Made Solutions A and B of the Formulary 231 Toner. [The kit had been unopened for four years. Don't know if Gold Chloride has an expiration date.]. Tried to accomplish two effects: blues and yellows.
[1] The Blues, I followed instructions. Paper: FOMA Variant 131 developed in a neutral developer, and then MGFB developed in Selectsoft. In both cases, there were no blues, rather just black and white. The siight olive cast of the Variant 131 had been replaced by simple B&W. After 20 minutes for both. After six minutes the color of the solution had faded by one half, and be twenty minutes it was exhausted, as pointed out in the instructions. I used test strips. and a 40ml solution, 10ml of Gold Chlroide and 30ml of the ammonium thiocyanate. So no joy there. Despite a warm tone paper and a neutral tone paper.
[2] Also, tried to get yellows following Tim Rudman's guidance in his toning book. [p. 62]. Bleached with Ferri, and then immersed in the gold chloride solution directly. Small test strips. Here I did get some yellows. BUT fixing completely wiped out the gold. No joy there.
And going to go for the reds now, after a sulfide tone with Thiocarbimide and NaOH.
Any idea why I am not getting blues? This stuff is expensive. And unlike Nelson's Gold Toner, it is not stable. It's like Farmer's Reducer. A very short life.
The promise of pinks, salmons etc is seductive. But I am striking out on every swing.
Thank you.
[1] The Blues, I followed instructions. Paper: FOMA Variant 131 developed in a neutral developer, and then MGFB developed in Selectsoft. In both cases, there were no blues, rather just black and white. The siight olive cast of the Variant 131 had been replaced by simple B&W. After 20 minutes for both. After six minutes the color of the solution had faded by one half, and be twenty minutes it was exhausted, as pointed out in the instructions. I used test strips. and a 40ml solution, 10ml of Gold Chlroide and 30ml of the ammonium thiocyanate. So no joy there. Despite a warm tone paper and a neutral tone paper.
[2] Also, tried to get yellows following Tim Rudman's guidance in his toning book. [p. 62]. Bleached with Ferri, and then immersed in the gold chloride solution directly. Small test strips. Here I did get some yellows. BUT fixing completely wiped out the gold. No joy there.
And going to go for the reds now, after a sulfide tone with Thiocarbimide and NaOH.
Any idea why I am not getting blues? This stuff is expensive. And unlike Nelson's Gold Toner, it is not stable. It's like Farmer's Reducer. A very short life.
The promise of pinks, salmons etc is seductive. But I am striking out on every swing.
Thank you.
