half plate id-11 developed

[russ parker]

Hi, I am new to the group. Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I am looking to tray develop some half-plate kodak super - panchro p1200 in id-11 (1:1). The pack is unopened but as the plates are probably fogged/oxidised I am reluctant to purchase Rodinal or HC-110 which i have seen suggested on this site. Any tips for this developer or is it a no go?

 

[Ian Grant]

Welcome to APUG, actually ID-11 is ideal for this purpose, give about 25% longer development use times for Plus-x/FP4 that should be about right.

Good luck, I found all the old pltaes I ahve useless

Ian

 

[steven_e007]

Hi,

You have a fighting chance of getting something out of very slow plates.

By slow I mean 'ordinary' plates or process plates that are well below the equivalent of ISO25.

(I once used a packet of 'Wellington' process plates from about 1930. They were fine, totally fog free. They were also about 0.5 ISO!)

Any panchromatically sensitised plates are usually fogged, fast plates are always fogged.

You have fast panchromatic plates, there... good luck, but I really wouldn't get your hopes up :-(

Developer wise, there is no magic formula that will develop fogged plates. You can try benzatriazole additives and such - but as you say, why spend money and effort on something that is probably pointless? If you had exposed plates that you suspected might have something good on then, then maybe... I reckon you should open the packet really carefully, the most valuable bit might be the vintage packaging. Always a good prop in a period still life.

 

[russ parker]

Many thanks. I'll give them a go and if fogged (which sounds even more likely now) i'll use them for liquid emulsion dry plates or as backs for sheet film. I'll guesstimate the exposure and develop the first one for ten minutes. It says on the packet that they are tropically hardened. curious to know what that was?

 

[steven_e007]

The P1200 plate was rated at 200 ASA - although in those days the way they rated the plate speed was a bit different. By modern standards it might be a bit quicker - but this is irrelevant, now. Over the decades they will have lost most of this speed, if they work at all. I'd try maybe 50 or 25 ISO.

Original developing time in D76 stock was 11 mins with continuous agitation. Against - largely meaningless now. The contrast of stale emulsions is usually poor, which indicates more time - but longer development means more fog, so you can't always win.

'Tropically hardened' meant the gelatin had an additive to make it a bit harder so it would stand higher developing temperatures for hotter climates where 20 degrees C wasn't practical. I think most modern emulsions can stand higher temperatures. It is of no consequence.

Let us know if you get anything.

 

[russ parker]

well, I have got something, against the odds. The skull was a 40 second exposure on f4 developed for 10 mins, the portrait was a minute on the same. I have adjusted the levels in photoshop.

I used SB40 stop for about 5 seconds and Hypam for 7 mins, wash for 10. No idea if this was good or bad practice. Shot with a wooden half plate camera and beck symmetrical lens. All guess work, but fun experience.

 

[steven_e007]

That really is pretty good!

The last time I tried plates from this vintage they gave a really dark grey veil and only the very weakest of a hint of an image...

I wonder why there is banding both horizontally and vertically?

Is this all on the negative, or is some due to the scanning?

 

[russ parker]

Thanks. The vertical banding is the scanner, it doesn't like scanning these. The horizontal banding I think is from the trays, they have those grooves in them which seem to have developed them more fully than where the plates are in closer contact with the tray base. I have used 5 plates to get this far. dare I take the rest outside?