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[OM] (Fwd) Ferrotyping; Quickie Archival Processing (formerly "efke

Subject: [OM] (Fwd) Ferrotyping; Quickie Archival Processing (formerly "efke
From: "Tom A. Trottier" <TomATrottier@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 09:33:25 -0400
I thought that those who still get their hands wet would appreciate
this.

OM content: we still use film, don't we?

Tom

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Date sent:              Wed, 18 Apr 2001 02:46:25 -0400
Send reply to:          The Subminiature Photography Mailing List              
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From:                   Michael Taglieri <miket_nyc@xxxxxxxx>
Subject:                Ferrotyping; Quickie Archival Processing (formerly 
"efke,
                etc.....")
To:                     SUBMINI-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

>> years.  And..I'm really considering picking up some ferrotype tins,
old
>> style paper (several outfits still make it) and making REAL glossies
>> instead of this RC stuff.

>"Real" glazed glossies sure do look nice, but they are
>also sure a pain in the neck...
>> Tim>>


What do you mean "old style paper?"  That's fiber-based paper, and almost
EVERYBODY still makes it.  It's truly permanent and it gives a much nicer
image for old-style photographers like me.  Kodak seems to be moving into
mostly RC but Ilford puts its wonderful Multigrade IV emulsion on both
fiber-based paper and RC paper with the same characteristics and speed,
so you can even get away with interchanging test-strips between the two.
I print mostly with FB version, but for snapshots, etc., I've grown fond
of Ilford's "Pearl" surface in Multigrade RC, which looks very similar to
air-dried glossy fiber-based paper.

But I always air-dry FB prints by swabbing them off and clipping them to
a clothesline.  As far as I'm concerned, ferrotyping is a lost art that
can remain lost.  It gives an extraordinary depth to the surface, but
it's so easy to screw up that I could hardly ever do it right.  If you
want to revive this arcane craft, pick up some FB paper, then go to eBay,
where the paraphernalia for ferrotyping must be selling REALLY cheap.
Older books such as The Amateur Photographer's Handbook give details on
the techniques necessary to do this right, none of which I ever managed
to master.  Note that surfaces that may be contaminated by fixer (e.g.,
aprons on eBay heat-dryers) can be decontaminated with chlorine bleach
(not for prints -- it'll take the emulsion right off).


Speaking of fiber-based papers, in my last printing session I tried a
modified version of Ilford's fast-fix archival processing method and it
worked great.  For those who haven't heard of this, it's a procedure to
give you the most stringent archival permanence on fiber-based papers
with vastly reduced washing times.

The trick is the fixing: you used film-strength rapid-fixer (e.g.,
Kodafix at 1:3 rather than 1:7) and fix each print for precisely one
minute.  By Ilford's tests, film-strength fixer will actually fix a paper
emulsion in 30 seconds, so one minute is a 100afety factor to ensure
full fixing.  However, one minute is not long enough to let a significant
amount of fixer diffuse into the paper itself.  Since most of the reason
for the traditional long washing is to let the fixer diffuse out again,
not letting it in to start gives you archival washing time not much
longer than for film.

Ilford's procedure involves using all of their chemicals and they
recommend no hardener in fixers.  I like hardened prints even if they
wash a bit slower, and don't use Ilford chemicals, but the principal of
short fixing is the same.  Here's Ilford's official procedure, from the
Multigrade instruction sheet, and my variation last Sunday night:


                OFFICIAL ILFORD PROCEDURE

FIXING       Ilford Paper fixer, 18-24° 1:3, intermittent
agitation, one minute

FIRST WASH   5 min fresh running water

WASHING AID  Galerie Washaid (1+4)    10 minutes

FINAL WASH   Fresh Running Water 5 minutes (extend to 30 for warmest
image tone).



                TAGLIERI BODGE PROCEDURE

FIXING    Kodafix 1:3, constant agitation, one minute (Quik-Fix or
Kodak Rapid fixer would be the same.  Kodafix just has the hardener
already in it rather than separate).

PREWASH   Rinse print under faucet to get the worst of it off and put in
a holding tray till end of printing session.  Dump & replace water
occasionally.

FIRST WASH   5 min or so in running water (70's or so, for my hands' sake
rather than the prints').

WASHING AID    Permawash, 3oz./gal as directed, about 5 minutes  (The
Permawash bottle says 2 min, so there was no reason to do it 10 just
because Ilford's wash aid needs it.  On the other hand, washing aids tend
to exaggerate their speed, so I wanted to at least double their 2 min).

FINAL WASH     Hand agitation, again in running water, until Kodak's HT-2
test solution showed an archival result.  I had included a couple of
botched prints and was planning to test one at 10 min, but I tested just
for kicks at 5 min.  NO VISIBLE STAIN, i.e., total archival results after
a final wash of 5 minutes and a total post-fixing time of 15 minutes!  I
will never use two fixing baths again, whatever Ansel says....

BTW, another advantage of the film-strength fixer is that you can fix
test strips well enough in 30 seconds.  I always hate waiting.


Mike Taglieri -  miket_nyc@xxxxxxxx
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-----------------------------------(no spam please)
Tom Trottier, President         <Tom@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
http://abacurial.com                   ICQ:57647974
400 Slater St. Suite 415, Ottawa ON Canada  K1R 7S7
+1 613 291-1168  fax:+1 613 594-5412  (877)247-8796

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