Glycin developers

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Hi all,

I'm having trouble locating glycin paper developers other than what Fine Art Photo Supply has to offer in Versa Print II. It's an excellent developer, but it's all I ever purchase from them, so shipping cost is a bit extravagant.
I like the glycin developers because on graded paper you can alter the contrast by leaving the print in the developer for a shorter or longer time. Very versatile with VC papers as well. Looks great with the ADOX Vario Classic.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

- Thom

 

[Ryuji]

I use ascorbate based developers almost exclusively, and when I decided to take this direction years ago, I did some careful tests. Frankly, I can make a very wide range of developers using ascorbate and Dimezone or Metol, and so there is no need to use glycin. If you like the particular result you get from your glycin developer, and you don't want to stay with it, then one thing you can do is to switch to another developer that produces similar results...

 

[JBrunner]

Hi all,

I'm having trouble locating glycin paper developers other than what Fine Art Photo Supply has to offer in Versa Print II. It's an excellent developer, but it's all I ever purchase from them, so shipping cost is a bit extravagant.
I like the glycin developers because on graded paper you can alter the contrast by leaving the print in the developer for a shorter or longer time. Very versatile with VC papers as well. Looks great with the ADOX Vario Classic.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

- Thom

Have you checked the Photographers Formulary? There is a link on the APUG title page. I get my "Ansco 130" from them.

 

[Ole]

Or you could buy some Glycin, and mix your own developers. I got some a while ago, and have used Ansco 130 and FX-2 ever since.

 

[PhotoJim]

I make my own Ansco 130. Glycin keeps fairly poorly in powder form (some say that it keeps better if you freeze it, but I haven't tried this yet), but developers that use it tend to keep well in stock solution form.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Jim,

is there a formula available for the Ansco 130 developer?

- Thom

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Have you checked the Photographers Formulary? There is a link on the APUG title page. I get my "Ansco 130" from them.

Is that the Formulary 130 product? I assumed it was. I order stuff from them once in a while, fixer, HCA, and so on. I think I've narrowed it down to the 130, either from the Formulary, or mix on my own.

Thanks for your help.

 

[PhotoJim]

Ansco 130


Water, 52 degrees ... 750 mL
Metol... 2.2 g
Sodium sulfite (anhydrous)... 50 g
Hydroquinone ... 11 g
Sodium carbonate (mono)... 78 g
Potassium bromide ... 5.5 g
Glycin ... 11 g
Cold water to make ... 1 L

Add a pinch of sodium sulfite to the water, stir it in. Then add the ingredients from metol on down in turn, stirring each to dissolve. Metol will not dissolve in water with much sulfite in it, but sulfite preserves metol from oxidation, so adding a pinch will protect the metol but still allow it to dissolve.

Glycin makes interesting sounds when it dissolves - it's almost effervescent - and it takes some effort to get it to dissolve.

The developer will be brownish and translucent when mixed. It looks like bad Dektol, even when it's good.

 

[juan]

The formula for Ansco/Agfa 130 is here .

PF 130 is the same thing and a very convenient way to order it.
juan

 

[Bob F.]

I can only easily get sodium carbonate as anhydrous and use 67g of that per litre. The conversion factor (monohydrate -> anhydrous) came from the web so I'm rather taking a leap of faith that it is correct. It seems to work fine - I suspect it is not critical in any case. Or, does anhydrous quickly absorb moisture and become mono in air? Is there a chemist in the house?

Great stuff and lasts forever - I only throw it away after a month or so because I get embarrassed at being such a skinflint for keeping it for so long...

Cheers, Bob.

 

[Ole]

... Or, does anhydrous quickly absorb moisture and become mono in air? Is there a chemist in the house?...

There are several.

Anhydrous sodium carbonate will slowly absorb water and become monohydrate. Just as the pentahydrate will become monohydrate, too. But it's not all that rapid, and it also depends on relative humidity, temperature, air circulation, et cetera.

I assume that the "unspecified" stuff I buy at the supermarket is monohydrate, and then store it with a loose lid to make sure that it will become monohydrate even if it isn't. So far all my developers have worked well based on that assumption.

 

[Robert Hall]

There are better ways to mix the glycin than others. Add a pinch of Sulfite first, then the Metol, if the formula calls for it. Then the Hydroquinone, then Glycin. After it disolves, add the rest of the sulphite and whatever else the formula calls for.

Glycin should be in the neighborhood of white when it's fresh. It gets brown as it gets older. I have just mixed a gallon after letting the Glycin sit for over a year. Works just peachy.

There are several formula using Glycin in the Cookbook by Anchell.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/02...144209/ref=sr_1_1/002-5501870-8079252?ie=UTF8

 

[MurrayMinchin]

Just to be annoying, here's another one...(12/15 developer)...

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Murray

 

[JBrunner]

The formula for Ansco/Agfa 130 is here .

PF 130 is the same thing and a very convenient way to order it.
juan

Yup, when you order PF 130 you basically get the premeasured ingredients for good old A130. Then I'm short nothing, and don't wind up with a bunch of something else.

 

[Gerald Koch]

There are better ways to mix the glycin than others. Add a pinch of Sulfite first, then the Metol, if the formula calls for it. Then the Hydroquinone, then Glycin. After it disolves, add the rest of the sulphite and whatever else the formula calls for.

Actually the Glycin should be dissolved after all the sulfite has been added. Glycin is more soluble in concentrated sulfite solutions. This is in contrast to Metol which is less soluble in sulfite solutions.

 

[Robert Hall]

Thank you Mr. Koch, I will give this a try next batch.

 

[removed account4]

there was a thread a while back asking a smiliar question.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

i plan on making some of mortenson's glycin variant when i get a chance

one thing to remember when mixing ansco 130 is that when you mix in the last ingredient it will fizz like mad. no need to worry, it isn't a exothermic reaction, your container won't melt

good luck!
john