Developer Formulas--Morgan & Morgan circa 1980

[jreitsma]

Folks;

I just managed to pick up a copy of the "Morgan and Morgan Darkroom Book" circa 1980 ($2.00 hard cover at a local flea market). The book has a variety of developer formulas in the back...some of them from Agfa, GAF, KODAK and a few others. The book also has formulas for intensifiers, toners, hypo and stop bath that may be of interest.

Anyway, I'll be happy to post a few of them as I go along. Please let me know if you are interested in a particular formula as it may be listed in this book (or I may have access to it from some of the other sources I've collected over the years).

I, for one, may just try the following:

AGFA 72:
Description: A soft-working developer built around Glycin. It produces gently graded results in either tank or tray,

Water= 1.0 Liter @ 52 C (HOT).
Sodium Sulfite: 125 Grams
Glycin: 50 Grams
Potassium Carbonate: 250 Grams.

Tank Development: 1 part stock solution to 10 parts water.
Develop at 18C for 15`20 minutes

Tray Development: 1 part stock solution to 4 parts water.
Develop at 18C for 5~7 minutes.

NOTE ON USING GLYCIN: In my experience, this chemical dissolves very slowly in water. This little problem is corrected by adding just a pinch of Sodium Sulfite to the water before you start to add the Glycin to the water.

I may consider trying this developer with Ilford Delta Pro 100....and start a new thread with the results.

Later- Joe

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I have this book, and there are some interesting formulas in it, but you might post anything you're interested in before trying it, as I recall there are some errors. For instance, the formula for Agfa #12 on p. 152 leaves out the developing agent--not that I know what it is, but the formula as given won't develop film.

 

[jreitsma]

Moran and Morgan.....thanks for the caution...

David;

Thanks for the caution on the AGFA #12 Formula....I'll look at some of my other sources and see what they have for the developing agent (my guess would be Metol but, that would just be a guess....).

Later- Joe

 

[George Nova Scotia]

Agfa #12

From my version of the book (looseleaf version last updates from 1981). Agfa #12 would include 8 grams of Metol.

 

[Ian Grant]

The Morgan & Morgan publications are very unreliable as there are far too many errors, some were typographical, others miscalculations converting Anhydrous to crystalline in the case of Sulphite or crystalline to anhydrous or monohydrated rtc with Carbonate. Unfortunately other US publications used them as a source and so perpetuated the errors further.

All formulae need to be checked with the manufacturers publications, taking into account that sometimes a formula might be revised, or rounded of for amateur publications, which Kodak did with D72 and others.

There's much confusion in US publications as well with Agfa formulae, almmost none of the German Agfa formulae numbers are the same developer as the corresponding Agfa Ansco/Gaf numbered developer, Agfa 72 is the only one and Agfa 12 is the next closest, and Agfa Ansco 17 is identical to Agfa/Orwo 44, the rest are all different. some while having the same use have different developing agents, a Lith/Process dev uses Hydroquinone and formaldehyde in the US and Pyrocatechin in Germany.

Some formulae like Agfa Ansco 12 are very close with a wrong conversion of the Carbonate form, Agfa in Germany always used Anhydrous, while Ansco used Monohydrated which is the more common form in the US and used by Kodak as well.


Agfa/Orwo 12

Metol 8g
Sodium Sulphite (anhyd) 125g
Sodium Carbonate (anhyd) 6g
Potassium Bromide 2.5
Water to 1 litre

From Agfa Rezepte, 1955/1960 and Agfa Handbuch (pre WWII)


Agfa Ansco/Gaf 12

Metol 8g
Sodium Sulphite (anhyd) 125g
Sodium Carbonate (Monohydrated) 5.75g (5g anhyd)
Potassium Bromide 2.5g
Water to 1 litre

From Agfa Ansco Formulas 1938, 1941 & GAF FORMULAS for Black & White Photography 1950

Ian

 

[sepiareverb]

There is a green toner in the "Photo Lab Index" (compact hardcover one) that instantly produces hydrogen sulfide gas when mixed.