Help with dektol please

Its been awhile, so I tried mix some dektol and found 3 large bags of brown dektol powder when opening. I dont know why (they sat in my basement) I bought few years ago. Anyway, is there any value to them or any way to use it ? Seems a big waste of money. I have more dektol but they might be in the same condition.

 

Also, sid anyone try to print fiber based paper with ilfold 2150XL developer ? The web site says they are for rc paper but what's the real differences for FB paper?

 

Thanks

 

Ps. What is currently available long lasting liquid paper developer thats not very expensive and gives good results for FB paper ?

You could try it--a couple of sheets of paper should tell you if it works, although I would be a bit dubious myself. I would be surprised if a paper developer for RC didn't work well for fiber base paper, although the times will likely be longer.The liquid paper developers that I have used don't keep that well when they are opened, so buying a large quantity container doesn't make sense unless you are printing a lot and regularly.

I once 'resurrected' some D-72 (dektol) with a little added sodium acsorbate. Just use enough to remove the brown color. Use the ascorbate if you can, but if you must use ascorbic acid (vit C) dissolve it in a little water first and add sodium bicarb slowly until the fizzing stops. The straight acid might pull the pH down but it doesn't take much so go gently. Worth a try as it sounds as if you might toss it anyway.

I once had powdered developer, maybe Dektol, that was brown from a sealed bag.

 

When I mixed it, it was pretty dark, darker than usual old mixed developer, so I threw it out.

 

You could mix it and then see how dark it is.

I`m currently using browned Dektol I buy dirty cheap from old stocks without a problem. In fact, I have other fresh developers but I like more my oldish Dektol. Just mix and use it; if developing takes too much time, simply discard it.

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I was not aware of RC and FB developers. I tend to think it doesn`t matter; in my experience, each developer have a very slightly different character, but most of the times it is not decisive at all for the quality of a print.

I wonder if the character of this forum is to unify all the paragraphs in only one... I expected it to be fixed, but maybe administrators like it this way.

I use Ilford multigrade developer. It comes in a smallish container so printing only 8x10s would use it all in 5 sessions (I use 1 L to do 8x10, 2 L for 11x14). I don't know if you print often enough for that, but it works well for me. It stays good for a couple of months, but I wouldn't count on it after 3 or 4 unless you can get all the air out of the bottle.<BR>

I haven't seen any developers labeled as being just for RC or FB - how old is that one?

I have used print developers that were light brown, maybe a little darker, but if it starts to look like coffee or cola drinks, it is too far gone.

I've used old dev before. It will work, but it won't last like fresh stuff. a few hours and toss it. You may find that it doesn't give quite the contrast that fresh dev will. Hey, mix it up and have some fun; make contact sheets with it or test prints.

If these bags of Kodak Dektol were unopened in the Kodak foil-and-plastic lined pouches, they should be fine. I have some Kodak Selector and Selector Soft developer that I haven't even mixed yet (I'm more of a cold tone kind of guy), and they'll be fine. These developers have a best used by date but that is partly to protect the manufacturer from complaints. I mixed a fresh gallon of Dektol 2 weeks ago and I bought the developer about 5 years ago, works like a charm.

 

I still have a small unopened bag of Chromium Intensifier that was discontinued over 25 years ago, anyone feeling lucky?

I was surprised to see brown developer from a sealed bag, but it did happen. I didn't check to see that there might have been a tiny hole somewhere.

 

Other than developer, I usually expect them to work even when they get old.

 

Rapid fixer should be used within a specific pH range. I believe it loses acetic acid, changing its pH, such that it doesn't work as well. With a pH meter, you can adjust it by adding acetic acid or ammonium hydroxide to get it back within range.