gold toner question

[Perikles]

Hello,
I noticed that Nelson's gold toner should be used - according to instructions - at a temperature of about 40 ° C. I have some problems in keeping so hot my developing tray. Anyone has any experience about using such toner? Does it works also at lower temperatures?
Any information much appreciated
Warm regards
Antonio

 

[andrewfrith]

I mixed it up and have only used it once so far. I tried it on Azo and I definitely was'nt at 40c, maybe 30c or so. It did shift it to a very warm red/brown tone after 10mins or so. I used the recipe on the formulas page on unblinkingeye.com. The reason i tried Azo was cos Nelsons Gold was supposed to be good for warm tones on chloride paper. I have'nt tried it on anything else yet, although i was wondering if it might work with Salt prints or Albumen prints too perhaps.

 

[ann]

it can work at room temp, but it will take a much longer time.

We place a tray with the toner in another larger tray with hot water.

be sure you fix after toning with a fixer that contains a hardener as the toner is hard on the paper.

 

[donbga]

Hello,
I noticed that Nelson's gold toner should be used - according to instructions - at a temperature of about 40 ° C. I have some problems in keeping so hot my developing tray. Anyone has any experience about using such toner? Does it works also at lower temperatures?
Any information much appreciated
Warm regards
Antonio

One method to use is to place an electric heating pad under the toner tray. Be sure to have the pad plugged into a ground fault outlet.

Don Bryant

 

[donbga]

I mixed it up and have only used it once so far. I tried it on Azo and I definitely was'nt at 40c, maybe 30c or so. It did shift it to a very warm red/brown tone after 10mins or so. I used the recipe on the formulas page on unblinkingeye.com. The reason i tried Azo was cos Nelsons Gold was supposed to be good for warm tones on chloride paper. I have'nt tried it on anything else yet, although i was wondering if it might work with Salt prints or Albumen prints too perhaps.

Andrew,

That's an interesting question! I've not made albumen prints but from most of the modern ones I've seen, the prints are very warm toned to begin with, but the idea is interesting.

Don Bryant

 

[Perikles]

thank you for the answers. I wanted to try it with centennial pop...I will see if I can use an electric dish warmer

 

[dancqu]

Does it works also at lower temperatures?

I read one fellow's post where in he says he is happy using it at
room temperature as long as he has an hour or so's time. I would
suppose he gives the print or prints an agitation now and then.

I've been checking out REPTILE HEAT PADS. I think they may
be just the ticket for Nelson's or any other up to 100F
need. Dan

 

[Digidurst]

I'm just curious but does this high temp requirement apply to ALL gold toners or just Nelson's formula?

 

[Lee Shively]

Even at high temp, Nelson's is slow. It takes about 20 minutes to fully tone the papers I've used--mostly Ilford MG Warmtone.

I use the tray-within-a-tray of hot water and change out the hot water often.

 

[Perikles]

i guess nelson GT is slow on MGW because ilford mgw is slow with many toners. I am wrong?
as far as i know the temperature requirement applies only to nelson formula.
Anyway, saturday I will try with an electric dish warmer, I dont know where to find reptile heating pads, and I dont want to keep prints in it for 1 h

 

[MikeK]

thank you for the answers. I wanted to try it with centennial pop...I will see if I can use an electric dish warmer

Nelson Gold Toner can give warm images and I do not know if that is the toner you want to use with Centennial POP. The image color of POP before toning is pronounced brown and this toner just may add to the alread warm color. If you want to cool the image down you should check the toners at Chicago Albumen works http://www.albumenworks.com/toning.html

Mike

 

[Perikles]

Till now I used the tetenal gold toner, giving first red tones, then blue ones.
Are you sure Nelson GT is warming even with prolonged immersion of the print in it?
Thank you
P.

 

[MikeK]

Till now I used the tetenal gold toner, giving first red tones, then blue ones.
Are you sure Nelson GT is warming even with prolonged immersion of the print in it?
Thank you
P.

Did you get those colors with Centennial POP?

I am not an expert in Gold Toning, but my Nelson GT Kit gave me brown tones using Forte WT paper and wicked/sickly brown color when used with POP. It might be because the Nelson Toner is a combination of Gold and Silver Chloride, whereas most POP toners only contain Gold Chloride.

The Photo Formulary GP Toner definitely cooled my POP images down.

Would be interested in how your POP images come out

Mike

 

[Lee Shively]

Yes, Nelson's does give a warm tone, at least with all the enlarging papers I've used. I've never used POP--don't know how that would respond. Actually the longer it's immersed, the warmer the papers I've used have become. It's really a beautiful look, if that's what you're after.

 

[Perikles]

yep, with tetenal GT, i get first red, then brown, then a colder tone. To get the colder tone i need something like 5 minutes. I have not tried nelson with pop yet..
maybe I will try mixing my own gold toner to see if I will get colder images

 

[dancqu]

I dont know where to find reptile heating pads, and I
dont want to keep prints in it for 1 h

Reptile supplies are found at pet supply stores. Not much heat pad
selection in my area; ditto eBay. But via the WWW ... . Dan

 

[Perikles]

checking the dishwarmer now

 

[Phillip P. Dimor]

Be careful with placing weight on an electric heating pads, many fires have been accidentally started this way. As in leaving a heavy tray with water on top of a heating pad on 'high' unattended. Just a warning, you know? Although reptile heating pads very well might be made for supporting weight.

I use a submersible aquarium heater in a rubbermaid filled with water, and then place the tray inside the water-filled rubbermaid.

A submersible heater and thermostat are nice things to have, I've a Unicolor developer tempering tank which is strikingly similar to the Jobo one.

 

[Perikles]

thanks Philip My dishwarmer is old and robust and I place over it no more than a plastic tray with 1 lt of liquid, I guess it's quite safe. But if I can find reptile pads or aquarium heaters I will try them.
My best regards

 

[dancqu]

"Be careful with placing weight on an electric heating pads, many
fires have been accidentally started this way. As in leaving a heavy
tray with water on top of a heating pad on 'high' unattended. Just
a warning, you know? Although reptile heating pads very well
might be made for supporting weight."

I think with a little caution they'd be safe. A styrofoam under pad is
is a suggestion I've read. Typical wattage is low. They are good for
some weight. I'd have no problem as I use as little solution volume
as is easy to work with.

Nelson's Gold Toner is actually a hypo-alum toner. I believe the
minute amount of gold used serves only to catalyze the oxidation of
the thiosulfate and do that at a lower temperature. Note the lack of
alum in Nelson's. Nelson's is not really a 'gold' toner. The lower
temperature used for toning and, perhaps, some interaction
with the gold gives Nelson's it's special character.

Oxidation of the hypo causes sulfur to be released. I'd think as
little depth of solution as is practical should result in faster toning.
That also applies to hypo-alum toners. That would have to be
tested but on the face of it; makes sense to me.


"I use a submersible aquarium heater ..."

I thought 80 to 85F about their limit. Dan