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  #21  
Old 12th May 2018, 02:06 PM
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Bob Bob is offline
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Any butane will do but I've gone back to argon after finding it cheaply on Amazon. Argon is inert but butane is rather less so and having my darkroom filled with little incendary devices makes me nervous . The butane is a lot easier to use tho - the bottles of argon are thick and heavy and you need a regulator to extract the gas.

They both have the advantage of being heavier than air so even if there is plenty of air left in the container, the gas should blanket the cheminals keeping the air away. I tested argon some time ago by squirting some into a 1l measuring graduate, leaving it for a minute and lowering a lighted taper into it. Sure enough, about half-way down the taper went out - while lowering it into the emply graduate it went all the way to the bottom. Do NOT try this with butane

Saying that, there is always air/oxygen mixed in with a chemical so the best you can do is stop more being added.

Last edited by Bob; 12th May 2018 at 06:01 PM.
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  #22  
Old 12th May 2018, 02:19 PM
ashfaque ashfaque is offline
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Thanks Bob. I'll get the Butane for the time being. Since I'm here in UK only until Early October I'm keeping things very simple.

The chemical suppier (back home) also told me that argon is cheap, but that the problem is one has to deal those large and heavy cylinder.

So if I can grab any tiny user replaceable gas cannister in UK, those Fabreeze air freshener size (if such thing exits), I'll take it with me back to Dhaka.
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  #23  
Old 12th May 2018, 05:28 PM
Michael Michael is offline
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ashfaque, why not get Protectan instead? At least it is marketed with our purpose in mind. I have used it happily for years.
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  #24  
Old 12th May 2018, 08:46 PM
ashfaque ashfaque is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael View Post
ashfaque, why not get Protectan instead? At least it is marketed with our purpose in mind. I have used it happily for years.
Hi Michael,
Largely it is the cost. Tetenal, imo, is charging a huger mark-up. I can't justify the cost when I can get something cheaper like Butane.

Also, once I'm back to Dhaka, it'll be very difficult to get it there. My friend actually bought a canister of it 2/3 years ago from Germany. So when he was packing his friend, who was working for the Airport, told him he shouldn't take it in his bag as wasn't sure about it! So it is still in Germany.
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  #25  
Old 13th May 2018, 12:32 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Out of curiosity, I have just checked ebay uk and the cheapest bottle of argon in a 'disposable' canister is £16.40, which is round about the price of a can of Protectan - depending upon where you buy it of course.

But, then you have to add on some form of adapter to the top and a bit of hose. These start off cheaply but I wouldn't know where to start there!

So for now I will continue with my much used can of Protecan, which I've had for I don't know how many years.

Yes, it may be marked up in price for what it is, but it works for me. Only downside is that you can't tell how much is left in the can by shaking it...

Terry S
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  #26  
Old 13th May 2018, 07:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry S View Post
Out of curiosity, I have just checked ebay uk and the cheapest bottle of argon in a 'disposable' canister is £16.40, which is round about the price of a can of Protectan - depending upon where you buy it of course.

Terry S
Amazon has them from £10 inc postage and there is lot more argon in there than butane in Protectan. But yes, Protectan definitely wins the ease of use/less fuss game.
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  #27  
Old 14th May 2018, 11:27 AM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Ah, I forgot to check Amazon as well.

The first of what looks like an all in one kit / set is here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Argon-co2-t...keywords=argon

Taking a good look again though, I have now been put off totally going down the above argon route, as there seems to be a lot of hefty looking gloves and eyes / face protector glasses / visors / helmets in the same listing that as the bottles of gas, which I presume one would need. Me now thinks its initial positive point of cost now seems out-wade by the negatives, including a much higher outlay for all the different bits.

Yep, it might be expensive for what it is, but it's done / doing me proud by it's capacity to last, so I'll think I'll stick with the can available for photographic purposes.

Terry S
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  #28  
Old 15th May 2018, 11:45 AM
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Heeey, you know that Llike Mike I also use the empty wine bags and boxes they have been the best for keeping mixed Bromophon in, its also
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  #29  
Old 21st July 2018, 09:36 PM
Jon Janson Jon Janson is offline
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Glass Marbles..
Buy a big bag of kids glass marbles and as you use the developer add the marbles to displace the air until the dev is close to the top of the bottle neck, give the bottle a slight squeeze as you tighten the cap to get the last remaining air out... Been doing it for donkey's, it's cheap and works well.
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  #30  
Old 21st July 2018, 11:11 PM
Mike O'Pray Mike O'Pray is offline
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Terry your link seems to take me to a kit which is £19.29 so more expensive than Protectan and with a £17.50 delivery cost

My wine bags cost less. Of course on the minus side, I have to drain the bags of wine which is a dirty job but someone's got to do it.

Mike
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