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  #1  
Old 28th October 2018, 01:40 PM
Terry S Terry S is offline
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Default Your oldest usable developer

Unexpectedly, yesterday I found myself without any multigrade developer. I was about to make up some fresh from chemicals that I have, until I could order some more. Then I found two one litre bottles of unopened Fotospeed Warm Tone developer tucked away at the back... but they was labelled best before 2011...

With nothing to lose, I made up a small amount for a 7 x 5 inch tray and did a quick test strip. And it worked fine! The blacks were really black and all the tones were there. I therefore diluted more up, at 1 + 9, for enough to fill my Nova slot processor. I was then able to get on with my printing for the October print swap.

The trial amount that I made up was accidentally diluted at 1 + 19, but my Kentmere RC paper came out with quite a nice warm tone surprisingly, so I am have to revisit that dilution (and 1 + 29) sometime soon.

So, what is the oldest developer that you have used, that surprised you by working and yes, we all know about Rodinal's long shelf life powers, so lets hear from about some others.

Terry S
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Old 28th October 2018, 01:58 PM
Richard Gould Richard Gould is offline
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The oldest print developer I have is some Firstcall print develo[er which I got on 8/2/16, opened, and still nice and clear and working fine, I had put it to the back of my cubourd, then found it in a turn out so tried it out and still working fine, good blacks and tones, plus with Adox paper I get a nice warm tone, For realy warm tones on Art 300 I use the Fotospeed warm tone developer, at 1/19, takes 4 minutes to develop the print, but lovely warmth to the print, and will last a whole session, I tried ir out at 1/29 and the print is very warm, but the solution only lasts for 4 or 5 prints and needs changing, and I again have a part used bottle that is 2 years old
Richard
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Old 28th October 2018, 02:01 PM
Chrisvclick Chrisvclick is offline
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Got some ID11 and Promicrol from before 1978. Well, thats when the films they were packed away with went out of date anyway . Both chemicals work fine but film had a problem with the backing paper...
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Old 28th October 2018, 03:40 PM
big paul big paul is offline
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I must be a boring bugger as far as I know I have never used any chemical that has been out of date ,when I use them up I order some more and have been doing this for years ,but I must admit I found some film that had just came out of date at the bottom of my stash , and I shot all 5 rolls over the last month. But its good to know that chemicals can last a lot longer than I thought .
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Old 28th October 2018, 04:54 PM
Lostlabours Lostlabours is offline
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8 year old Pyrocat HD, just finishing some 4 year old Pyrocat HD made up in water.

2 year old Ilford ID-78 similar to Ilford Warmtone but with Phenidone not Dimezone, keeps better.

Ian
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Old 28th October 2018, 05:50 PM
John King John King is offline
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Almost certainly my last 500cc of Ilford ID11. The last bottle was finished about 11 months ago and that was fine. The date I marked on the bottle was 11.11, 2013. This is the last of a 2.5 litre packet and I always use it diluted to 1to1, (100cc per film) so to all intents and purposes it was a 5 litre quantity. Grain is the same. Contrast, normal and it doesn't smell other than......Well, actually there is no smell! It hasn't discoloured either.

I also have a couple of litre bottles of 3 yr old MG developer which are new and unopened and expect them to be normal too.

B&W Chemicals are so very very stable.
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Old 28th October 2018, 10:35 PM
JulioF JulioF is offline
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I used a bag of Kodak DK-50 from about 1962, worked fine.

As for liquids, my home-made Beutler lasts for about 4 months. Rodinal was good for several years.
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Old 29th October 2018, 09:25 AM
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skellum skellum is offline
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Like Big Paul I don't really have anything very old in the darkroom (other than myself). I tend to buy chemistry in small quantities, often.
Fix, selenium toner, and Farmers all seem to last a good while anyway. My only film developer these days is PMK Pyro. The concentrate lasts a very long time, but I've never had a bottle in use for more than a few months. For paper I buy Ilford MG dev in the 1 litre size, and haven't yet had one expire before finishing it.

I seem to remember HC110 kept forever, but I haven't used that for some years.
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Old 9th November 2018, 06:13 PM
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photomi7ch photomi7ch is offline
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I have some Fomatol PW that is coming up to three years out of date but it is a powder. I also have three bottles of liquid print developer by other manufactures that have a big film of dust on the top which i would guess are also out of date as well
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Old 9th November 2018, 07:21 PM
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PanFrank PanFrank is offline
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I had a pause in printing of more than 20 years. I kept the equipment and a bottle of Rodinal. Worked as fine as 20 years ago!
Frank
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