How long does paper developer working solution last?

[pentaxuser]

Reading koraks' description, it sounds a bit difficult. I don't feel I have a good sense of where the midtones are; especially under a safe light where it's just really hard to see what's going on.

I like you am not very good at discerning matters under a safelight and certainly not fine nuances but are you not suppose to check such things in the roomlight or daylight after you print and isn't it that examination that tells you if the developer ís becoming exhausted It's a form of before and after test similar to the one you can use by comparing each print to the initial print made with fresh developer. Once the blacks become less black then you know the developer is on its way out and it is your decision as to how big a range of "best to worst" prints you are happy with before dumping the developer?

pentaxuser

 

[Don_ih]

wearing nitrile gloves or similar PPE is always good practice when handling caustic chemicals.

It is good practice. No paper developers are caustic, though. Alkaline, yes. So is ramen. So is baking soda.

The main problematic chemical is metol. You can develop an intolerance to it from exposure, which will cause dermatitis.

I use tongs - one for every step - and leave the prints in a tray of water until I'm finished the session, then wash them all.

 

[snusmumriken]

I am going to assume that "you" in that sentence is the "generic you" and doesn't refer to me specifically.

Of course.

I have never seen a YT video where people intentionally dipped their bare hands into caustic chemicals.

Believe me, but see note below about ‘caustic’.

I do not follow any YT channel that I think a typical viewer would consider an "influencer", unless you adopt a definition where any and all YT channels are influencers.

Not quite, but I do mean the kind of people who offer advice gratuitously for no obvious reason other than to get “likes” or income. Here on Photrio I believe the main reason people offer advice is out of kindness, because they’ve already learned the hard way.

PPE is always good practice when handling caustic chemicals

Once compounded, home photography chemicals aren’t really caustic (or corrosive), especially at working strength. The main issues to think about are dermatitis, and contamination of your materials and darkroom.

 

[Alex Benjamin]

I use tongs - one for every step - and leave the prints in a tray of water until I'm finished the session, then wash them all.

Same here.

The only time I put gloves on are when bleaching and selenium toning, even if I still use tongs to get the prints in and out of solution.