Angi
From: "Rev. Sidney Flack" <sgflack@prodigy.net>
Reply-To: photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu
To: List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students <photoforum@listserver.isc.rit.edu>
Subject: Re: dektol question & xtol 5 lt
Date: Thu, 08 May 2003 14:15:49 -0500
As most respondents have already noted, Dektol does have a light tea coloring
when first mixed. This color does intensify as it ages and oxidizes. The
precipitate will form when the mixing temperature is off. I believe it will
clear but have never had to deal with it.
The color to watch out for is the color of the chemicals coming out of the
package as they too oxidize and turn brown. After moving and having to take
over a year to get my darkroom up an running, I quickly mixed up two 1 gal.
packages of dektol that I'd stored during that time. I had to throw them both
out unused as the chemicals themselves had turned brown.
Dektol has a definite capacity of prints per gallon or lt. of working strength
chemistry. It is roughly 80/25 fiber based 8x10 or equivalent prints per
gal/lt. This number, in my experience, is more exact than rough. The
softening that was referred to is a degradation of contrast. For me it will
happen from one print to the next, at which point I throw it out and mix
fresh. This is a poor and unreliable way to control contrast.
It is more reliable to use fresh Dektol and control contrast either with
filtration if using VC paper, or with the two developer system with graded
paper switching between Selectol Soft and Dektol. Other comparable developer
combinations are just as reliable in this fashion.
Each batch of working strength solution should also have one blank piece of
paper run through in white light for the full time to "season" the developer.
If not, the first print will be of higher contrast than the rest.
As far as the time it takes for the image to first appear, RC paper should
take roughly 10 seconds +/-. If it takes 15 + seconds your developer is
reaching exhaustion and should be discarded to maintain adequate contrast
control. FB paper will take considerably longer to come up, as much as 30
seconds. Full development is also longer with FB, 2 - 3 minutes as opposed to
1 minute with RC.
As for mixing a 5 lt, bottle of Polymax paper dev., who said you had to mix it
all at once? The convenience of a liquid stock concentrate is that you only
need mix as much as you need for a given session. The ratio is the same
whether you need one liter of working strength or 2 gallons. Leave the syrup
in the bottle and just mix it from there as needed. You can work out the
ratio from the instructions.
I do this with TMax RS developer. I just squeeze Part B into the bottle and
mix it from there. I also do it with Kodak Rapid Fixer which I buy by the 5
gallon box. I mix Hypo Clearing Agent to a 1 gal. stock and dilute 1:4 for
working strength. It all works just fine.
Peace!
-- God said, Let there be light! Divine Light: Photography by Rev. Sidney Flack 2507 E. 2nd Street Tulsa, OK 74104-1903 http://www.divinelightphotography.com
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