Safelight for really old AZO F1 paper

[Wade D]

I have several 8"x100' rolls of AZO F1 that expired in 6/64. The boxes are still sealed. What safelight will be safe to open the boxes under? I have both OC and 1A safelights.
I don't know if the paper is still usable but just want to try it out using benzotriazole as a restrainer to reduce potential fog. The paper came from a desert community so after years of heat I'm not too sure about a positive outcome. You never know till you try though.
Thanks,
Wade

 

[Rick A]

I believe Kodak recommended an OA filter for contact papers. I think red should be okay to use, just keep it at least four feet from your work area for safety sake. Go ahead and run a test to make sure(I use a small test strip to save paper).

 

[nworth]

Kodak recommended an OA, greenish yellow. Later they noted that the OC, amber, would work. The OC and its equivalents are the filters commonly used today for most papers. It is a bit dimmer than the OA, but certainly very safe for this paper. Red safelights are also safe for Azo.

 

[Wade D]

Thanks for the replies. I thought the red safelight would be OK but wasn't sure about the OC. Haven't seen an OA filter in a long time. Hopefully the paper is still usable at least for proofs if nothing else. It would be a shame to toss 200' of paper.