Lucky Norwegian... (Selenium != Fixer)

Gregg Brekke · Feb 25, 2005

So I was in the middle of tray developing a set of 8x10 negatives when I realized I hand't put fixer in the last tray. (Presoak, PMK, Water, Fix)

No problem - just grab the third jug from the left and pour it into the tray.

Big problem - that jug is full of Selenium 1:25.

After a few minutes in the "fixing" tray I turn on the light - OMG!!! No clearing and the bottle next to the tray says Selenium.

Quickly pour the Selenium out of the tray and add fixer. Begin weeping. Shuffle the negatives a few times and notice the clearing is going fine. Images kept their density and look to have normal stain after the post-fix PMK soak.

Am I a lucky Norwegian or what? Next time I will do a taste test...

-Gregg

Tom Hoskinson · Feb 25, 2005

...out of curiosity, why are you doing a post-fix PMK soak? It only adds to the general stain (i.e. fog) level.

titrisol · Feb 25, 2005

Tom, I think he dumped selenium instead of fixer....

Selenium toner has some ammonium-thiosulfate into it so that may have helped (specially if it was fresh)
I'mnot sure, but maybe you depelted the thio out of the toner, and it amy still work.....

As per you rnegatives, I'd refix them just in case

Ole · Feb 25, 2005

From one Norwegian to another...

With some alternative processes it is customary to tone before fixing. So you may have got a prefix-intensified negative?

Claire Senft · Feb 25, 2005

Nowegian

I would think that surviving lutefisk..pardon my spelling would make anyone lucky Norwegian or not.
Glad you did not ruin your negs.

Gregg Brekke · Feb 25, 2005

Tom Hoskinson said:
...out of curiosity, why are you doing a post-fix PMK soak? It only adds to the general stain (i.e. fog) level.

The simple answer is because that is what I was taught (by Kim Weston.) Gordon Hutchings supports this practice in "The Book of Pyro" on page 19. Also, I contact print on Afga MC Classic 111 and the extra stain seems to reduce contrast and give a wide latitude for shadow detail when printing at grade 3. Hutchings seems to think there is a benefit to the pyro stain with VC printing on page 47.

I have starting testing split-grade printing by building black in the image with grade 4 and then filling in highlights with grade 2 and have found the results satisfying.

BTW: I'm using J&C Classic 200 rated at 125 with a 15:30:1000 mix of PMK for 15 minutes. I'm getting better overall density and more continuous shadow tones than with 10:20:1000 for 16.5 minutes.

Regards,
Gregg

Gregg Brekke · Feb 25, 2005

You are correct - it is Lutefisk.

While it probably doesn't fit into the "Chemistry Recipe" section of APUG, here is a Lutefisk receipe in the tradition of a good PMK/ABC/PCHD formula... 1:10:300 (lye, cod, water)

Non-aluminum cookware required (wood or china). All processes should take place no warmer than 12C/50F.

1) Soak 1kg dried cod in plain water for a week, change water every day
2) Make lye solution 1:300 (100g lye, 30L water)
3) Empty fresh water, cover and soak cod in lye solution for a week, change lye solution every day
4) Place cod in fresh water and soak for a week, change water every day
5) Remove cod and cook immediately or dry on drying rack (the same one you use for fiber prints will work fine.)

Here are some cooking instructions:
http://www.sofn.com/norwegianculture/recipes/Lutefisk.html

Anyone can survive Lutefisk - plug your nose and eat quickly.

-gb

Ole · Feb 25, 2005

Gregg forgot to mention that you should start with dried cod (desiccated, for the chemists among us). Fresh cod doesn't work at all.

My wife would also like to know why you think you should plug your nose. But she loves lutefisk - I don't

fhovie · Feb 25, 2005

Although Norsk blood does flow through my veins, that doesn't sound lik a recipe I'll try any time soon. yuck!

Claire Senft · Feb 25, 2005

best way

Is it better with or without limburger cheese?

Donald Qualls · Feb 26, 2005

Okay, my grandmother was from Oslo....

....but I still can't be the only one who sees the resemblance here to making soap, but with cod substituted for tallow....

Gregg Brekke · Feb 26, 2005

Claire Senft said:
Is it better with or without limburger cheese?

Gobs of butter is how they serve it here in the US. No cheese - although I've seen it served with plain yogurt on the side. Like Ole, I'm not a big fan of Lutefisk. For most expatriates and descendents (read Sons and Daughters of Norway in the US) it is roughly equated to a national treasure - equivalent to the Crown Jewels of England...

I prefer PMK with a fixer chaser. But selenium with a twist of lemon is pretty good too...

-gb

Ole · Feb 27, 2005

Lutefisk can be served with bacon fat, or brown cheese ("brunost",another Norwegian speciality, and technically not a cheese at all), or several other odd ways.

Personally I prefer raspeballer - without lutefisk.

mark · Feb 27, 2005

Donald Qualls said:
Okay, my grandmother was from Oslo....

....but I still can't be the only one who sees the resemblance here to making soap, but with cod substituted for tallow....

Looks exactly like a soap recipe, ewwww.

Lucky Norwegian... (Selenium != Fixer)

Gregg Brekke

Tom Hoskinson

titrisol

Ole

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Claire Senft

Gregg Brekke

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Ole

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fhovie

Claire Senft

Donald Qualls

Gregg Brekke

Ole

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mark

Lucky Norwegian... (Selenium != Fixer)

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