Resuing Fixer?

ChrisP

ChrisP

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I read up on tips for reusing fixer and how long it lasts and whatnot but how do you store your fixer once used and how long does it last? Can I just store it a half full milk jug or is there a proper way to store fixer? Does it hate oxygen like D-76 or anything or is it pretty flexible with how you keep it?
 
I have no science to back up what I'm about to say, but I use Kodak powdered hardening fixer, mixed in opaque brown gallon jugs. I have two jugs on hand-one for fresh, never-used fixer and one for 'used'. I never hesitate to use fresh fixer for two or three rolls in a row if I'm processing them back-to-back, but either way always just pour it into the used jug and then will often use that another couple times before moving it into my darkroom for fixing RC paper. I'm sure there are limits on how long you're supposed to store it, but I typically keep my 'fresh' fixer for up to 6-9 months if I'm not shooting much and my used fixer for just as long, but once it's been in the 'used' bin for over a month or so I use it only for prints, not film.
 
I keep mine in an "Arizona Tea" plastic jug and store it in my "Photo Closet"...
When I use it I just pour it out from the jug, when I'm done, using a funnel, I pour it back...
I use this Fixer only for film...
It will last at least six months depending on how much film I develop in that time frame...some times its lasts longer...
When your fixing time doubles in order to get it to clear then it's gone...
I don't think you have to store it in the dark or in dark bottles and I don't think oxygen will hurt it either...
 
I mix up Zonal brand @ 1:4 into a 1 gallon Brown plastic (classic darkroom) Jug. It's liquid and comes in a 32oz container so, is also pre-measured for 1:4ratio making one gallon. Stored after squeezing all air out and putting lid on tight it will last up to 20 roll+ . how long it lasts depends on the film. If I'm shooting a lot of Tmax400 as I usually do it exhausts after 20 rolls or so to the point that I need to double the time of fixing (to 10 min from 5). HP5 and acros100 seem less demanding on fixer. Anyone who is using 1:4 as a one shot is wasting it. YMMV I'm quite comfortable that years of negs I have are clear and stable. For Prints I never re-use fixer.
 
I am using ilford rapid fixer. Dialute 100ml to make 500ml, and store it in a regular 500ml drinking water bottle. I reuse it for 7-8 rolls, and there's no problem at all. I am confident that it can fix more rolls, but I did not try.
 
Use a proper darkroom bottle (brown plastic). I put fixer in a white plastic milk container; within a month the milk bottle was leaking severely.
 
It depends on the size of the container, your concentration and how much of it you use. I have 1:9 fixer for paper in a 1 gallon jug that exhausts about every 2 months. I have a 5 Gallon tank I use for developing film and it has a lid on the tank. That lasts about 6 months and my dilution is 1:4. You can always get something called hypo-check and one drop in the fixer will tell you if the silver in the fixer is exhausted or not. Some people don't trust it, but I do and it has worked well for me. You can always take a leeder of film, dip it in a newly mixed fixer and see how long it takes to clear the film. if it's 1 minute and you check it every month or so and it starts to take 2-3 minutes you know it's about time to change over. Fixer is relatively cheap and lasts quite a while, so I'd set up some kind of chart for paper/film and switch it at a certain point all the time. You don't want a print yellowing or spotting 2 years from now because of weak fixer or have weird colour base patterns in your film because you fixed it with old stuff.
 
From the lips of the Great Yellow Father.
He speaketh unto us thusly

Kodak Fixer(powder)
Stock solution storeth for two months in full container
Capacity Is 100 8X10 sheets.
1 8X10=80 sq inches. 35mm, 36 exposure = ~53 sq inches

It's pretty obvious that the storage life estimate is very conservative.
 
There is a chemical fixer strength tester. Drop some drops into the fixer and if a white precipitate forms, it's exhausted. Also, when developing film, place a clipped piece of exposed (but not developed) film in the lid of the fixer container with some fixer in it. Notice the length of time it takes to clear, then continue to fix the film in the tank for twice the amount of time.
 
FrankS said:
There is a chemical fixer strength tester. Drop some drops into the fixer and if a white precipitate forms, it's exhausted. Also, when developing film, place a clipped piece of exposed (but not developed) film in the lid of the fixer container with some fixer in it. Notice the length of time it takes to clear, then continue to fix the film in the tank for twice the amount of time.
Click to expand...

