What changes adding hypo clearing agent to selenium toner?

pentaxuser

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Doesn't that comment by AA neatly sums up the kind of inherently conservative stance that most still take on matters photographic, namely "It works for me so why risk a change"

This persists even if there is no evidence that the procedure is not the only way or in fact is unnecessary.

pentaxuser
 

DREW WILEY

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Since I have been using TF4, and now TF5, Archival fixers for a long time, there is no reason for me to even have HCA around. Decades ago, when I did briefly use the AA method, there was no visual or permanence difference from what I have since obtained using KRST without it. This whole topic sounds to me more like a matter for archeologists to decide; it's rather arcane and outdated with respect to present options, if it ever was valid advice to begin with, which I doubt.
 
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BHuij

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It's a good point @pentaxuser - I have myself been simultaneously far too eager to spend time testing new whiz-bang products and techniques to see if they make a difference (I've been contemplating trying out FX-55 to see how it compares to Mytol, even though I'm already super happy with Mytol, and FX-55 is probably the least different possible developer from Mytol without actually just being Mytol).

And I also am still using sodium sulfite as a wash aid even though I standardized on TF-5 fixer years ago and theoretically don't need it. I could argue that I'm not buying HCA, and I always keep sodium sulfite on hand anyway because it's an ingredient in various developers that I use on a regular basis. But the truth is I'm just scared if I omit the wash aid step after toning, I might accidentally be setting my prints up to degrade sooner.
 

DREW WILEY

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I don't get it. If there's a issue with your selenium toning, either the paper hasn't been properly fixed, or you haven't washed it long enough after toning. Why even bother paying extra for TF5 if you don't trust it to do what it claims to do - simplify the whole process. What is your basis for being so paranoid about all this?
 

Bill Burk

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I didn’t want my KRST to get contaminated by possibly exhausted fix so I don’t go straight from fix to toner.

I have recently changed to two bath fix, because I have had problems with one.

So the process I’m comfortable with is: dev/stop/fix bath 1/fix bath 2/wash

Then after session go back and tone/wash
 

Bill Burk

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I get stains all the time. Maybe not now that I’m doing two fix baths.

I used to think I don’t need two fix because I was mixing fix fresh each session and only making a few prints.

But something about one bath fix is “always” bad.
 

DutchDarkroom

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Why not fix 2 after the session? Seems to me that would save some time. So dev/stop/fix/holding and after session holding/fix 2/quick wash/toner/final wash. I for one would get quite impatient if i would fix twice before making a next strip/print.
 
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