When RA4 developer is too old...

[Jehu]

I thought I could get away with 6 week old chemistry. Not so. I mixed up the Kodak kit on July 14. The print should be predominately blue but it's coming out reddish amber. Is that from developer that's too old? Should the blix still be okay?

I've never used anything but kits for color film or print. I'm hoping to get away from that but I don't really understand the products very well. Would I need to buy Starter AND Replenisher? It seems like this could be much more economical than kits if I have a better understanding.

[Mark Barendt]

These

http://www.adorama.com/KKRABFR10L.html

http://www.adorama.com/KKRADRRT.html

No starter needed.

[Mark Barendt]

These can be mixed as you go.

[jayabbas]

I use Armadillo photo supply and use Trebla chems. If you have an understanding of aliquoting ( dividing amounts up into smaller equal amounts from a larger size) you can buy 25 gallon mix sizes at substantial cost savings( still not cheap but not the liquid gold prices of those little kits). Mix and if you can refrigerate your mixed chems the life is incredibly extended.

[Roger Cole]

Don't know about yours but properly stored (air displaced and kept cool) RA developer should last six weeks with no problems.

[Larry Gebhardt]

I use the same Kodak products Mark linked to, but with the starter. I think if you are going to replenish then you should also use the starter to keep the process from drifting. The developer listed is both the replenisher and the developer when mixed with starter and water.

They keep well over 6 weeks if the air is evacuated from the bottles. The blix seems to keep better than the developer.

[Jehu]

Don't know about yours but properly stored (air displaced and kept cool) RA developer should last six weeks with no problems.

My darkroom is in the part of my office that isn't being used anymore since I laid everyone off and I'm a one-man land-surveying outfit. I'm too cheap to run the AC in the whole office all the time so my chems are regularly stored around 80-85 degrees. From what you're saying, I assume that I should be keeping the mixed chems in the fridge. Is that okay for RA4, E-6 & C41? Also, I suppose I should use collapsible bottles or use my argon gas from my wire-feed welder.

[Jehu]

These can be mixed as you go.

Thanks Mark. Is there a similar solution for the C41 and E6?

[Roger Cole]

My darkroom is in the part of my office that isn't being used anymore since I laid everyone off and I'm a one-man land-surveying outfit. I'm too cheap to run the AC in the whole office all the time so my chems are regularly stored around 80-85 degrees. From what you're saying, I assume that I should be keeping the mixed chems in the fridge. Is that okay for RA4, E-6 & C41? Also, I suppose I should use collapsible bottles or use my argon gas from my wire-feed welder.

I'm not sure. I've kept it in a cool(ish) basement in the low 70s. I think I've heard of people refrigerating it but I haven't and can't say for certain it wouldn't cause problems.

It has also been a long time since I did RA4. (Over a decade.) I was using the regular stuff in drums (PITA) then went to Tetenal RA4AT not realizing the bleach-fix was a problem and that you can use the regular stuff at room temperature. Both developers kept well (2-3 months, always used it up by then) in that basement at the time.

[Greg Blank]

The only real RA process is done at 100F, RA does keep if not used up to several years 2-3 un mixed. I never liked the room temp stuff.

I'm not sure. I've kept it in a cool(ish) basement in the low 70s. I think I've heard of people refrigerating it but I haven't and can't say for certain it wouldn't cause problems.

It has also been a long time since I did RA4. (Over a decade.) I was using the regular stuff in drums (PITA) then went to Tetenal RA4AT not realizing the bleach-fix was a problem and that you can use the regular stuff at room temperature. Both developers kept well (2-3 months, always used it up by then) in that basement at the time.