Just a shot in the dark: can I use fixed-out RC paper as a base for coating onto - say liquid emulsion, bromoils or anything interesting? Or should I just forget the idea of buying a bunch of outdated RC paper for pennies?
if it's cheap enough why not use it for other things, over expose and bleach, paper negs, lith printing, photograms, cliche-verres, under expose and hand colour, experimental uses like you get the kids to rub Vaseline into their hands, press onto the paper, grossly over expose by flashing and develop as normal, and you get, well, you try it and find out
If you want to do some inkjet printing (can't imagine why anyone would!) it's quite good for that. However if it's only pennies then it may be worth a try along the lines Ray has suggested. Photograms are great fun, something kids enjoy getting invloved with.
Outdated RC paper, along with faulty or test prints, can also be used on the back side of mounting board for other prints. Mounted face-out, it will neutralize any curling tendency. In addition, sandwiching a good print with a waste print or a blank sheet (base-to-base) makes a sturdy package for prints which need to be handled a lot as in a teaching situation. In either case, I recommend complete fixing and washing of the outdated paper or waste prints; otherwise, eventual discoloration will occur.
You can coat liquid emulsions on fixed out - washed RC paper, but the properties of the coating will likely be different than those of the same emulsion coated on fibre based paper. It depends on the emulsion formula, so you would have to make tests.
Due to the gelatin already coated on RC paper, there should be no problems with adhesion.
Thanks for the ideas - the papers I was thinking of was Agfa Rapitone P1, 2 and 3. I think they're fixed grade RC papers and I am not sure if they keep well. Other Agfa RC papers have been known to fog rather quickly, as I understand it.