This section is from the "Handicraft For Boys" book, by A. Frederick Collins. Amazon: Handicraft for boys.
You can make a good, tried and true developer in two solutions as follows:
Take 1 ounce of pyrogallic acid, called pyro for short, dissolve it in 28 ounces of water and then add 20 minims of sulphuric acid.
Dissolve 2 ounces of desiccated 48 carbonate of soda and 3 ounces of sulphite of soda in 28 ounces of water.
When you want to develop a plate mix 1/2 an ounce of the pyro solution and 1/2 an ounce of the soda solution with 4 ounces of water and to do this you need a graduated glass.
To make a good fixing bath for dry plates dissolve 1 ounce of hypo, 60 grains of sulphite of soda in crystals and 1/4 ounce of borax in 20 ounces of water. A developer can only be used for one or two plates but you can fix 50 plates in the same fixing bath.
48 Desiccate means thoroughly dry.
 
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