[alt-photo] Re: Happy New Year

[Richard Knoppow]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christina Anderson" <zphoto at montana.net>
To: "The alternative photographic processes mailing list" 
<alt-photo-process-list at lists.altphotolist.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 7:50 AM
Subject: [alt-photo] Re: Happy New Year


> Happy New Year to all! I for one am THRILLED it is 2012 
> with a New Year's goal of cutting 17 hours out of my work 
> week per week. Now that I've told 400 list members I'll 
> have to stick to it. I blame my frozen shoulder on 
> excessive mousing, though technically there is no known 
> cause.

     You need a larger blanket.
     Today is also my birthday!!!  Can't believe I've been 
around this long speaking of being archival.
     AFAIK, Heico, Kodak Hypo Clearling Agent, and Ilford 
Archival Wash are all solutions of sulfite although the 
anion may vary. For conventional (silver-gelatin) materials 
the wash aid is about a 2% solution of sodium sulfite 
buffered to neutral pH with sodium metabisulfite and the 
presense of a couple of sequestering agents. I think Heico 
may use ammonium sulfite. The original Kodak Research Labs 
reports indicates that the anion is not important.
     Assuming sulfite is the desired material for clearing 
platinum I should think it could be bought in bulk. Some 
acids and alkalies can be had from places like swimming pool 
places and suppliers of soap making materials, usually at 
quite low prices.
     The discussion here seems to indicate that an _acid_ 
rather than alkaline or neutral bath is desirable for 
clearing. If so something other than sulfite or wash aid 
would be better. If they are to be used to neutralize the 
acid after rinsing in it then the buffered mixture would be 
good. An approximatly neutral solution is:
Water..................to make 1.0 liter
Sodium sulfite, desiccated... 15.0 grams
Sodium metabisulfite...........5.0 grams

As a wash aid this should be diluted 1 part stock to 4 parts 
water.

--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk at ix.netcom.com