rlfsoso
Hi everyone,
Does anyone have any experience with cascade rinsing of baryta paper? I can’t afford or build a good/expensive print washer at the moment, so I was thinking of rinsing in trays (tempered water; a few prints at a time, with a complete water change) using a method similar to Ilford’s film process. Problem: I have serious doubts that the rather short washing times suggested by Ilford for baryta paper (even with short fixing and the use of a washing aid) are sufficient, and I’m wondering how many cascade cycles I’d need, as I currently have no way of checking the quality of the washing. Generally, two-bath fixing (2 x 1 minute, acid fixer without hardener), Lavaquick bath planned.
Does anyone know of a simple method to check the quality of the washing?
Many thanks!
Rolf
Morte
If you could use a neutral fixer, that would definitely reduce the risk and the rinsing time. I use Rollei RXN, for example, which is also available from FOTOIMPEX:
http://www.fotoimpex.de/shop/fotochemie/rollei-rxn-fix-neutral-1000-ml-konzentrat.html
Otherwise, I rinse in the shower tray, so I can’t offer any advice on the cascade method.
Best regards, Morte
Benjamin
Maco recommends the following method when using the Rollei RXN: washing in a tray, with 8 water changes of 2 minutes each (as described in the Ecomat press instruction manual, amongst other places, but it has also been discussed on Aphog). I have already tried this method and, to be on the safe side, used a water-removal accelerator as well. If I get the chance, I will put the process through a water-removal test and then stick to this method, as it is very convenient, at least when making only a few prints.
rlfsoso
Hello and thank you very much!
Your reference to the user manual for the press was very helpful in giving me an idea of which direction to go in! Just a quick follow-up question: how do you check the quality of the draining process??
Thanks, Rolf
Wolf_XL
...In my opinion, the whole business of ‘washing’ is grossly overrated and has, in some cases, taken on almost religious or mystical overtones... ;-) I’ve been enlarging prints myself for almost fifty years now and in all that time I’ve never used a wetting tank, wetting aid or any other bits and bobs – and lo and behold – all my baryta prints are still in excellent condition.
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My workflow:
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Expose the paper, develop, intermediate rinse and fixer – then expose the paper again, develop, intermediate rinse, and put the first print in water and the second print in the fixer. Once all the prints are ready, change the water once and into the press they go. That’s it...
HenningH
I agree with Wolf on this. For a long time, I used three washing bowls, each containing about ten litres of water, for washing. After developer, stopper and fixer, the print was passed through the three bowls one after the other. With baryta paper, I usually added a Lavaquick bath between the fixer stage and the first wash (though the prints without it still turn out perfectly fine).
rlfsoso
I’m flabbergasted? No, seriously – at least I realised from a Halide test that I need to fix for longer (so far 2 x 30 seconds, two fixing baths). I now have to refix the prints and rinse them. I’ve just started taking analogue photos again after a long break and want to get back into the swing of things straight away. My darkroom (currently being finished off) is dark, but unfortunately has no water supply or drainage, so I’ll always have to collect prints in an intermediate bath. Presumably a Lavaquick bath is best suited for this?!
On the fundamental importance of post-processing: Two old prints of mine from the early 90s (multigrade contact prints) under glass show signs of ageing/discolouration, which suggest that the final processing stage is probably not entirely irrelevant. However, I can’t say for certain now whether the fixing and/or washing were inadequate back then.
Regards, Rolf
http://rlfsoso.tumblr.com/?
karlokell
Hi Rolf!
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The "Kodak HT-1a Residual Hypo Test" is relatively straightforward: you’ll need 0.3 g of potassium permanganate and 0.6 g of sodium hydroxide (the latter is also found, for example, in drain cleaners alongside small aluminium pellets) dissolved in 250 ml of distilled water. This is your test solution, which keeps for a long time. Incidentally, you used to be able to buy a ready-made version of this from Amaloco....
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To check for leaching of the fixing salt in your wet prints, mix 1 ml of the test solution with an eighth of a litre of water in a clear glass (the mixture will have the typical purple colour of potassium permanganate), then transfer 15 ml of this into another glass and let the water drip into it from a rinsed print (area approx. 24 x 30 cm or several prints with this total area) for 30 seconds: if the solution turns orange after about 30 seconds and loses its colour completely after 1 minute, then there is still too much fixing salt in the prints and you should continue rinsing.
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The problem may lie in obtaining the potassium permanganate (especially as you need ‘almost nothing’ of it) and in weighing the substances with sufficient accuracy. You won’t be carrying out the test all the time, but rather testing your own process once and then knowing when this particular method of print rinsing results in sufficiently washed prints – or not yet.
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Regards, Karl
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rlfsoso
Hi Karl, a chemistry set? My son would be thrilled, although he prefers mixing vinegar and baking powder? I’ll have a go and ask at my local chemist’s; perhaps they can mix something like that up for me? I do wonder, though, if anyone actually sells this test ready-made. Kodak probably doesn’t anymore (even though references to it still appear online or in books). I’ve so far done the fixer test (Is it still fixing well?) from Monochrome Photography and the halide test (Is it fixing sufficiently?)??
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Many thanks for the tip!! Rolf
Morte
As far as I know, you can also test prints for sufficient washing using selenium toner, if you already have some to hand. You simply drip a little toner onto the white margin and see if it changes colour. If it does, there is still fixer in the emulsion.
I haven’t tried this myself, though. Perhaps someone here has some experience with this?
rlfsoso
As far as I can tell, the problem with selenium toner is that it causes discolouration that doesn’t go away, and besides, the stuff is actually too toxic to use for something like this. Once you’ve prepared the toner, should you use it all up? I don’t think it keeps indefinitely either. R.
Morte
No, not at all. Firstly: the toner doesn’t show up on the white margin (and why would it, there’s no image data there), except that it hasn’t been fixed properly. Secondly: I’ve had my toner for quite a while now, and it’s still working. ;) You shouldn’t drink it. But I’m sure you shouldn’t drink the other fixing tests either.
karlokell
Hi Morte!
You use a selenium toner to check whether the image has been properly fixed, not whether it has been properly developed! A typical selenium toner even contains fixing salt!!
Best regards, Karl
Morte
Ah, I see! That was the mistake I’d made. Well, I haven’t actually put it into practice yet. Thanks for clearing that up.
