Making Amidol

[restukey]

I've bought several different varieties over the years. My last purchase was most likely 15yrs ago. I always thought the greyish fluffy powder worked the best. It was remarkably inconsistent amongst the same negatives and paper. Somewhat frustrating, but when it did work, outstanding. I always thought the inconsistency had to do with water quality in my area. I had seen the water turn the hypo clearing agent for film into a snow scene shortly after mixing on occasion.

About its lifespan in trays, it seems to keep longer in the trays if you simply cover the tray and limit its exposure to fresh oxygen. I thought much longer.

Glycin was another chemical that I liked. I've been cleaning out the darkroom, as it has sat unused for many years now. The Glycin with outstanding keeping qualitied didn't last in its containers over the years. Turned colors and absorbed moisture, I threw it out. The amidol looked fairly familar or useable after close to two decades.

I never thought the brand that claimed purity worked any better. It was very whitish in color and more expensive. I also had some that was given to me that was a darker crystaline like sheen, not fluffy and gray. Not my favorite either. I still have a couple bottles from a company called Zone V. They were not to be confused with Zone VI the camera and paper maker. Most likely both companies are defunct?

[Jim Galli]

I have a couple of pounds of the Chinese stuff. After it finally got here and people were dis-appointed with the quality it got real cheap. Un-deterred, I bought a lifetime supply of diatomaceous earth on Ebay and simply strain it through that before I use it for processing.

But while we're at it, would somebody please cook up a formula to turn my wifes platinum jewelry into sodium chloroplatinate please, and how about that palladium on all those used up scratchy CD's?? I'd like to recycle some of that if I could.

[John Bowen]

If you take your vehicle to Toponah, make sure you don't leave your catalytic converter behind.....

[Drew Wiley]

A couple years ago several recyclers around the Bay were specializing in cat converters. Mine got taken off the truck. So many were being taken that the nearest
Toyota dealer ordered a whole cargo container of them, but that entire thing got stolen off their lot too! When the gangs were finally broken up and sent to prison, several thousand pilfered converters were still in their storage yards. Maybe this is
like the drug trade - we should blame the addicts, like platinum printers! Of course,
we should likewise blame the behavior of chimney sweeps on carbon printers, and
the occasional theft of silverware at garge sales on the addictions of silver printers
like me. It's only a matter of time, given the statistics of supply and demand, that
someone will invent a printing technique using cannabis smoke. They probably already have!

[Michael A. Smith]

Merg (and others),

The G. Gennert Amidol was comes from England and was put into the bottles in 1906. I found it in 1975 and bought 50 pounds of it—for $6/pound! Unfortunately, I could not afford more, so I told Brett Weston about it and he bought all that remained, which was far less than 50 pounds. You must have gotten the Amidol from Brett. I am now down to the last bottle and it will be gone by the end of this winter. This Amidol is black--well oxidized. That makes absolutely no difference of any sort whatsoever in terms of how it develops prints. Over the years, just to compare, I have used small amounts of other, newer, lighter-colored, fresh Amidol, but I always come back to preferring the 100 year old stuff. If anyone doubts it is any good, you are always welcome to come see my prints.

Since the "Chinese" Amidol came to the USA, the Formularly Amidol is, or was in any case, the "Chinese" Amidol.

Photographers get so, what are the words, unnecessarily compulsive, about materials. I have kept my 100-year old Amidol in the darkroom, which, from time to time has a high moisture content, and from time to time, I noticed loose caps on the Amidol bottles. Result of this poor storage: no difference of any sort whatsoever.

For use: Amidol, in the formula I use--a formula I developed after a lot of experimenting, and one good for making contact prints--will last all day (all day can be up to, say, 12 hours) in a tray--no need to cover it at all. I have even left it overnight in a tray, but covered, after a full day of work, and found it to be even better the next morning, although the useful life at that point was only about 5 or 6 sheets of paper.

I have mentioned this before, but many years ago I knew a fellow who was a student at RIT, whom the teachers there thought was the best printer they had ever encountered. He did mostly dye transfer printing and was a technical genius. I asked him about using Amidol and he said that when he used it, he first put about 8 fully exposed pieces of paper through it so that it would "get sludgy" before he started to print.

Michael A. Smith

[Merg Ross]

Merg (and others),

The G. Gennert Amidol was comes from England and was put into the bottles in 1906. I found it in 1975 and bought 50 pounds of it—for $6/pound! Unfortunately, I could not afford more, so I told Brett Weston about it and he bought all that remained, which was far less than 50 pounds. You must have gotten the Amidol from Brett. I am now down to the last bottle and it will be gone by the end of this winter. This Amidol is black--well oxidized. That makes absolutely no difference of any sort whatsoever in terms of how it develops prints. Over the years, just to compare, I have used small amounts of other, newer, lighter-colored, fresh Amidol, but I always come back to preferring the 100 year old stuff. If anyone doubts it is any good, you are always welcome to come see my prints.

Michael A. Smith

Hi Michael,

Actually, my supply came from the joint purchase Brett and my dad made. I had thought it was earlier than 1975, but doesn't really matter with stuff this old. I have always told people that the black Amidol is fine, just as you have found. As to storage, it has been in one of our darkrooms since purchase in the original bottles and wrappers.

Best to you and Paula for 2011!

Merg

[Cor]

But while we're at it, would somebody please cook up a formula to turn my wifes platinum jewelry into sodium chloroplatinate please,

First solute it in Aqua Regia, and than..you'll run the risk of a divorce perhaps?

Seriously though, I made my own platinum solution from platinum electrophoresis electrodes,not something for your kitchen table, Aqua Regia is to serious to mess around with, as well as the nitrous fumes..nasty without a fume hood, to say the least..

Best,

Cor

[sergiob]

I am really interested in getting amidol but I can't seem to find somebody who ships it overseas. All use ground shipping only. Any advice on suppliers would be appreciated.

[John Bowen]

I am really interested in getting amidol but I can't seem to find somebody who ships it overseas. All use ground shipping only. Any advice on suppliers would be appreciated.

You don't say where you are, but the stuff Artcraft sells originates in the UK

[Daniel Stone]

John,

his website says Bogotá, Colombia

-Dan