Re: gum print on glass

[Joseph Smigiel <jsmigiel@net-link.net>]

On Aug 28, 2007, at 8:58 PM, Erie Patsellis wrote:

> >
> Out of curiosity, has anyone tried aggresively cleaning glass, a la  
> Bon Ami (an old gilders trick) to get it absolutely clean, in the  
> past I have always had issues with gelatin sizing not sticking to  
> glass unless I scrubbed it very aggressively (it won't scratch the  
> glass).
>
> Alas, no call for window or door gilding these days, and I'm not  
> that old to be feeling like an old-timer.
>
>
> erie
Erie,

Wetplate photographers including myself typically clean glass plates  
using some form of powdered calcium carbonate (whiting, rottenstone,  
etc.) mixed with grain alcohol.  I believe Bon Ami and other so- 
called non-abrasive cleansers (Soft Scrub, etc.) utilize CaCO3 as the  
polishing agent.

Joe