From: Ken Watson (watsok@frii.com)
Date: 09/18/02-10:53:22 AM Z
Yes this is the issue with Cyanide of any type. More probable is the problem with cutting ones self from the glass plates edge while coming out of the fixer. I have only cut myself twice, but I do not use cyanide.
The process is to use three rinse baths and they are cycled with each exposure so the freshest is always the last so IF any acid remains it is very small.
I use gloves for processing. Even with gloves I get silver nitrate stains on my fingers. You can see these. I wonder if the guys doing the process with cyanide accidentally get that where it is not wanted?
It was recommended in the old lit to use cyanide to remove the stains on the fingers caused from silver nitrate. Always best to clean up before eating a sandwich.!
There are numerous things that were going on in the old days that we generally know better about today. As with any Alt process it is important to understand the safety issues.
I am sure that in spite of real warnings, wife's tales and tall tales being told about these things , someday, someone will not get the word and cause themselves a lot of harm. It is just in the gene pool and as we have more people doing Alt photo the probability of a problem will equal 1.0 .
So I am going to stick with sipping denatured Alcohol out of my early pewter cup as I work. You know that thing is as heavy as lead! ;<)
----- Original Message -----
From: PhotonTom@aol.com
To: alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca
Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2002 9:34 PM
Subject: Re: SAFER: MODERN AMBROTYPES & THE WEB (Gasssssssp!)
In a message dated 9/17/2002 8:22:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time, watsok@frii.com writes:
Nitric acid in the developer is crazy.... I need to try this sometime;<) I
would agree about dangerous chemistry if this was required. Most wet heads
use acetic acid, about 14 ml to 500 ml of water. This is about the same
strength as household vinegar.
I know some literature calls for Potassium Cyanide as a fixer. This is an
option as Hypo works well.
For God's sake (as well as your own!!) Don't use KCN as a fixer if you have acid around, unless you want to play "gas chamber" and off yourself. (I suspect it may be difficult to purchase the cyanide in most forms in any case.)
Cheers,
Tom Crowe
Thomas Crowe Studios-Photographic Arts
"Lost in East Tennessee" (Yearning to return to Southern California again)
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