Mercury Developer

[totalamateur]

As and aside, there is a "newer" way to develop a daguerrotype plate which does not require Mercury. The plate after exposure is exposed to sunlight behind a red filter ( I think the specific color is very important to the process) and it develops the plate. I can't find the name of the process right now - but I'd think that it would be a load safer if one was interested in Daguerotypes. I had briefly considered it, since modifyling my 8x10 would be pretty easy - but then I saw the cost of copper plate and silver plating.

AgNO3 is quite costly enough, thank you very much. I'll lump that with the Cabon print process when I am retired and have both too much time AND money on my hands (God willing)

[WolfTales]

Wow - extraordinary. That novel sounds intense, I'll have to check it out.

As for the silver iodide halides and the process - insane.

Fascinating. Mercury is so toxic!! Don't try it at home!

[Chazzy]

As and aside, there is a "newer" way to develop a daguerrotype plate which does not require Mercury. The plate after exposure is exposed to sunlight behind a red filter ( I think the specific color is very important to the process) and it develops the plate. I can't find the name of the process right now

It's the Becquerel process, if I'm not mistaken.

[PHOTOTONE]

It's the Becquerel process, if I'm not mistaken.

Yes and it is just about as old as the Mercury process.

[amuderick]

The Becquerel process requires longer exposure times and the quality of the resulting image quality is not as good as the Mercury process. One day, with the right lab space, it is something I'd like to try.

[Uncle Goose]

Mercury is certainly not a toy and if it's spilled you need a special vacuum cleaner to get rid of it. Otherwise you get the infamous fumes all around. Even breaking a thermometer is not a wise thing. I still have half a liter of Mercury standing here (safely sealed of course), don't have a purpose for it at this moment.

[jnanian]

A bit of photographic trivia: while mercury will not "develop" a silver-gelatin emulsion, mercury vapor will hypersensitize ordinary film. My father was taught this as part of his Army counterintelligence training in the late 1940s. It seems to have involved putting the film (or plate, back then) in a box with a drop or two of metallic mercury, and letting it sit for a while before exposure. This was at a time when "normal" speed film was ASA 25, or maybe 50, and "fast" film was all of ASA 160!

I should try it the next time I break a mercury thermometer....

naaah, you just need to have the plates ready next time
you cook some seafood ... in the dark of course.

[totalamateur]

NExt in the alternative process forum - Tunadol and sashimetol developer.

Think wasabi can be used for toning?

[Ray Rogers]

NExt in the alternative process forum - Tunadol and sashimetol developer.

Think wasabi can be used for toning?

Actually, you might not be far off track...
There is pretty good reason to assume photographically activite wasabi does exist!

BTW
I have used Matcha (green tea) powder as a "dry dye" before...

and
I have some Ika Zumi "squid ink"... any ideas on how to use that?

Ray

[Dave Pritchard]

...
I have some Ika Zumi "squid ink"... any ideas on how to use that?
Ray

Faux selenium?