Polaroid sheet film, proper storage and those pods

[Rider]

I just got a couple of packs of unexpired polaroid sheet film. (Type 55)

The pack says they should be refrigerated but not frozen.

Does this apply to the chemical pods as well?

*What* are those chemical pods anyway?

[darr]

The chemical pods are for coating the positives if you choose to keep them.

I store unopened and opened boxes in my refrigerator drawer inside a zip-lock freezer bag. Last year after we had lost power for six weeks with Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, my boxes got wet and this ruined the developing chemicals on the film sheets themselves making this wonderful, but expensive film useless. Now I always make sure they are tucked away in a zip-lock bag opened or not.

[Tracy Storer]

The "pod" is the little aluminum foil envelope of develpoer inside the film envelope. Whatever you do to the film, the pod is always in there.

The tubes of print coater are what Darr said, for coating the prints so they don't fade.

[Rider]

So the separate chemicals are for coating.

Do you coat the negative (with Type 55) or just the positive?

I assume there is no reason to store the coating in a fridge.

[darr]

After cleaning you could use a hardener on the negative, but do not use the print coater. Here is a link to a page that talks about Polaroid 55 P/N. At the bottom of the page are links to Polaroid info pages. Have a look:

http://www.cameraartist.com/words/20...oid_55_pn.html

[Ralph Barker]

It's also a good idea to store the boxes flat, rather than on edge, to avoid the chemicals settling to one side.

[Jim MacKenzie]

If the chemical pods get damaged but the film sheets are unaffected, you can still shoot the film and develop it traditionally. Apparently the film is very similar to Panatomic-X and can be developed in traditional developers for times appropriate for that film.

I've not tried this... but I've read it more than once.