[pure-silver] Re: Ansco 221 Observations & Questions

Richard Knoppow wrote:
----- Original Message ----- From: "Steve Nicholls" <gl1500@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 
To: <pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, June 09, 2007 7:46 PM
Subject: [pure-silver] Re: Ansco 221 Observations & Questions



As a further question on toners -- What type of yoner is Agfa Viradon?
I have found it works well with a partially bleached print and then redeveloped in a 1:50 bath of Viradon.
Quite rich brown as long as the image isn't completely removed by the bleach. 

Also does anyone know the keeping quality of the mixed Viradon toner?
Agfa made two types of toners under the name Viradon. The older toner was a combination of a Polysulfide and a Selenium toner similar, but probably not identical to, Kodak Polytoner. The later version of Viradon is a Polysulfide toner without the Selenium. I've forgotten how long ago the change was made but I think about ten years. Polysulfide toners, like Viradon and Kodak Brown Toner, do not need the bleach step although they will redevelop bleached prints. This is a "direct" toner but both the Agfa and Kodak versions work very slowly unless heated to about 100F. Because Polysulfide toners affect all densities equally they provide good protection to an image even when only partially toned. The current recommended toner for protecting microfilm is a Polysulfide toner. I don't know the life of the mixed toner. I've had some Kodak Brown Toner that was mixed quite a long time ago and still appears to be OK. Its possible to get something like (but probably not identical to) the discontinued old Viradon or Kodak Polytoner by mixing Kodak Brown Toner with Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner along with some Sodium Carbonate. This mixture works quite fast even at room temperature. I've posted the formula to this list in the past so it should still be in the archives. The color produced by the combination toner is a bit different than either toner alone. While prints toned in a Polysulfide toner can just be washed after toning there is an advantage in treating them in a Sodium Sulfite bath. The Sulfite immediately clears the yellow stain and also stops the toning process which otherwise continues for a time in the wash. While the instructions call for 10% sulfite I've found that working strength Kodak Hypo Clearing Bath seems to work fine. Note that Polysulfide toners have the peculiar property of working faster as they become exhausted or diluted. This is one reason for using the sulfite "stop" bath before washing. Also, very diluted or mostly exhuasted Polysulfide toner can leave an overall yellow or peach-colored stain. I don't know of any way to remove this stain. Like most other toners the speed of toning and final image color depend on the properties of the original image and emulsion. In general, and for most toners, warm tone papers tone faster and yellower than cold tone ones. This is partially due to the size of the silver particals of which the image is made. Again, as a rule of thumb, the finer the silver grains the yellower the original image color. This is why some extra-fine-grain film developers leave a brownish image. AFAIL, Agfa Viradon is no longer made although someone is supposed to be making some of the old Agfa chemicals again. Kodak Brown Toner is definitely still made and is available. One can also make a Polysulfide toner using Kodak Formula T-8. Polysulfide is also known as Liver of Sulphur. 

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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Excellent information Richard. Thank you.

Steve
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