Re: ETHOL LPD

----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Bryant" <dstevenbryant@mindspring.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 7:12 PM
Subject: RE: ETHOL LPD

> Juan,
>
> The formula that I'm posting was taken from a listing in
one of David
> Vestal's darkroom books and may not be an exact
replacement chemically for
> Ethol LPD. I adopted it many years ago as my primary
silver gelatin
> enlarging paper developer when it became difficult for me
to purchase LPD.
> It is Phenidone based like LPD which is a plus for me
since I am acutely
> sensitive to Metol and I'm unable to use developers like
Dektol. Here is the
> formula:
>
> P-72
>
> To make 4 liters of stock solution use:
>
> 3L of distilled water 50C - 125F
> 180g Sodium Sulfite
> 50g Hydroquinone
> 270g Sodium Carbonate
> 2g Phenidone
> 7.5g Potassium Bromide
> 1g Benzotriazole
>
> Add water to make 4 liters.
>
> Starting with 3L of H2O mix the chemicals in the order
listed dissolving
> each chemical fully before adding the next.
>
> You can make a solution of Phenidone in isopropyl alcohol
to help dissolve
> the Phenidone easier and to make adding 2g to the solution
more accurate.
> The stock solution of Phenidone in isopropyl will not last
long so there is
> no need to mix a large volume.
>
> I usually dilute the stock solution 1:3 with water for a
warmish tone print.
> 1:1 for a little cooler tone. The developer is very long
lasting in the tray
> and the stock solution stays stable much longer than
Dektol. For best
> storage use an amber glass bottle. I can print all day and
come back the
> next morning and add a small amount of dilute stock and
get extended life to
> the developer already in the tray. This formula is
inexpensive to make once
> the initial investment in the constituent chemicals is
made. Of course
> different papers will give different results in tone and
contrast. My normal
> development time is 3 minutes at room temperature with all
papers I use such
> as Ilford Multigrade IV, Agfa Multi-contrast Classic,
Oriental Seagull, and
> Cachet to name a few.
>
> You can also vary the concentration of Benzitriazole and
Potassium Bromide
> to vary color, contrast and fog reduction but I rarely do
this.
>
> Have fun,
>
> Don Bryant
>
   Here is the formula for Ilford ID-62, essentially the
same as Bromophen, for comparison

Ilford ID-62 Stock Solution

Water (at 125F or 52C) 750.0 ml
Sodium Sulfite, dessicated 50.0 grams
Hydroquinone 12.0 grams
Sodium Carbonate (anhydrous) 60.0 grams
Phenidone 0.5 gram
Potassium Bromide 2.0 grams
Benzotriazole 0.2 grams
Water to make 1.0 liter

For paper dilute 1:1 to 1:3 For film dilute 1:7

Note that the formula for LPD above does not specify the
hydration of the carbonate. However, from the amount its
probably anhydrous.
  Both developers are essentially Phenidone versions of
Kodak D-72/Dektol. However, Phenidone tends toward bluer
image color than Metol and does not usually produce the
slightly greenish tone D-72 sometimes does on some paper.
  The amount of both Bromide and Benzotriazole are minimum.
Either can be increased to modify the image tone or if one
is working with slightly foggy paper. Increased
Benzotriazole will tend to shift image color toward blue,
Bromide toward yellow.
  Agfa makes a Phenidone-Ascorbic acid print developer,
Neutol Plus. I don't have a formula for such a developer but
I think Ryuji Suzuki has worked one out.

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