Rooting around in the darkroom and ...

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creenus

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I found a paper safe full of fiber paper, semi gloss, single ply, curled at edges. About 100 sheets.

I work as the B&W darkroom tech at San Juan College in Farmington, NM. My boss is one of the former team photographers for the Dallas Cowboys - he teaches basic photography (black and white), three digital classes and an advanced studio class.

People have donated old photo gear, trays, tanks, enlargers, etc., as well as old packages of B&W paper. I have been going through it to see if any of it is still good - most of it is too fogged and faded to print. It's at least several decades old.

So I finally got to the paper safe today. It held 8x10 fiber base paper with absolutely no identification of what brand, type, grade and so on. So I ran a negative and discovered that it was fairly contrasty - maybe a Grade 3 is my best guess. It was so curved that it was a struggle to get it into an easel. I tried to bend it slightly backward to de-curl it a bit but a sheet cracked on me!

And it (whatever it is) has a nice tonal range and the curling does flatten out when it hits the developer. The white base is a little faded which reveals how old it really is. But what impressed me is that no matter how old this paper is, its tonality just destroyed the Ilford MGIV the students use. It just has a lovely transition from black to the upper tones, and a depth that the resin-coated stuff cannot reach.

Not to knock the Ilford Multigrade - it's great for the students to learn the basics of printing and how filters can improve their prints, but the fiber base, even ancient, is just amazing. It got me all geeked up today. I just bought a 4x5 Wisner view camera, and my boss said I can play with the mystery paper when I start printing some negatives. All in all an exciting day at work! =)
 
Does the curling not make it a massive pain to have images in focus on the easel?

It sounds like it could benefit from some moisture if it's cracking, try throwing one of those humidity packs in the paper safe, the boveda ones they make for cigars are easy and cheap to find. Give it a day or two and see if the paper is any more pliable.

Don't keep it at super high humidity, that'll encourage mold growth. Just enough time to get it soft.
 
Thanks, Jake. I hold the easel blade edges down with several fingers as it prints, so the up-curled paper is fairly flat and therefore in-focus. But yeah, it's a pain. The darkroom humidity is normal, despite the college being located in the high desert region of New Mexico. Actually it was the emulsion that cracked, not the paper itself. I'm not keen on placing stuff in the plastic paper bag to increase humidity - it's a miracle that the paper is still viable, I think! But I'll think about adding a slightly damp paper towel somewhat close to the paper without it actually touching the paper. I can try a sheet or two in a separate Ilford plastic paper bag and empty box and see if it helps.

Thanks, B-9. I will try and post some prints when I can. I just learned to use the classroom flat scanner, so I should be able to do that when I have something to show.

I know black and white fairly well, but I'm kind of a Luddite/doofus when it comes to digital as I have never done that before. Just got a Nikon DSLR and a few lenses. It's all fun, though!
 
I have some old single grade Ilford papers from local store and good volume of old SG FB papers from Jeff (RFF memeber). It is good paper in not very common developer and some of it still works in Dektol and Ilford paper developer. I have it enough for next few years.

I just can't compare it to modern Ilford FB MG. I'm priced out by Ilford. Once I'm out of paper I have, I'll try Foma emulsion or something like this.
 
I hear you, Ko Fe. Whatever works. You are correct - B&W paper is getting ridiculously expensive. I am lucky to have the college's darkroom to use for free, and that there's a little "free" paper to play with. I bought some Ilford Multigrade Art 5x7 paper I am eager to try. But that's expensive, too.

And some of the high-grade FB paper is more than $2 a sheet! :eek:

I would also like to try some Foma paper. I have 25 sheets of 5x7 paper they used to make in a "Chamois" finish. It's unopened in the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator. I need to try that out too.
 
Ko.Fe. You'll find Foma is more expensive than Ilford...& Arista about $4/ 100 (8x10) less.....not much difference really
 
Greetings from Albuquerque, and congratulations on your paper find, whatever it is. I hope you make lots of great prints from the paper. If you haven't tried it, you should buy a little of the Adox MCC 110 fiber paper. I like the glossy. It is very pricey, but man, that is the best paper I have ever used. You don't have to use filters or dial it in, just make your test strips and it will be fantastic.
 
"I was writing about Foma emulsion, not paper." Ko.Fe.

Ah.......
 
Steve M. said:
Greetings from Albuquerque, and congratulations on your paper find, whatever it is. I hope you make lots of great prints from the paper. If you haven't tried it, you should buy a little of the Adox MCC 110 fiber paper. I like the glossy. It is very pricey, but man, that is the best paper I have ever used. You don't have to use filters or dial it in, just make your test strips and it will be fantastic.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Steve M. I have heard very good things about this paper, and will check it out when I get some extra cash. How are things in the Duke City? Have they straightened out the mess on Central Avenue? I live halfway between Farmington and Shiprock in a little town called Waterflow. I love to take photos in Albuquerque, especially of oddball signs and weird small details I notice. My son and I travel there a lot to hear music concerts - lots of good venues. My son was an extra in one of the Better Call Saul TV episodes a few years back.
 
Sounds fascinating creenus. If your getting good enough prints but the curl is a problem, you might want to experiment with a finding a good blemish free sheet of glass taped on one side to stiff cardboard or other stiff medium. That can work pretty well.
 
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