RE: [Leica] Re: Xtol newbie

["Rodgers, David" <david.rodgers@xo.com>]

Rolfe

>>One other thing about Xtol: When it goes bad, it doesn't turn dark or
anything it just stops working. Make note of the date you mix up the
stock and try to keep air out of the bottle of stock as you use it.
Personally, I divide the 5 liters into 5 separate 1 liter glass bottles
and this works well for me.<<

One of the best tips I ever heard for storing developer, and one that I
adhere to, is to us the liner from box wine. You can buy the wine or get the
liner from friends, or even restaurants. I have three, but in five years
I've yet to wear out the first one. It holds five litres. I fill it about 4
times per year. The spout comes off and goes on easily. I've never had a
problem with leakage on the one liner I've used. 

I simply mix the developer and pour it in using a funnel. (I even do the
last bit of agitation in the liner). Then I bleed out all the air. I put the
liner on a shelf in a box I made. The original box works fine but its made
of cardboard. My original box got really wet and fell apart so I made one
out of wood and resin.  

I just open the spout and stock developer pours into the graduate. Then I
add water to dilute. As I use up the developer the liner collapses. No air
gets in. When I switched to XTOL it took me a while to use the last of my
D76. It was probably 9 months old and it wasn't overactive. Xtol should last
even longer, though I've never used any older that 5 months. The same
oxidation that ruins wine will ruin developers. So the liners are made to
order. I just recently began using my old D76 liner for Dektol.

Dave 

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