75g Borax (I use tech grade Sodium Borate)
37g Rochelle Salts
3g Tartaric Acid
First off, I compound the developer in 120 degree tap water and stir it
for a few minutes in a magnetic stirring device. After this, all of the
solids have dissolved (I let all the Sodium Borate dissolve before I add
the Rochelle Salts). The next day, all of the solids are still dissolved,
but if I wait another day or so, crystals begin forming on the bottom of
the bottle. (A pretty decent amount). So, I try to use the developer the
very next day. When I pour the developer into the tray, I've noticed that
tiny crystals attach to the bottom of the trays. If the developer spills
out onto the sink, the crystals are readily apparent. At this point I
add tartaric acid. I've been using 7g of tech grade Tartaric Acid of the
+(-)+ type. Sometimes the crystals dissolve sometimes they don't. Typically
this isn't enough tartaric to stop yellow stain on my prints- but it is
more than twice the amount which Dick Steven's recommends in his book.
I've also noticed that the amount of tartaric acid influences the color of
the developer- less tartaric = more neutral tones. As you can see, the
problem is achieving a "fairly" consistent print color while avoiding
yellow stain. Not only this, but my prints turn out looking "gritty" or
"duty" sometimes with poor contrast and density. A continuous tone part
of the image looks extremely grainy. So here are my general questions:
1) Does this sound like I have a developer which is too saturated (this would
explain the chemicals falling out into crystals after a few days.
2) Can the tartaric acid be "used up" by helping the undissolved crystals
go back into solution?
3) Does anyone out there have an alternate formula for Borax-Rochelle developers
or any advice in dealing with my problems?
4) Are there any of the developers which can produce a "chocolate brown" color
which do not use these chemicals?
As a footnote, all prints made with a Sodium-Acetate developer clear
perfectly and look great- i.e. none of the above problems. I am printing
on Arches Plantine paper and using Bostick&Sullivan chemisty for the
sensitizer and EDTA tetrasodium for the clearing agent.
Any help would be much appreciated- Please excuse the verbosity of the
description but I don't want to leave anything out that could be the problem.
Thanks,
Adam