From: Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Date: 01/25/02-07:15:38 PM Z
On Fri, 25 Jan 2002, Andre Fuhrmann wrote:
> True, Kodak Rapid Selenium Toner does contain fixer. But a dilution
> of 1:100 is a homeopathic dosis and probably (?) has much less
> bleaching power than the final hypo bath. True too, however, that
> selenium even at 1:100 will bleach the print if bathed too long (1 or
> 2 minutes was the maximum time for me, if I recall correctly). (This
> is to say, Judy, that I doubt that home-made selenium toner without
> hypo would not bleach the print -- I doubt but don't know.)
Well being as I am a non-believer in homeopathy, for practical purposes
anyway, you've got me. But my first throught is that if the fixer doesn't
bleach how do we know the toner tones? But more to the point, this is the
first I ever heard of just selenium bleaching -- in fact it's an
intensifier (after fixing, with KRS). I used the T-55 & T-56 quite a
bit... never noticed any bleaching. Did you see that happen? Are you
sure it was the selenium?
Judy
> Keith Gerling wrote:
> "I usually tone for about 30 seconds and fix for another 30 seconds"
>
> Of course, times always depend on the strength of the solution. In
> my experience VDBs need both a good first wash (at least 5 min) and a
> good fix. I fix 5 min in hypo 5%. At the beginning I yielded to the
> temptation to fix for less than 5 minutes and I regretted that very
> much when I looked at the prints a couple of months later.
>
> As to image colour, I noticed that VDBs come in a wide range of
> colours. One factor that seems to influence colour more than
> anything else is the humidity of the paper. Apart from this selenium
> does shift colour towards cooler shades of brown.
>
> To sum up my experience with VDB: it is an easy and versatile
> process, particularly good for beginners in ALT photography, capable
> of yielding results such that you may not want to look any further.
> But make sure that you wash & fix & wash carefully!
>
> André
>
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