Re: Bleach-development with gum

[Keith Gerling <keith.gerling@gmail.com>]

If you've ever tried to use this stuff to start a fire when there is even a wisp of breeze, you'll know that is is just slightly more flammable than motor oil, no doubt in order to protect inebriated (or other) campers, etc. Maybe I should be concerned, considering there is a woodstove burning in the adjacent room, but I figure if I haven't blown the place up with fume from the 3M adhesive, I'm probably OK with the starter fluid.  

It's a moot point, though, because I've found that the evaporation from the residual oil is a little too fast.  It seems that the paper i starts losing translucency quicker than I had thought. A neg treated with the starter fluid 20 minutes ago is different that one treated 40 minutes ago.  I can't have that, so I'm looking around for other light oils to use.

But funny, there really isn't much scent from this.  Label says "Royal Oak Premium Odorless" - and that's pretty much on target.

On Dec 7, 2007 8:42 AM, Christina Z. Anderson < zphoto@montana.net> wrote:

Keith,
What about the fumes?  Are you doing this outside in a garage? How long does
it take the smell to dissipate?
Chris

----- Original Message -----
From: "Keith Gerling" <keith.gerling@gmail.com>

To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>

Sent: Friday, December 07, 2007 7:30 AM
Subject: Re: Bleach-development with gum


> Charcoal lighter is very similar to kerosene and some use it for starting
> fires on cooking grills.  (the air around O'Hare Airport in Chicago
> usually
> smells like a cook-out).  I think Zippo is more refined and expensive.  It
> is very likely that the residual oils that makes my starter less refined
> is
> the very stuff that stays in the paper and makes it translucent.
>
> You say that baby oil is absorbed instantly, but I bet it actually takes a
> second or two to really sink in. Rubbing oil on a large piece of paper
> takes
> some time.  Fluid bottle in one hand and squeegee in the other, I can
> treat
> a 12x19 inch negative in a couple of seconds - and there's no going back
> to
> cover missed spots.  I'm working with small negatives now, but my goal is
> to
> be soon using full-sized Masa sheets - or even bigger - so I need a faster
> process.
>
> On Dec 7, 2007 4:56 AM, Loris Medici < mail@loris.medici.name> wrote:
>
>>
>> I see. Well, we used plain stationary paper in the Istanbul workshop and
>> the
>> oil was permeating instantly - probably you're using a special inkjet
>> paper.
>>
>> Charcoal starting fluid? Seems like a nice solution - my compliments. Is
>> it
>> something similar to Zippo lighter fuel? We don't have liquid starters
>> here,
>> only dry ones...
>>
>> Regards,
>> Loris.
>>
>>
>> From: Keith Gerling <keith.gerling@gmail.com >
>> Reply-To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
>> Date: Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:33:10 -0600
>> To: < alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
>> Subject: Re: Bleach-development with gum
>>
>> That's a good idea - measure the print, print inkjet to size, repeat.  It
>> wouldn't matter if it DID keep shrinking.  But this Masa is too thin
>> handle.
>> I really need to have it mounted.
>>
>> It takes forever for the oil to permeate the paper and it contaminates
>> everything.  One has to be very careful where one places a negative or
>> what
>> one touches.  But I found a solution: charcoal starting fluid.  Goes on
>> very
>> fast, evaporates from wet to very dry in a few minutes.  No need for a
>> mylar
>> or plastic-wrap barrier because the paper is translucent but not very
>> oily.
>> And in an hour all traces have evaporated and  you can't tell it was ever
>> soaked - the paper reverts back to the original and so is easy to store.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>