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#1
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PQ Stain
Patrick,
I did some prints with the new PQ staining developer last night and everything you said was correct. The prints print more contrasty than they appear by eye. It's also very, very active (10% Q and 0.25gms Pheni in 100mls of Propylene Glycol) develops in Borax Carbonate in about 5mins for normal contrast with APx 100. Anyway the thing I am writing about is the amazing tones you get with this stuff! The grain is ok (not as fine as in the p-Aminophenol/Vit C Propylene Glycol) but I cant get over those tones, a 12x16in print from 35mm looks like medium format quality~! Thanks again, Nicholas |
#2
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PQ Stain
nicholas wrote:
Patrick, I did some prints with the new PQ staining developer last night and everything you said was correct. The prints print more contrasty than they appear by eye. It's also very, very active (10% Q and 0.25gms Pheni in 100mls of Propylene Glycol) develops in Borax Carbonate in about 5mins for normal contrast with APx 100. Anyway the thing I am writing about is the amazing tones you get with this stuff! The grain is ok (not as fine as in the p-Aminophenol/Vit C Propylene Glycol) but I cant get over those tones, a 12x16in print from 35mm looks like medium format quality~! Thanks again, Nicholas Woops, that was supposed to be a private email! Dooh! Never mind at least it went to the right group - Ha. |
#3
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PQ Stain
Mr. Nicholas
The FBI, CIA, Mossad and KGB all together are very much interested in your covert activities. Would you pls explain (under oath) why Pglicol and not alcohol? nicholas wrote in : nicholas wrote: Patrick, I did some prints with the new PQ staining developer last night and everything you said was correct. The prints print more contrasty than they appear by eye. It's also very, very active (10% Q and 0.25gms Pheni in 100mls of Propylene Glycol) develops in Borax Carbonate in about 5mins for normal contrast with APx 100. Anyway the thing I am writing about is the amazing tones you get with this stuff! The grain is ok (not as fine as in the p-Aminophenol/Vit C Propylene Glycol) but I cant get over those tones, a 12x16in print from 35mm looks like medium format quality~! Thanks again, Nicholas Woops, that was supposed to be a private email! Dooh! Never mind at least it went to the right group - Ha. |
#4
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PQ Stain
Thanks, Nicholas
Jorge "poozled(nospamthankyoumaam)(" "poozled(nospamthankyoumaam) wrote in : Using Propylene Glycol assures me that the developing agents will not ionise. The PQ staining developer mixes clear. Iso is easier to prepare but AFAIK does ionise developing agents eventually, perhaps because it is hydroscopic(?). Glycerine shouldn't ionise, but have you ever tried using that gloopy stuff? I have, and its a PIA to deal with. Obviously because there are no traditional "preservatives" in these developers it is important to factor in the longevity of the mixture in. |
#5
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PQ Stain
Jorge Omar wrote:
Mr. Nicholas The FBI, CIA, Mossad and KGB all together are very much interested in your covert activities. Would you pls explain (under oath) why Pglicol and not alcohol? nicholas wrote in : nicholas wrote: Patrick, I did some prints with the new PQ staining developer last night and everything you said was correct. The prints print more contrasty than they appear by eye. It's also very, very active (10% Q and 0.25gms Pheni in 100mls of Propylene Glycol) develops in Borax Carbonate in about 5mins for normal contrast with APx 100. Anyway the thing I am writing about is the amazing tones you get with this stuff! The grain is ok (not as fine as in the p-Aminophenol/Vit C Propylene Glycol) but I cant get over those tones, a 12x16in print from 35mm looks like medium format quality~! Thanks again, Nicholas Woops, that was supposed to be a private email! Dooh! Never mind at least it went to the right group - Ha. Using Propylene Glycol assures me that the developing agents will not ionise. The PQ staining developer mixes clear. Iso is easier to prepare but AFAIK does ionise developing agents eventually, perhaps because it is hydroscopic(?). Glycerine shouldn't ionise, but have you ever tried using that gloopy stuff? I have, and its a PIA to deal with. Obviously because there are no traditional "preservatives" in these developers it is important to factor in the longevity of the mixture in. |
#6
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PQ Stain
