Measuring cylinders

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Gareth
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Before spending the earth on some is there a hack to source these cheaper?

Just developed my first films and only had one measuring jug I robbed from the kitchen so now need to replace that lol! Found it a bit stressful with the timing, inverting the dev tank and also having to get the next chemicals ready at the right temperature in the one mixing jug.

Think it'll be a lot less stressful to have the chemicals made on advance in their measuring jugs so all I have to worry about is timings and inversions.

I would buy more of the one I used from the kitchen but it's proper wide and big so probably not very accurate so would rather get a more thinner taller measuring cylinder.

Thanks.
 
Yousgouldhavesomestoragebottleswhichwillmakethingseasierwhenistartediciuldntaffirdameasuringcylinderandgotmywatervolumesbyweighingwateronthekitchenbalancescales.
 
What sizes do you feel you need?
If it's larger sizes (200ml & up?) you can use a drinks bottle & calibrate it your self - either by weight of water, or by transferring multiple aliquots from a smaller volume. It should be quite easy to get this repeatable enough for photographic use.
For smaller sizes I prefer to use a disposable syringe, we have these at work in sizes from 1ml (with markings every 0.1ml IIRC) up to at least 20ml. Cost for these in box quantities are fairly minimal.
Mind you at work I often have to work to much higher precision than is possible with measuring cylinders - weighing to 0.1mg into volumetric flasks and even then my new boss would rather we used externally certified standards.
 
There is no need for professional analytical precision for developing films. I use a normal polythene kitchen measuring jug which is plenty accurate enough for water. For measuring the small amount of Rodinol i need, I put the jug with water on the kitchen electronic scales and weigh the two grams I need (not fully accurate as I am assuming that Rodinol has the same density as water which is wrong but it is near enough not to matter).
 
Stephen, are you alright?!
Be assured he's fine, I'm presently in contact with him;).......He had a justified reason for his estranged typing episode.
He may or may not explain his motive.
At least he has to make an effort to type like that, I manage to do it involuntary ! :runaway::wideyed::LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
Thanks all, when I got the developing kit it came with one mixing cylinder which is small but big enough for mixing the quantities of chemicals. I did think about getting some large 1000ml cylinders but having seen your replies I might hit up the pound shop and get some rigid containers that I can add ml levels to with a sharpie.

Yousgouldhavesomestoragebottleswhichwillmakethingseasierwhenistartediciuldntaffirdameasuringcylinderandgotmywatervolumesbyweighingwateronthekitchenbalancescales.

Eh?!
 
I have one measuring cylinder, up to 300 ml, and one jug, up to 1 litre. Also use clip seal plastic jars to hold the chems. Make them up in the right order (dev, stop, fix) to reduce contamination of the measuring cylinder. The clip seals jars seem fine for keeping stop and fix for extended periods.

However, does anyone know how to tell if your stop bath is no longer functional? I think I've been using mine for over a year! TBF I made up 750 ml for the 4x5 tacos, and only take 200 ml out each time (returning it to the same jar).
 
However, does anyone know how to tell if your stop bath is no longer functional?

You can clip test fixer with a bit of exposed leader, if it doesn't clear in less than a minute its probably time to mix up some fresh.
A lot of my methods do not relate to the problems experienced by small scale developing.
For instance, I'm not breaking out my dev gear for less than 10 rolls, so I discard fixer after one session and thus exhausted fixer is not a concern.
I mix 30 shots of xtol in one go, it keeps well so there is no faffing with measuring during dev other than tipping 3 bottles in to 1.5l of water.
I use 2 five reel tanks, my jugs are 2L and built to carry 2L without wobbling all over the gaff and all my ml measuring gear are pyrex tumblers, which I ought to give away really because I don't use them, I just don't measure ml anymore.
I think if you're staying small scale, 2 jugs and 2 measuring cylinders are a minimum, faffing about rinsing one of each to prevent contamination is time consuming and probably water wasteful...:)
 
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However, does anyone know how to tell if your stop bath is no longer functional?

:ROFLMAO:, sorry about that Chris, I miss read your question and now it feels like I just taught your Grandma to suck eggs
ah well, leaving it up anyway.
For prints I'm using indicator stop, I don't bother with stop for film
 
Before spending the earth on some is there a hack to source these cheaper?

Just developed my first films and only had one measuring jug I robbed from the kitchen so now need to replace that lol! Found it a bit stressful with the timing, inverting the dev tank and also having to get the next chemicals ready at the right temperature in the one mixing jug.

Think it'll be a lot less stressful to have the chemicals made on advance in their measuring jugs so all I have to worry about is timings and inversions.

I would buy more of the one I used from the kitchen but it's proper wide and big so probably not very accurate so would rather get a more thinner taller measuring cylinder.

Thanks.
My total cheapskate solution to this problem is beer. Many beers/lagers come in 330ml bottles which would do fine meantime for developing single 35mm films in a Paterson type tank. Don't use these for storage, only for prep prior to use. There are also 500ml beer bottles which would be fine for 120 film, but 568ml bottles might be better with a mark on them for accuracy. I'm assuming there are no children with access to your chemicals, and they shouldn't be near beer bottles either. For the longer term, investing in proper measuring cylinders is the way to go, and these can be marked at 300 and 500ml. Be safe. (y)

OTOH, if you don't want to drink the beer or hang about your local bottle bank, here's a set of 3 x 500ml new clear glass bottles delivered for £8.99
 
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Thanks all. I was looking at 1000ml cylinders hence me asking for cheaper hacks!

I bought the Ilford simplicity kit that make up to 600ml each process and some frames at the bottom you can see a dark band that on some frames, has circles on the top of it so I think I didn't have enough dev / fixer in the dev tank. My dev tank is a 2 spiral tank so I think I need to make slightly more next time so the tanks proper full? I've attached a pic showing the band I'm on about.
 

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I bought a bunch of cheap plastic pipettes from ebay for measuring small quantities of Rodinal. For the rest I use a mixture of plastic jugs and laboratory glassware which I acquired over time, you can write on the plastic jugs with a sharpie so I keep separate jugs for developer, stop and fixer. I can see some mileage, for small amounts of solution, in using syringes but the pipettes are easier to wash out.
 
Picked up 4 of these 2 pint jugs today for 79p a go. They had smaller 1 pint jugs for 69p but felt developing 2 films, a pint wouldn't be enough.

Got a second 300ml cylinder coming from ebay so I'll have 4 jugs and 2 measuring cylinders.
 

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More important than measuring jugs (given that the mixes tend to be a bit arbtrary the more experienced you get) would be collapsible bottles since you will prematurely age your chemicals if you have too much free air space over the top of them.
 
Are dark bottles for storing developing chemicals really necessary? I use those fizzy pop bottles. They are very tough and collapse well to expel air, even when standing on the thicker base to flatten them. The bottles are stored in a dark drawer.
 
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Dark and airless is the thing rather than particular bottles - but if you are going to be worried about measuring jugs then you'll be terrified about storage bottles... :naughty:
 
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