Re: [Leica] Re:Pyro

[Mark Rabiner <mrabiner@concentric.net>]

Giorgio Ferrari wrote:
> 
> Marc,
> many thanks for your answer but, please , excuse me for my slow brain. I
> want to know a basic concept: is Pyro a chemical component that I must add
> to a normal developer (I'm thinking to pirogallolo, like I know) or is Pyro
> a chemical formula for a developer? Can you tell me something about the
> chemical composition (the acronimous PMK stay for?) or any other notice of
> this much interesting news?
> Are there some books about the argument that I can find in Italy?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> 
> Giorgio Ferrari
> "fergio@galactica.it"

Oops. It's the developing agent itself. The Developing agents in Dektol are
Metal and Hydroquinone. So if you had some of these individual components of
developers in your darkroom you could mix them in pre existing developers like
Dektol and think of them as additives. Or as just mentioned adding Amidol to PMK
which is adding another developing agent to a pre existing packaged developer
which just happens to be the only Pyro developer on the market that I know of
and available from Photographers Formulary. I think PMK stands for Pyro, Metol
and the K I would be sodium metaborate which used to be called Kodalk.
From Amazon on the Net or the Web or what ever they call it you can get the
Anchell Troop book: The Film Developing Cookbook. Also we talked about "The book
of Pyro" which is by Gordon Hutchings. Do they have Amazon in Italy? I know they
have it in South America. Big Snakes! Also Books!
Mark Rabiner

Metal             .1g
Sodium sulfite    .2g
Pyrogallol         1g
Sodium metaborate  6g
water              1liter

But people say "I'm developing my negs in Pyro"