Re: clearing dichromate stain

[Katharine Thayer <kthayer@pacifier.com>]

On Jan 8, 2007, at 8:26 PM, Judy Seigel wrote:

> On Mon, 8 Jan 2007, Katharine Thayer wrote:
>
>
> > .... Just for one rather trivial example, the statement that's  
> > attributed to Sil Horowitz,  that in dichromate stain, the  
> > dichromate is "fully oxidized"  and therefore inert.  If Sil  
> > Horowitz said that, he's an idiot, but I'm completely comfortable  
> > saying that,  because I don't think he is an idiot,  I think it's  
> > much more reasonable to assume he was misquoted.  The only way the  
> > first part could make sense is if he meant the yellow stain where  
> > the unreduced dichromate is trapped in the paper or the size, but  
> > in that case the second part wouldn't make sense;  such a stain  
> > couldn't be considered  inert.    Anyone with any knowledge of the  
> > chemistry of the process would know that it's a nonsense statement  
> > as given, and would either check with Horowitz to find out what he  
> > really said, or at least drop the secondhand citation from the  
> > listing, since it's obviously a misstatement of fact.
> Sil did say (rightly or wrongly in whatever terms -- should be in  
> the archive for those who care) that it's not necessary to *clear*  
> a gum print for the purpose of archivality.
If that's what he had been cited for saying,  I'd have no problem  
with it, because whether it's true or not,  at least there's no  
internal consistency in the statement.    But he was cited as  
follows, quoted from Chris's compilation:

> Sil Horowitz says that the dichromate is already fully oxidized and  
> is relatively inert.  PF 6 36"
which, as I said above, doesn't make sense.

> <<<SNIP>>>>>
>
> > ... there's no assurance that the second source isn't  
> > misinterpreting the information, as may have happened in this case.
> No, Sil said it clearly and unequivocally...

Maybe we're getting confused about what the citation was.  Are you  
claiming that Sil actually said, clearly and unequivocally, that "the  
dichromate is already fully oxidized and is relatively inert?"     
I've searched the archives and I can't find anything searching on Sil  
Horowitz about clearing, about dichromate, about anything.  Did he  
post under another name?
Katharine