Hi Jonathan, this subject has been debated many times it seems, when doing a search of my posts, as I tried out various tinned gases.
I used Protectan for quite a while, until running out of it and discovering the new ridiculous price. I eventually found a safer and non-flammable tinned gas used for food and wine, which get a mention in two posts in the following thread and are at #17 and #27:
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ght=butane+gas
I used them for a while but then had a faulty bottle or two, which the sellers were good enough to replace free of charge, but the third bottle put me right off, when the nozzle got stuck again and emptied the tin really quickly. So try them if you feel lucky.
After much more reading, a lot of members said that they used wine bags to marbles to lighter gas from the Pound-shop, for yes, one pound a tin!
:
http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.or...ght=butane+gas
I was a little wary as my darkroom is in a log cabin at the end of the garden, but found out Protectan mostly had flammable gases in as well. So, having used this safely for years, I now use the tinned aerosol lighter fuel instead and am happy to use it, but be careful.
I did have trouble using it initially though, as trying to hold the nozzle whilst pushing down the tin, almost literally froze the ends of my fingers off, as it's a very cold gas when used. I finally found a solution when I bought a wooden spatula from Wilko's for about a pound. It has a small hanger hole at the top of the handle, which I place over the bottle to be gassed and push the nozzle into it. The hole is just small enough to push the nozzle in to dispense the gas. I'm sure other things could be used or even a small hole could be drilled into something and do the same job?
Anyway, a few years later, my chemicals have all been preserved at a much lower cost than Protectan etc. meaning more left to spend on other things.
Oh, and I did look at Argon gas and it is available with an adapter for under £30, so a little investment, but I could only find the gas canisters in 60 litre versions, so they'll be huge and last us and our grandchildren's children out I would imagine.
Shame, as it's a good price and if only they were produced in much smaller tins... Any entrepreneurs out there reading this?
Terry S