Re: gum redevelopment

Hi Joe,
     Absolutely right--not to combine bleach and ammonia. In fact, I like
Sarah Van K's suggestion I read, either in her book or PF Journal, to settle
on using one OR the other in your darkroom and then you don't have to worry
about making a massive mistake. I was using ammonia because I don't have
any bleach.
     Well, I just exposed and developed a fresh layer of pigmented gum on
the ammonia-redeveloped print, and it remained dimensionally stable and
didn't stain..however, with the redevelopment the highlights are still the
same and the shadows are lighter, hence a lower contrast ugly worthless
piece of junk. But at least I learned that you can budge *shadows* in the
hardened gum with an alkali soak. I also found that rubbing the print with a
terry towel gave some neat, gritty effects. Soon I'll find out if burning
it up will look even better. :)
     I wouldn't have even done it except I was trying to cut corners; I have
a show of my gums coming up the end of this month in Minneapolis and thought
I could save some time not reexposing a whole 'nother gum print.Seeing as
this is the first sunny day we've had lately, I was hoping to not spend it
inside much...
Chris
> Keith & Chris
> Just to be clear here, you use these chemicals at different times or
> stages, correct? Isn't the combination of ammonia and chlorine bleach
> very toxic because of a generated gas?
> Joe
Received on Thu Jul 8 11:56:44 2004