I might do this some time soon as I'm pretty sure my Fixer is now exhausted...:cool:
I think I'll label the bottle with the mix date and then try to keep a record on how many rolls were fixed...
 
exhausted fixer will fail to remove silver from your negatives. the results will be quite obvious. I'm currently using Freestyle's Legacy Eco-Pro (a non-hardening fix) that says on the jug can be re-used for something like 19 cycles before it becomes exhausted. I typically use fewer cycles to be on the safe side. If I really wanted to be safe, I'd spend a few bucks on the tester mentioned above. Nothing more frustrating than screwing up a few rolls of film with "the best shots you've ever made" simply because you wanted to save a few pennies on chemicals.
 
The instructions on fixer about "exhaustion" are misleading. I have never seen instructions, which, when tested, really meant that the fixer was "exhausted". Under average use, they have you throw the fixer out when it gets to about 6 g/L silver, the limit for fixer to still produce negs that store well long term. Fixer will keep dissolving the silver out of your negs for a LONG time after it gets to 6 g/L but they are not long-term stable. If you really want proper fixation and good storage for your negs, use a two-bath approach, testing regularly and throwing bath 1 out after it gets to 6 g/L silver. The clearing time test works quite well but can be misleading under a few circumstances, particularly when you use different films with different clearing times.

Marty
 
If you want long term stability of the negs or prints, use FRESH fixer. Use hypo-check. also consider a cheap silver recovery unit to as not to contaminate the environment.
 
I don't understand the desire to never use hypo check. It's a whopping $4 a bottle, and I've been using my bottle since I took my first photo course in 2005. It's down to about 3/4 full right now. I think it was worth it (in the cost of constantly getting new fixer alone, plus quality results).

As far as silver recovery goes, I found THIS system for sale. I've seen a couple good things about it, but haven't used it myself. Might be worth a look. Plus, that 30 troy ounces of silver it can pick up adds up to (at $31 an ounce as of today) is almost $1,000. Then again, does anyone know how much film you need to burn through to get almost 2 pounds of silver?
 
I use Sprint fixer, and mix it 1:4 for both film and paper. I add half the recommended hardener for my films. They don't get scratches and they don't curl. I store fixer in clear glass bottles- a 1/2 gallon 'growler' type for film and one gallon jugs for print fixer. I re-use my fixer, testing before each session with the Edwal Hypo-Check. However: when I settle in to make final prints of any kind, or make any prints for a client I mix fresh fixer. Not a time to skimp. I'll re-use that for my own proofsheets or the quick 810 prints I make to evaluate picks from my proofsheets. I've not found the Sprint fixer to go bad in the bottle- and I have stored print fix in half full gallon jugs for months at a time. I prefer the 'fast fix' method for prints: the idea that a strong fixer does it's job quickly and penetrates the paper less, so washes out more quickly. I regularly test for both residual silver and residual fixer in my prints- it takes only a few minutes and brings great peace of mind that there won't be any surprises down the road.

For those who are leery of Hypo-check there is another more convoluted test one can do with a similar home-brew test solution, or one can always check clearing time by dipping the cut off end of some undeveloped film into the fixer. It should begin to clear to the eye in less than 15 seconds. I've not used this method in twenty plus years, preferring Hypo-Check. I've used a few bottles up in twenty years. I've likely spent about $30 on the stuff in my lifetime.
 
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Hardener does not harden wet emulsion appreciably, and it is when the emulsion is wet that most scratches occur. The primary purpose of hardener is/was to harden emulsions that were still very soft after drying, but there are few of these left, with the exception of the Efke films.

Marty
 
I would suggest you use Ilford rapid fixer, on the container it tells you how many films you can fix per liter, its so simple just keep a record of the films you process and stop when you reach the number of films, that way you will always have well fixed films and you'll be helping a company committed to the future of B&W analogue photogrpahy !
 
Great - except that I could not find it anywhere on my bottle of Ilford rapid fixer (1L)...

d_ross said:
I would suggest you use Ilford rapid fixer, on the container it tells you how many films you can fix per liter, its so simple just keep a record of the films you process and stop when you reach the number of films, that way you will always have well fixed films and you'll be helping a company committed to the future of B&W analogue photogrpahy !
Click to expand...
 
I use Kodafix - mix up one gallon of it, store in a brown plastic jug. I keep a simple tag of how many films i have fixed and when I hit 60 rolls I dump it and mix a fresh batch (usually 4-6 weeks). Kodak claims 80 rolls/gallon but I rather err on the safe side. Fixing time is usually 6-10 minutes (first 20 rolls 6-7 min, next 20 8-9 minutes and the last 20 for 10 minutes.
 
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