Re: Sodium Carbonate (was Seeking Information on 2 problems with Gumprocess)
I think the permanent lavender cyano toner may be lead acetate Don Sweet ----- Original Message ----- From: "Judy Seigel" <jseigel@panix.com> To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:54 AM Subject: Re: Sodium Carbonate (was Seeking Information on 2 problems with Gum process) > On Wed, 30 Apr 2008, pulpfic@telus.net wrote: > > > At 09:00 AM 4/30/08 -0500, Keith Gerling wrote: > >> I use a dilute mix of ammonia (my preference is to use sodium > >> carbonate - washing soda - but darned if I can even find it > >> anymore....) > > > > Instead of looking in the laundry aisle, wander over to the pool supply store > > (or hardware store) and pick up some pH UP - 100% sodium carbonate, no > > fragrances or other additives. > > > > Take care, > > Randi > > > I bought some pool sodium carbonate once, found it serviceble but > strikingly expensive -- at least at the time -- being as it was, plain old > sodium carbonate. Maybe they figured folks who had a swimming pool could > afford to get soaked, so to speak ? > > Meanwhile, though I haven't tried it for the purpose, I have several boxes > of Arm & Hammer "pure baking soda" in the house, for "baking, cleaning & > deodorizing." This is sodium BI-carbonate. I have no idea if it will do > what the sodium carbonate does in a cyano, but it deodorizes the fridge > (allegedly, I haven't done a comparison test) and eases the digestive > tract of persons afflicted (not my particular problem), and some folks > with VERY white teeth use it for dentifrice, but above all it's useful in > baking, such as sourmilk pancakes, et al. (Excellent if you have some > spoiled milk, maple syrup & 20 minutes to spare..) > > Has anyone used it on cyano? > > A propos of which I'll note that during a year in which I tested every > toner in print for cyano, practically back to the cave, and (with my > students) fine-tuned the tannic acid + bleach, etc., cyano toner, I > REPEATEDLY came across claims of a "lavender" tone via some alkali or > other (first memory check says ammonia was the usual). About once in 3 > years something happened -- nobody could suss out what, almost always > something accidental -- wherein the color remained, or anyway a streak of > it did. But otherwise nobody I heard of ever found out how to make the > color permanent. As I recall, however, most books failed to mention that > fact. > > Which is to say, if you can make your purple/lavender cyano stay more than > -- oh, let's set the bar high -- a month -- you should get it named after > you, at the very least. > > Judy
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