U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Safe methods for washing gum prints

Re: Safe methods for washing gum prints



Judy,

I'm not sure I want to mount my prints for processing, however it is being
done very successfully on aluminum with reversible dry mount tissue. In a
situation like that I could see vertical development being really space
effective.

Jack

> From: Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>
> Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
> Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 16:01:04 -0500 (EST)
> To: alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca
> Subject: Re: Safe methods for washing gum prints
> 
> On Wed, 13 Dec 2006, Jack Brubaker wrote:
> 
>> I will develop back to back and turn them over now and
>> then. Mounting them on a rigid substrate would be a great asset in
>> developing, it would be possible to develop many print in a vertical tank if
>> the tank was set up with grooves in the sides to separate the prints.
> 
> Jack, when I washed prints on a rigid substrate (aside from tendency of
> print to pucker on the substrate unless it was fastened with gorilla glue)
> I found the backs (undersides) didn't wash, but retained strong dichromate
> stain. Removing prints from the substrate while gum was still soft led to
> many accidents (tho you may be more adroit in such matters than I), as did
> putting wet prints in grooved (or similar) vertical tanks. And once
> the print has dried, washing is more difficult & further development
> dubious at best.
> 
> My solution (so to speak) is tri-level, or even quarto level trays.  For
> instance I have a computer table on wheels with four surfaces that will
> take trays... I can wheel it nearer or further from the sink. I also have
> rigged possibilities for several levels at the sink.  All else failing,
> trays can go on the floor (so they get stepped in. There are worse
> accidents) but if they're large they have to be emptied by bailing. (I
> used to siphon in the darkroom, but bailing is less trouble.) The problem
> of course is that if I have been so profligate with spreading trays, some
> inevitably get lost -- and redisovered only years later.
> 
> Judy.
> 
>