phenidone - add to beutler two bath?

hi,

 

have been looking to add phenidone to thornton's version of beulter's two bath ...

 

bath A

 

- 6.5g metol

- 35g sodium sulfite

- water to make 1 ltr

 

bath B

 

- 12g sodium carbonate

- water to make 1 ltr

 

 

i want the speed increase that phenidone gives with the benefit of a two bath.

 

is it better just to add bit by bit and see what happens?

better to drop the sodium sulfite in dd76 and go with that recipe?

don't bother and stick with fx4 as is?

what is the longetivity of phenidone in stock and is that cntingent on ph/sulfite

levels?

 

thanks

Hi gonzalo.

 

If you're interested in a very simple 2-bath developer that produces excellent sharpness and film speed, I recommend the following:

 

A

 

sodium ascorbate 10g

 

phenidone .25g -or- metol 2.5g

 

distilled water to 1 liter

 

You can use the same B solution that you already have made up for the Thornton 2-bath, or you can substitute sodium metaborate for lower contrast. The A solution contains no sulfite, and should not be kept for more than a week or so, and was designed to be used for a single development session and tossed, but can be used many times with consistent results. To increase contrast, increase time in A solution. 3min A/ 3 min B is a good starting time. Good luck.

 

Jay<div></div>

I was always told that Phenidone and Metol don't go together in the same solution-- that sludge would form. So I never tried it, being the trusting soul that I am. I'd go with Jay's suggestion.