumped after a month, and kept an accurate log of just what I ran through it. We keep it for a month in a tank with a floating lid and cover, or when tray processing-- a week in a tray with a floating lid as well. Keep good logs on all that too...fix is cheap, it's better to dump early rather than late....

[Paul Mongillo]

I use Ilford Hypo Check for straight Kodak Fixer to regularly check my first fix when processing fiber prints. I don't normally keep Rapid Fixer for negatives much over a month anyway, but can't you use the same stuff to see if its still OK ?

[Pat Kearns]

Billy, I've been using Hypo Check with Kodak Rapid Fixer for years without any problems. It will give you a good idea when the fixer is becoming exhausted then mix up a fresh batch. Happy shooting. Pat.

[John Smith]

One thing that can help preserve your chemistry is spraying some heavier-than-air inert gas into the bottle before you cap it. I suppose propane would do if you can figure out how to dispense it from a canister. Jobo makes this spray in a can for about $13.95 that has a nozel hose making it easy to dispense.

I use this stuff in my 2 gallon jug of ID-11 and even after several months, there is not discoloration of the developer, indicating oxidation (at least I hope this is what's happening).

Just be careful if you have a smoke going ....

[Robert Ruderman]

Hi,

"Jobo makes this spray in a can for about $13.95 that has a nozel hose making it easy to dispense."

If this is what I think it is, it's a spray can of nitrogen to blanket the surface of the liquid you are trying to preserve. I've used it with wine and it works well as an oxygen barrier. You might be able to get it somewhat cheaper at a wine or grocery store (about $9 or $10/bottle) under the name of "Private Reserve - Wine Preserver" (in the wine department).