Old Kodak paper how to!

[Melvin J Bramley]

I have a near full box of Kodak Polycontrast Rapid in 16 x 20 that is slightly fogged.
I'm looking for suggestions on how best to utilise this paper.

 

[Paul Howell]

With a slight fog you can trying adding a restrainer to your developer.

 

[Melvin J Bramley]

With a slight fog you can trying adding a restrainer to your developer.

I did not have much luck with restrainer, BTZ, and Agfa paper , would Kodak differ?
Or what other uses ?

 

[AnselMortensen]

Maybe investigate lith printing?

 

[Don_ih]

It's Polycontrast Rapid - which implies it has developer incorporated. I doubt anything you do will make it good. If the fog is mild, consider Farmer's reducer after development.

 

[Augustus Caesar]

It's Polycontrast Rapid - which implies it has developer incorporated. I doubt anything you do will make it good. If the fog is mild, consider Farmer's reducer after development.

No, it has no developer incorporated in it. Polycontrast Rapid was simply a faster version of Polycontrast. This was to compete with Dupont's High Speed Varigam, which was faster than the original Varigam.

 

[mshchem]

It's Polycontrast Rapid - which implies it has developer incorporated. I doubt anything you do will make it good. If the fog is mild, consider Farmer's reducer after development.

+1. Forget about it.

 

[MattKing]

The Polycontrast Rapid Paper wasn't like the papers designed for activation - any developer or similar chemical incorporated was there in trace amounts only, and was there to help fine tune the contrast and speed behavior of the paper.
That being said, those early Kodak variable contrast materials are not known for longevity.
Of curse if you had been sitting in a dark box, unused for nigh on half a century, you might be a bit foggy too!

 

[mshchem]

This stuff doesn't age well at all. Most of it is 40 years old. OP hasn't specified if it's rc paper, most of what I have encountered was single weight fiber paper, this was a very fast paper.

 

[Don_ih]

No, it has no developer incorporated in it. Polycontrast Rapid was simply a faster version of Polycontrast. This was to compete with Dupont's High Speed Varigam, which was faster than the original Varigam.

I'll take your word for it. I have Polycontrast that can be lith printed - used some yesterday - but every sheet of Polycontrast Rapid paper I have has been too foggy even for that.

@Melvin J Bramley -- if there is no incorporated developer and the paper is only lightly fogged, benzotriazole added to the developer should be a start.