orotone/orotype on glass plates; photographer's formulary gold toner question

[r u t h]

hello all,

i am experimenting with making orotones/orotypes from glass plate negatives. i began with an imitation route (gold leaf or acrylic paint behind j lane precoated), but now i am working out from the peter o'donnell guide. i have my albumen recipe and coating down, finally, but was curious about the gold toning portion.

does anyone know if it is ok to use the photographer's formulary gold toner on glass plates? it's not cheap and i am worried that it will not absorb into the emulsion the same way it would on fiber based prints. i may buy some anyway - i like the look it has on paper - and was also curious if the version with or without fixer is better.

thank you!

 

[nmp]

hello all,

i am experimenting with making orotones/orotypes from glass plate negatives. i began with an imitation route (gold leaf or acrylic paint behind j lane precoated), but now i am working out from the peter o'donnell guide. i have my albumen recipe and coating down, finally, but was curious about the gold toning portion.

does anyone know if it is ok to use the photographer's formulary gold toner on glass plates? it's not cheap and i am worried that it will not absorb into the emulsion the same way it would on fiber based prints. i may buy some anyway - i like the look it has on paper - and was also curious if the version with or without fixer is better.

thank you!

Looks like Peter O'Donnnell does not raise flags regarding any potential problems using the gold toner on his plates. If the fixer gets absorbed in the albumen layer and do its thing, then one would think gold toner would be fine too. Just to make sure, I would call Photo Formulary and get their opinion. B&S would be helpful too.

On the other hand, assuming that you are using gold/borax toner - why not buy the smallest quantity of gold chloride (1%) available on B&H made by Photo Formulary which is 10 ml for $16.95, get borax on your own and mix up a batch of the toner.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...ry_10_0630_10ML_Gold_Chloride_1_Solution.html

By their formula (16 gm 1% gold chloride + 8 gm borax in 1000 ml water,) you should be able to make 625 ml of toner with that much gold chloride. That's not bad for doing early experiments to make sure it works.

Good luck and share you results if you can....

:Niranjan.

 

[r u t h]

thank you - i have just been worried that there is something fundamentally different about toning negatives and have had a difficult time find clear cut sources.

i did find a formula for gold toner that calls for gold chloride. is there any fundamental difference in quantity between the liquid (10ml 1%) and the solid kind?

 

[r u t h]

also: is it ok to just use cleaning/laundry borax? or should i buy lab grade?

 

[nmp]

thank you - i have just been worried that there is something fundamentally different about toning negatives and have had a difficult time find clear cut sources.

i did find a formula for gold toner that calls for gold chloride. is there any fundamental difference in quantity between the liquid (10ml 1%) and the solid kind?

The only difference is that for solid, you have to make up the solution - using distilled water. Looking at the prices, the solid is cheaper on the basis of per ml of final solution. But you have to buy 1 gm minimum which will make 100 ml of solution. The 10 ml solution seems to have considerable mark-up over the solid or the 100 ml solution.

 

[nmp]

also: is it ok to just use cleaning/laundry borax? or should i buy lab grade?

Steve Anchell's Darkroom Cookbook cites the 20 Mule Team Borax (which is fairly pure sodium tetraborate decahydrate) as the one to use for all things borax. So I am guessing it is OK to pick some up at the grocery store.