Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/06/16

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Re: (OT) Hardener issues.
From: Mark Rabiner <mark@markrabiner.com>
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2002 22:11:53 -0700
References: <OF6F14B1B3.2B3926DD-ON48256BDA.007F2652@kkh.com.sg> <3.0.2.32.20020616204031.013594f8@roanoke.infi.net>

The Hardener for my fixer, Kodak Rapid fix which i buy in 5 gallon
cubetainers is composed mainly of surfuric acid. That's battery acid to
you son or daughter.
Dip you hands in that a few times like i used to when i got my first
darkroom at age 13 in 1965 and you're going to find yourself with some
soft fingernails. When they dry they get brittle and fall off. I think
it will take off your fingerprints. 
And the fumes do a number on you just as fast.
I love the way it makes my prints jellyfishlike completely impermeable
to any retouching.
Most fine art and even commercial printers learn early on to omit it
from their darkrooms.

Would it be the most toxic thing in the darkroom? Close. But certainly
the easiest thing to leave out.

That said one or two of the brainiacs on the darkroom lists advocate
it's use. But its to stop their prints from sticking to the canvas in
their hot heating drying drums!  :) They are not using screens.   

There are some driers which are archival and smart to use though. Not
the ones in which the print is in contact with canvas i suspect. Widely
frowned upon.

There are some hardeners which are not so harsh if you are into mixing
your own. I'd skip those as well.



Mark Rabiner
Portland, Oregon USA
http://www.markrabiner.com
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In reply to: Message from sbug@kkh.com.sg ([Leica] Re: (OT) Hardener issues.)
Message from Marc James Small <msmall@infi.net> (Re: [Leica] Re: (OT) Hardener issues.)