[Leica] Well, I am just on a roll here.....

[dlridings at gmail.com (Daniel Ridings)]

Mike, Don and Richard,

I must have the same water as Mark Rabiner. My experience with Xtol is
that it's storage properties are better than other developers.

I don't do anything special other than filter the dirt out of the tap
water. Otherwise, I mix Xtol using tap water (at the highest, not the
lowest, suggested temperature) and store it in 1 1/2 liter used Coke
bottles.

I used to have a collection of 250ml Coke bottles. Then when it was
time to break a 1.5 liter open, I'd pour it over into smaller bottles.
The theory being as little solution as possible would be in contact
with air.

I quit doing that. A 1.5 liter bottle, even half full, lasts as long
as I need it to last. Mind you, I go through about 5 liters a month at
times, so the developer never gets much of a chance to sit around in
half-empty bottles for very long.

A half empty bottle stresses me up: Have to shoot some more film,
gotta use up that developer ...

:-)

Daniel


On 6/13/06, durling@cox.net <durling@cox.net> wrote:

> I know Xtol is wonderful stuff, but its just too darned fussy for me
> hearing all these failure reports.  I'd much rather mix something from
> scratch than deal with little bottles etc.  Just me of course.  I know many
> people have made their peace with it.
>