nicholas wrote: Patrick, I did some prints with the new PQ staining developer last night and everything you said was correct. The prints print more contrasty than they appear by eye. It's also very, very active (10% Q and 0.25gms Pheni in 100mls of Propylene Glycol) develops in Borax Carbonate in about 5mins for normal contrast with APx 100. Anyway the thing I am writing about is the amazing tones you get with this stuff! The grain is ok (not as fine as in the p-Aminophenol/Vit C Propylene Glycol) but I cant get over those tones, a 12x16in print from 35mm looks like medium format quality~! Thanks again, Nicholas, You may as well tell everyone what dilution and amounts of borax and carbonate you used. I just got and signed the contract for the article in Photo Techniques next issue, but I didn't describe the use of borax-carbonate. Makes me feel good that you like the results. We have been keeping the wrong thing away from developer in our efforts to preserve stock solutions. We worry about air, when we should be worrying about water. Keep the water away until the last minute. Dissolve hydroquinone or ascorbic acid or catechol or pyrogallol and/or phenidone in propylene glycol for the stock. I find it necessary to heat the mixture in order to dissolve the dry chemicals and to drive out water that may be in the glycol. This won't work with most alcohols which would boil away before the water. There is a method of dehydrating alcohol with anhydrous copper sulphate, but who wants to take a chance on having traces of copper in the developer? |
#7
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PQ Stain
Patrick Gainer wrote:
Nicholas, You may as well tell everyone what dilution and amounts of borax and carbonate you used. I just got and signed the contract for the article in Photo Techniques next issue, but I didn't describe the use of borax-carbonate. Makes me feel good that you like the results. Really, it is an outstanding developer in those terms I described before, even the grain is very fine! Compared to the p-Aminophenol version it's difficult to say, Apx 100 is so grain-free in that brew it's hard to see any grain @ 12x16in (the largest size my enlarger normally allows). _Stock_ _Developer_: 10gms (1TBS + 1/4tsp) of Hydroquinone ..25gms (1/8tsp) of Phenidone Heated to dissolve in 100mls Propylene Glycol (use a water bath) Dilute 1:50 to make working solution with 4gms of Borax (1tsp) & 5gms of Sodium Carbonate (1tsp) per litre of working solution. 5 1/2 minutes with Apx 100 gave soft-ish looking but contrasty printing negatives. 1min initial agitation, 5 inversions every minute thereafter. I was thinking about the water in the developer issue before when Jorge asked that question why not use another alcohol and remembering that Isopropyl Alc takes on water in the atmosphere is probably one reason that Phenidone dissolved in it goes "off" eventually... |
#8
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PQ Stain
Patrick
I have easy access to 98%~99% pure ethanol (I believe it's not purified through copper - CaO looks more like it if I remember right). How would that compare to Pglicol in your opinion? Besides, I would mix a stock alkali solution also. Thanks, Jorge Patrick Gainer wrote in : Nicholas, You may as well tell everyone what dilution and amounts of borax and carbonate you used. I just got and signed the contract for the article in Photo Techniques next issue, but I didn't describe the use of borax-carbonate. Makes me feel good that you like the results. We have been keeping the wrong thing away from developer in our efforts to preserve stock solutions. We worry about air, when we should be worrying about water. Keep the water away until the last minute. Dissolve hydroquinone or ascorbic acid or catechol or pyrogallol and/or phenidone in propylene glycol for the stock. I find it necessary to heat the mixture in order to dissolve the dry chemicals and to drive out water that may be in the glycol. This won't work with most alcohols which would boil away before the water. There is a method of dehydrating alcohol with anhydrous copper sulphate, but who wants to take a chance on having traces of copper in the developer? |
#9
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PQ Stain
I did read Patrick's item a few weeks ago with some skepticism, but
this really does sound interesting. I suppose I've been mixing with water for so long that this concept seemed strange. Since your negs look not very contrasty but print with greater than expected contrast, I assume that they are stained like a pyro neg. What is the colour of the neg image? Did you use VC paper? The reason for my asking is as follows: It used to be said the pyro negs gave smooth prints because the stain added to the silver grain (and gaps between grains), leading to good density with minimal development which of course leads to minimal grain. This was with graded papers. Nowadays with VC papers it is being said that pyro gives a built-in soft filter to control highlights, but the effect is not always desirable, since with VC paper the highlights can look flat with some subjects. Have you used PMK? If so, how would you compare PMK with this new formulation? Did you do a measurement of film speed? I'm no chemist, but the formula of propyl glycol looks like an alcohol. Does it absorb water from the atmosphere? I note that its boiling point is 150degC, well above that of water and other common alcohols. So heating it could drive off water as long as it didn't decompose. The developing agents could also get cooked. How hot can you make it before any such troubles occur? Just what I wanted. Yet another developer to obsess over, just when I thought I had narrowed it down to two. |
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