That was intense !

[dmb]

First time ever I had to intensify some negatives. Dev'd a roll of Ilford Ortho Plus in ID-11, made a boo-boo and diluted at 1+7 instead of 1+3
:banghead:. thin negs beyond belief.

Hunted round and found a pack of ancient Tetanal Chromium Intensifer (Chrome Verstarker was the label) I picked up at a car boot years ago . Suitable PPE worn as the stuff is toxic, corrosive and in the time since this was on sale proven carcinogenic. It bleaches the silver and at the same time deposits chromium that is dark, then you wash it, expose to lights and develop in print developer. That brings back the silver and with the chromium darkens the image.

Negs hanging to dry, they are still a little on the light side but look as if they will be printable. My late Dad always told me I should be able to just read a newspaper through my negs and now they are a little closer to that. Before I could read the smallest palest print .

 

[StephenM]

I still remember the ads for Johnsons Uranium Intensifier. Better at not making grain too bad, apparently. My normal error was gross overexposure, and I still have a pactum of Farmer's Reducer.

 

[dmb]

Takes me back to the 70s when used to use uranyl acetate as a "stain" for plant specimens in the transmission electron microscope. Not something they would let students use these days.

 

[AndrewFlannigan]

Crumbs, that takes me back.

I used to keep a bottle of intensifier and a bottle of bleach in the darkroom. The first for underexposed negatives and the second to "brighten up" flat prints. Now I just have to press a few buttons to get greater control!

 

[Asha]

Never used either chem but I guess I have a neg or two that would benefit .

Maybe I’ll add to my wishlist for when I next but film , paper and other chems.

Going on some of the comments above, I’m kinda presuming that these intensifiers and reducers last forever even after being opened?

 

[StephenM]

That depends. Farmer's reducer (which is what I have in a 1960s pack) makes up to give two different solutions. When mixed together, you have around 30 minutes (from memory). One is potassium ferricyanide - I don't know if that's now banned.

 

[dmb]

Never used either chem but I guess I have a neg or two that would benefit .

Maybe I’ll add to my wishlist for when I next but film , paper and other chems.

Going on some of the comments above, I’m kinda presuming that these intensifiers and reducers last forever even after being opened?

The pack of chrome intensifier I have you mix from two powders. The current ones I can see are in liquid form which is slightly less risky as inhaling powdered chromium 6 salts is NOT GOOD. Once in liquid form they should be long lasting. Reducers however are mix and use, as powders have a long life and a moderate life as two part solutions . Potassium ferricyanide is still readily available and used for cyanotypes, despite having cyanide in the name it has low toxicity but is a little irritant, in fact it has an E number E536 and is used as an anti-caking agent in salt, just don't mix it with strong acids.

 

[StephenM]

So we can use coffee to develop films, and if we overdo it, use salt as a reducer

 

[dmb]

Got some scanned, the additional handling has added some blemishes, a few scratches and some dense spots. At least have scannable pictures, how well they will make wet prints will have to see.