I've made my first attempt at indirect toning with polysulphide toner (homemade Kodak T-8). I'm using Adorama (?FOMA) FB glossy paper fully developed in a homemade dektol clone (E-72),water stopped, fixed, HCA cleared , washed and dried. Later, I re wet the paper, direct tone in selenium for 2 minutes, rinse, HCA clear 10 minutes then wash for another 15 minutes. I bleach the print using dilute rehalogenating bleach to the midtones, rinse and then submerge in the T-8 toner. I made a couple of test strips at one minute intervals up to ten minutes. After toning, I submerged the print in a 10% sulfite "stop' bath then washed for 15 minutes. According to Rudman's toning book, if you tone to completion, you do not need to refix but if toning is incomplete, refixing is required. He stated that toning to completion with T-8 takes 10 -20 minutes which is quite a spread. So, my question is; How can you tell from looking at the print that you have toned to completion? I've found that the longer the direct toning with T-8, the more density is lost and the tone shifts to an unsightly light brown /pink tone. So, Id prefer the shorter toning duration but Id love to avoid refixing if I can . Interestingly, he states the rapid fixers like hypam are too 'aggressive' for refixing toned prints and he suggests a plain 'hypo' solution. I don't have any Na thiosulfate to mix up such a solution and so another reason to avoid refixing. That said, the combination of selenium-light bleach-polysulfide with the Adorama paper is absolutely sensational (deep, slightly red tinged chocolate browns like I've never seen with a neutral tone paper) and worth the effort but I don't want to make things harder for myself, if I don't need to.
Regards,
Adam