Kodak Polytoner and alternative sepia/sulfide toners

[skahde]

There may be a substantial difference, whether you use this substitute directly or indirectly. Used directly the Ammonium Thiosulfate probably doesn't hurt at all, whereas it could make indirect toning a gamble.

As I always used it directly, that was never a question to me. But if you want to work indirectly, you can just split the steps and never join the components for sulfur and selenium in the first place which also adds some more freedom which to some may cause insecurity whereas others just squeeze it until it's lemonade.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I'll try to remember to ping you after a month to check the condition of the last toner.

@koraks: did you get a chance to check?

Here's the three bottles I prepared together with the bit of remaining sulfur I 'harvested' from broken fixer:
View attachment 405493
The sulfur/hydroxide preparation is the darkest, but it's also the most concentrated.

 

[koraks]

@koraks: did you get a chance to check?

Not very diligently, but I did dunk one or two small lith test prints into this toner. It seemed to work just fine!

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

Not very diligently, but I did dunk one or two small lith test prints into this toner. It seemed to work just fine!

Maybe a little more detail: I tried the preparation made from sodium sulfite and plain sulfur, as well as the sulfer + sodium hydroxide preparation. Both in fairly random dilutions of something like 1+50 or so, as a direct toner, on small lith prints. The lith prints were on Fomatone and pink-ish to begin with. Toning was very swift; I totally overshot the mark with the first one within a minute, turning the pink into a dull brown. The other print I treated more carefully (I think the toner was more dilute as well; I was winging it really) and shifted more subtly. The smell was typical rotten egg and quite powerful at that.

That's indeed very encouraging! Thanks.

 

[koraks]

Maybe a little more detail: I tried the preparation made from sodium sulfite and plain sulfur, as well as the sulfer + sodium hydroxide preparation. Both in fairly random dilutions of something like 1+50 or so, as a direct toner, on small lith prints. The lith prints were on Fomatone and pink-ish to begin with. Toning was very swift; I totally overshot the mark with the first one within a minute, turning the pink into a dull brown. The other print I treated more carefully (I think the toner was more dilute as well; I was winging it really) and shifted more subtly. The smell was typical rotten egg and quite powerful at that.

 

[koraks]

I can see how that might work. It's pretty certain to expel any life from the darkroom as well. Well, any wife, at least.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

I can see how that might work. It's pretty certain to expel any life from the darkroom as well. Well, any wife, at least.

 

[Guillaume Zuili]

I can see how that might work. It's pretty certain to expel any life from the darkroom as well. Well, any wife, at least.

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

If you want Polysulphide toner for cheap, a local JADAM organic farmer/gardener might be able to help since they often make and use it themselves:

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

If you want Polysulphide toner for cheap, a local JADAM organic farmer/gardener might be able to help since they often make and use it themselves:

JADAM Sulfur (without salt and soil) is essentially a polysulphide concentrate. It works nicely at 1:100 dilution as a toner for both Kallitype and Cuprotype prints.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Could you please explain the black salt procédé?

just dissolve in water and use. It can only be used as a mild sulfide toner, but it works increasing print longevity

 

[Raghu Kuvempunagar]

another synthesis process which I adapted from a patent:

Sulphur: 40 g
Potassium Hydroxide: 10 g
Boiling water: 100 ml
Shake vigorously for at least 10 minutes.
Let the mixture stand for 24 hours.

Filter the liquid and add water to make volume 1 l.

This also gave me good results but the keeping quality was low. Might have something to do with the reaction continuing after the formation of Poylsulphides. Not sure if 24 hours are strictly needed for the Polysulphides to form. Nice thing about this process compared to the other two is there is no need to work with Sodium Sulphide.

A similar idea was tested by Gerald C Koch and confirmed that it yields good results:

T-8 Polysulphide Toner Questions/Modifications

Trying to find some information on the T-8 Polysulphide toner listed in Tim Rudman's toning book and Steve Anchell's "Darkroom Cookbook" and it's relationship to the Kodak Brown toner in terms of usage and modification. Anyone have any insights into the following questions? Can the T-8 toner...

www.photrio.com