The Most Simple Lith Developer - Wall's Normal Hydroquinone

[dancqu]

With out any intention to do so I compounded a Lith developer a
few months ago. Since then I've off and on been looking for a formula
similar to that which I compounded.

Wall's Normal Hydroquinone comes closest. It is a two part developer.
A solution; 100 grams S. Sulfite, 20 grams Hydroquinone, H2O to make
one liter. B solution; 120 grams K. Carbonate, H2O to make one liter.
A little less S. Carbonate will equal the K. Carbonate.

Super Simple! I'll be comparing Wall's to my own. Has anyone used
Wall's? It's a No-Brainer for Lith interested sorts. Dan

 

[Foto Ludens]

Quick question from a non-lith person:

Do you mix the two parts or do you soak the paper in bath A and then drop it in bath B?

 

[glbeas]

You mix the two prior to the printing session. Mixed it goes bad in a day, apart they last a long time, so you make a two part out of it.

 

[dancqu]

Quick question from a non-lith person:
Do you mix the two parts or do you soak the paper in bath A and
then drop it in bath B?

The A and B are to be mixed just prior to use. Use once and
discard.The formula seen in my OP should be good for 10 to 20 liters
of working solution. Dilute 1:1:8 or as much as 1:1:18 then play
with it some. Lith printing is very interesting and allows a lot
of contrast control. Dan

 

[psvensson]

I recently came upon a
post by Patrick Gainer on photo.net that included this note:

You can make a fairly good lith developer with 1/2 tbs sodium ascorbate, 1 tsp potassium bromide and 10 grams of lye in 500 ml of water. It doesn't last long, but neither does the hydroquinone version with sulfite.​

Hope to try it one of these days...

 

[dancqu]

....Patrick Gainer on photo.net ... included this note:
"You can make a fairly good lith developer with 1/2 tbs sodium ascorbate,
1 tsp potassium bromide and 10 grams of lye in 500 ml of water. It doesn't
last long, but neither does the hydroquinone version with sulfite.
Hope to try it one of these days...

I doubt that. The above formula is the one and only S. ascorbate Lith
formula I've encountered; high contrast developer perhaps. Hydroquinone
will, without regeneration, develop infectiously. That's the
reason for a low sulfite level.

I don't consider ascorbic acid a developing agent. P. Gainer says as
much pointing out that when used alone the ph must be about 12;
might make it with TSP. I think it better considered as a sulfite
or hydroquinone substitute for it's ability to regenerate.

Super-additive combinations are actually, I believe, nothing more
than more or less regenerative combinations. Dan

 

[psvensson]

Gainer speculates in his article on ascorbate in Rodinal that ascorbate inhibits infectious development, so you may be right in that it won't do true lith development.

 

[dancqu]

Gainer speculates in his article on ascorbate in
Rodinal that ascorbate inhibits infectious development, so you may
be right in that it won't do true lith development.

Dr. Gudzinowicz has stated that only hydroquinone and it's derivatives
will infectiously develop; produce a lith result.

With very low sulfite levels HQ becomes semiquinone and then
quinone. The last reacts with HQ to produce two semi Qs. So it's
2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc. and explosive development insues. Semi
Q is a strong developing agent in itself. Dan