What to do with old fogged paper?

[winger]

I got some old Kodak paper (some fiber and some RC) for free. I've confirmed the fiber is fogged by developing some without exposing it to anything besides the safelight (and that was only for as long as it took to get it through the chemistry). It's unevenly fogged, so some might be from light getting through the packaging and it will likely change through the pack.
It seems a shame to just toss it. Are there some alternative process things I can do with it? If my free time and a sunny day ever coincide, I'll may try some lumen printing, but that's all I've thought of so far.

 

[Chazzy]

Why not fix it out without exposing it, so that you are left with blank paper for alternative processes?

 

[Konical]

Good Evening, Bethe,

Yes, fix and wash it. It works very well for making a "sandwich," finished print, dry mount tissue, blank paper, with emulsion sides out in both cases of course. The resulf is a stiff enough package to make prints easy to handle for educational purposes or whatever when the expense and care involved in mounting on a board may be unnecessary. Such an arrangement is also thinner, making it easier to store frequently-handled prints.

Konical

 

[removed account4]

hey bethe

go to your local pharmacy
get some potassium nitrate
soak the paper in the dark in a 10% solution of it
and convert your paper to POP ...
i have some potassium nitrate, but haven't had a chance to
do THAT yet, on my list of things to do ...

either that, or use it for paper negatives, they love a little fog

have fun
john

 

[keithwms]

Benzotriazole or phenylmercaptotetrazole (do an APUG search)...

 

[winger]

John, thanks. That sounds like a cool idea. I had only heard about POP lately and wished it was still around, so this could be fun. I haven't counted, but I think I have a decent number of sheets for some experimenting, too.

 

[bsdunek]

Try some Lumen prints - they seem to be really neat with old paper. Check my web site - those are made on 10-15 year old Kodak Polycontrast.

 

[photomem]

I was actually going to suggest Lumen Printing. Though, fixing it out and using it for Alt Process or Converting it to POP.

 

[mike c]

I got some fogged Portriga Rapid that works pretty good with Easy lith.

Mike

 

[sanking]

If you want to take up carbon transfer printing you can fix out the paper and use it as a base for the carbon relief.

Sandy King

 

[nickandre]

Take the paper out in the sun, cover it with cool patterned objects, and leave it for a day. When it has darkened to your liking, you can fix it. Quite nifty.

 

[Iwagoshi]

About a year ago pentaxuser asked the same question: (there was a url link here which no longer exists). As the thread indicates, I've tried and totally endorse Liquid Orthazite, to reduce the fog.

 

[fiducio]

Solargraphy!!!

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

Paper Aeroplanes

 

[sidearm613]

I'm with Sandy, use it for carbon!

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

Depending on the paper, lith chemistry will work wonderfully with papers that are otherwise fogged to sinders. But some papers don't work at all in lith...
I have a box of Agfa Brovira G3 in 8x10 that is so fogged that if I put the paper in regular developer without exposing it to light, it will turn pretty dark, and it makes recognizable prints in Fotospeed LD20 lith chemistry. See attachment. Pretty interesting and beyond normal.

 

[Fanshaw]

I read years ago that fogged paper can be restored by treating it with dilute potassium permanganate solution.

 

[Andrey.Gorshkov]

I have a lot of old paper which was expired more than 20 years ago (Foton Bromportret). And I wonder - the good result it takes in Moersch se5 lith

 

[Adrian Twiss]

10ml of 1% Benzotriazole will help in cases where the fog is not too severe. A 10% solution of postassium bromide will also do the same thing but give warmer tones. Excessive use of Benzotriazole or Potassium Bromide will only serve to veil the hightlights further

 

[michaelbsc]

go to your local pharmacy get some potassium nitrate soak the paper in the dark in a 10% solution of it and convert your paper to POP ...

Is that basically the whole process? Soak it in 10% saltpeter for some X time and then expose/fix? Or is there more to it?

Obvioulsy I can experiment, but if someone has a good starting place for soak times that would be helpful. Any advice/links?

Thanks,
Michael

 

[Andrew Moxom]

If you find the paper does not lith jprint well. How about using it to 'season' lith developer??? It's really good for that purpose... Just run 3 or 4 sheets through the lith developer for about 10 minutes all at the same time, agitate them as you normally would, and rotate them in the pile and you should take the edge off the developer much like using old brown.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I do this too. That is a good use of it, I absolutely agree.

If you find the paper does not lith jprint well. How about using it to 'season' lith developer??? It's really good for that purpose... Just run 3 or 4 sheets through the lith developer for about 10 minutes all at the same time, agitate them as you normally would, and rotate them in the pile and you should take the edge off the developer much like using old brown.

 

[removed account4]

Is that basically the whole process? Soak it in 10% saltpeter for some X time and then expose/fix? Or is there more to it?

Obvioulsy I can experiment, but if someone has a good starting place for soak times that would be helpful. Any advice/links?

Thanks,
Michael

hi michael


it took me a while to find the links but

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

i haven't done it yet ( have a lot on my plate these days .. )
but i have the saltpeter and i am hoping to do it sooner rather than later ...

try a 5 minute soak + let dry over night ...


good luck!

john

 

[jim appleyard]

A retired art teacher friend used to let his students run old paper thr the inkjet printer. I don't know how permanent the image is, tho'.

 

[michaelbsc]

...it took me a while to find the links but...

Sorry, didn't mean to make you do the work.

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

i haven't done it yet ( have a lot on my plate these days .. )
but i have the saltpeter and i am hoping to do it sooner rather than later ...

try a 5 minute soak + let dry over night ...

It certainly does look like an interesting project. I threw out a completely full box of Kodak paper last year that I got as part of an auction. Man, what a waste. But I have another one that just came recently, and the worst that can happen is I don't find this to be workable and throw it out, too.

But surely there's *SOMETHING* I can find to do with it.

MB