• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

One-session paper developer?

Captain_joe6

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2007
Messages
199
Location
Portland, OR
Format
8x10 Format
At this point, I make it into the darkroom just a handful of times per year to deal with my backlog of negatives. Sooooo….

Im looking for a paper developer I can mix myself from readily available and affordable chemicals (so no Glycin…) that yields 1L of working solution, with no spare stock solution leftover. Mix one liter, put it in a tray, and go.

Paper used is always Ilford FBWT.

I’ve got the better part of a pound of Chinese Amidol kicking around, it’s easily 15+ years old, so that’s one avenue that I’m familiar with, but I’m wondering what others might be worth investigating.
 
D 72 is Dektol without a few of the buffers, I use Dektol at 1:2 and would not hesitate to use D72 at 1:2. Maybe with old paper I would use it at 1:1.
 
Captain_joe6 said:
All instructions I’m seeing mention a 1:1 or 1:2 (or more) dilution.
Click to expand...

If you wish to use the amount made up ("stock") at a 1+1 dilution, divide/adjust in half the amounts in the recipe designed to make up 1 litre of stock.
1 litre is a relatively small volume for working solution - about an 8x10 tray's worth - so most recipes would be designed to make more.
 

Right, and that’s kind of the problem. I’m making 5x7 prints in 8x10 trays, because that’s the space and trays I have. While I get that I could just halve any recipe I come across, or more, trying to measure out progressively smaller amounts of chemicals accurately and repeatedly gets to be a bit of a hassle.

I also haven’t been particularly thrilled with Dektol/D-72 in the past, so I’m looking for other options. 2 liters technically fits in my trays, but agitation becomes rather a problem at that volume, especially as the trays sit on a counter rather than in a sink.

So sure, D-72 is on the list, but it’s not high on it.
 
I understand the practical restraints you are working with.
So in addition to what you mentioned initially, you want a recipe that works well even if the mixing methods are relatively imprecise - something involving teaspoon measures, not high precision weight measures.
 

That would be lovely, as long as we don't get into pinches and smidges and dashes!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register