GAF 231 Gold Toner - Can it be diluted for fewer uses

[simgrant]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone has tried diluting GAF 231 gold toner to save on gold chloride if one is doing fewer prints in one session. 1L of GAF 231 needs 60ml of 1% gold chloride solution which is really expensive, but the solution doesn't keep. Previously I have used Tetenal Gold Toner which has a good capacity and great working life but this is out of stock where I live and won't be available for many months. I was thinking to dilute it 1:9 for toning 2 or 3 12x16 prints max. I don't mind if toning takes a long time.

FYI, I am wanting to tone warm chlorobromide papers a cool blue and additionally want the slight contrast enhancement and archival protection that gold toners impart.

Regards, Simon.

 

[Rich Ullsmith]

Are you asking: If I dilute gold toner, will I get more capacity? Cocaine and gold toner addicts have wondered about this for years.

If this is a chloro paper like ektalure me I would use selenium first, to get a brown/black/blue split.

I do not know what you speak of "solution doesn't keep." What solution doesn't keep?

 

[simgrant]

Sources for this recipe (Anchell, Rudman, etc.) state that the working solution once mixed only lasts a few hours. Presumably the same way other working solutions like developers don't keep, by decomposition or oxidation. What I mean is, will a more dilute solution tone a print to the same degree, but with less capacity? or will it be ineffective or not give the same result?

 

[SMBooth]

My thoughts on this is if you have x amount of gold in 50ml if you add another 50ml of water then you still have x amount of gold just the time to react will alter.
I should add thats for a GT / Thiourea toner not a pre mixed bottle.

 

[simgrant]

Yes this is my thought Shane, but I am hoping someone has tried this. I am connected with Dr. Tim Rudman of Facebook and thought about asking him, but I don't know him personally so think this might be impolite.

Sent from my SM-N910G using Tapatalk

 

[naaldvoerder]

Yes this is my thought Shane, but I am hoping someone has tried this. I am connected with Dr. Tim Rudman of Facebook and thought about asking him, but I don't know him personally so think this might be impolite

I think you should try and ask him anyway. As far as I can tell, Tim Rudman is very liberal with sharing his (unsurpassed) knowledge on the subject of toning and other printing matters. I do not know, but I suspect this tendency has something to do with his medical academic background, where sharing and dispensing knowledge was undoubtingly instilled..

I may be wrong offcourse..

 

[DREW WILEY]

I just buy 1% gold chloride rather than branded products and it comes out vastly cheaper. And yes, for many applications you can use a much
weaker solution for longer time to achieve analogous results.

 

[SMBooth]

I forgot to mention that you still need enough gold in solution to "do the job" so to speak.

 

[simgrant]

If I hear back from Dr. Rudman I will post what I learn in this thread.