Marc,
Not to worry! My ongoing contacts with new-generation adults confirm a
strong movement toward craft silver process art. These young folk are
revered as the new alchemists of photography. What is old is new, again.
Peter
On 28 November 2017 at 20:28, Marc James Small <marcsmall@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
At 09:58 PM 11/26/2017, `Richard Knoppow wrote:
This was mixed from scratch D-76. The effect was discovered early and
there is a long paper about its cause and cure. Don't have the citation
handy. I am not sure I remember the explanation exactly but the cure was
to buffer the solution by using a combination of Borax and Boric acid. The
commercial packaged version is either this or something close to it. The
experimental data shows it is much more stable as far as activity than the
original. There is an alternative formula using Kodalk (sodium metaborate
pentahydrate).
The formula is:
Kodak D-76d Buffered Borax Developer
Water (at about 125F or 52C)..............0.750 ml
Metol.....................................2.0 grams
Sodium sulfite, desiccated..............100.0 grams
Hydroquinone..............................5.0 grams
Borax, granulated.........................8.0 grams
Boric acid, crystalline...................8.0 grams
Water to make.............................1.0 liter
Mix in order given. Times are the same as for fresh standard D-76
To minimize fog and maximize film speed with fresh developer add
Potassium bromide.........................0.5 gram.
Boric acid powder should not be used as it dissolves only with great
difficulty.
==========================================================
Now, THAT is the sort of technical message I enjoy. The shift from analog
to digital has taken away from us the charm of the darkroom and its
associated foibles, from the finer points of chemistry to the mechanics of
getting a roll loaded properly onto a reel. Damn, but I miss those days,
though I do still have all of my darkgroom stuff.
Thanks, Richard, for a very deeply appreciated stroll down memory lane.
Marc
