Chinese Amidol Tray Life

[c6h6o3]

I've noticed that I can't leave Chinese amidol out in the tray overnight as I've grown used to doing with Artcraft amidol. After struggling with a particularly troublesome negative on Sunday afternoon, I decided to bag it for a while and watch the 4th quarter of the Redskins game (boy, was that ever a painful mistake).

Yesterday evening I tried to pick up where I had left off and found the prints that I was getting had weak blacks and an overall washed out look, even with increased exposure. Sunday's prints had been beautifully rich in tone at all points of the scale.

Having said that, I should say that I've come to actually prefer the Chinese stuff, as it yields denser blacks and seems to arrive at a beautiful print more quickly. So I put up with the nasty staining and one shot my fixer to use it. Just beware of the fact that it oxidizes quickly.

Has anyone else noticed this and if so do you know where we hit the wall as far as useful tray life is concerned with Chinese amidol? Artcraft working solution is good for two or three days in a tray.

 

[JLP]

I think your experience with the Chinese Amidol is quite common. I usually don't print for more than 4-5 hours and have not seen an degrading of the developer in that timeframe.
Many have made staining from the Chinese Amidol a big problem but after 2 minutes in the print washer all stain is gone so i have no problems with that.
Except from a little time mixing because it needs a good filtering i also find it to be a great developer with wonderful tone especially with a little extra Kbr.

 

[Ronald Moravec]

Float some quality food wraop on the surface. The better grade of Saran is ok. But remember, all developers spoil fast when diluted ieven in a sealed bottle.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

To get better keeping property from Amidol developers try acidifying the solution with a small amount of citric acid. This also helps prevent staining. Try 1 to 3 g/l of working solution.

Also check out the Amidol developers on www.unblinkingeye.com for more infomation.

 

[c6h6o3]

To get better keeping property from Amidol developers try acidifying the solution with a small amount of citric acid. This also helps prevent staining. Try 1 to 3 g/l of working solution.

Also check out the Amidol developers on www.unblinkingeye.com for more infomation.

I should have stated that I was using the Michael A. Smith formula, which calls for 3 grams citric acid / liter of working solution. Jan, how much extra KBr are you using? I use 3cc/liter.

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

Float some quality food wraop on the surface.

This has worked for me.

 

[JLP]

Jim, To get a nice warm tone which i prefer, i have increased from 5cc to 10cc.
The extra Kbr does not seems to slow down or alter the potency at least to my eyes.
Toning in dilute selenium 1:30 for two minutes.

Should ad that i also use MAS formula except for the extra Kbr.

 

[c6h6o3]

Jim, To get a nice warm tone which i prefer, i have increased from 5cc to 10cc.
The extra Kbr does not seems to slow down or alter the potency at least to my eyes.
Toning in dilute selenium 1:30 for two minutes.

Should ad that i also use MAS formula except for the extra Kbr.

Thanks, I'll try it.

Shawn, I'll just discard it after every session. I've got 6 lbs. of it as well as 1 lb. of Artcraft left. At my age that's a lifetime supply. And it makes such a damned mess that I like to clean up as soon as possible after printing.

 

[Shawn Dougherty]

And it makes such a damned mess that I like to clean up as soon as possible after printing.

Does it ever....!

 

[Robert Hall]

What are you guys filtering it through?

Could I mix it in glycol, strain it, then use it as a % solution? Would that buy me anything as far as keeping the mess down, that is, using it from a premixed state?

Thanks Guys.

R

 

[JLP]

Robert,
i use a coffe filter, takes a little while but work fine.
You might want to check the LFF, Jay De Fehr is working on a method to make an Amidol stock solution.

 

[c6h6o3]

What are you guys filtering it through?

I use a filter funnel.