Kodak T8 toner

[paddy]

This might seem a stupid question, but i have read that you can use poly sulphide or potassium sulphide to make brown toner
I have a dribble of agfa viradon left so need something else
I have seen this formula for T8
Water 750ml
Potassium sulphide (liver of sulphur)
Sodium carbonate (anhy)
Water to make 1ltr
I found this online, is this suitable to make brown toner
http://www.suttontools.co.uk/consuma...hide-100g.html
Any chemists on here to verify if this is good enough quality
Thanks
Paddy

[Martin Reed]

Yes, that's the stuff alright. It's usually sold for distressing metal & other hardware applications so you need to go outside photographic retail channels to find it. It's never a pure chemical anyway, being a loose association of the elements. The main thing is it's loaded with free sulphur, & it always smells like it. It looks a dirty yellow colour & comes in lumps, although it should dissolve quite easily.

[paddy]

Hi Martin thanks for that
Will it sill be clean enough for fibre prints (wont leave stains/marks on the photo)
Paddy

[Martin Reed]

Brown toning would certainly stain if the prints weren't well washed well, but properly washed there shouldn't be any problem.

There is a bit of a tendency to over-tone, as the process carries on after the print's out of the toner & in the wash. I seem to remember the remedy is put them into a bath of dilute sodium sulphite immediately after the toning bath. It was in the Viradon instructions, I think.

[paddy]

I use fotospeed fx40 alkaline fixer and wash with a nova archivial washer
I wash the print for nearly an hour
I heard you can use a 10% sodium sulphite after toning to stop the process
How many grams of sodium sulphite (anhy) do you put in to 1 litre of water, would it be 100g to one litre of water ??
Paddy

[Martin Reed]

Originally Posted by paddy

I use fotospeed fx40 alkaline fixer and wash with a nova archivial washer
I wash the print for nearly an hour
I heard you can use a 10% sodium sulphite after toning to stop the process
How many grams of sodium sulphite (anhy) do you put in to 1 litre of water, would it be 100g to one litre of water ??
Paddy

Yes, 100g to 1 litre, it's not going to need to be very accurate.

I was looking up Kodak toners just now, the T8 was sold as Kodak Brown Toner, might conceivably still be available. Kodak used to make 'Poly-Toner' which was a hybrid between brown & selenium toners. Discontinued, but remarkably when it went they published the formula;

http://www.kodak.com/global/plugins/...als/CIS268.pdf

As it involves working with selenium powder not one to tackle lightly!

[paddy]

I aquired a unopened bottle of agfa viradon new last week off ebay
I like the colour change with brown toner plus the archival aspect of sulphide toners (even though it stinks)
Is there a recipe for a concentrated brown toner (like 1+9), saves making a working litre up every time
Paddy