U of S | Mailing List Archive | alt-photo-process-l | Re: Flattening Paper- Mini Tutorial

Re: Flattening Paper- Mini Tutorial



Clair,
You are welcome to any help my meagre advice might offer and I wish you many failures before your successes so that much can be learned on the way to share with the List.
At present I am re- sticking down a sheet of Fabriano Pittura 400gsm which has come adrift from the Plexi. After much cursing I am looking forward to some fun with this one.
Please, what is the weight of your Saunders Waterford ?

More later. Ciao.
John - Photographist - London - UK



----- Original Message ----- From: "cadunn" <cadunn@vt2000.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 2:26 PM
Subject: Re: Flattening Paper- Mini Tutorial


Thanks John for your delightful reply!! I leave it intact for posterity.

And NOW I do believe you. But I couldn't believe you because I wasn't at all sure I understood that the paper and the plexi were really intended to stay as a unit. So, now that I understand, I doubt no longer!! (And I have some plexi, John, but thanks for the offer!)

AND for the rest following this thread -- I have a "duh!" to report.

I have always known, since the beginning of my reading that paper was a major ingredient. And, because most of the folks, on their lists, included Arches HP Watercolor - I invested in a block as my stock paper, only to run into the severe curling -- etc. etc.

Well, yesterday, having accumulated 4 or 5 errands (gas conservation going on here) to do in the nearest city (35 miles) with an art supply store, I went there and bought one sheet of Saunders Whatman -- and have just gone though a cyanotype to the drying stage and voila! The sheet is still flat and ready for the gum. Temporarily very happy camper here. And if this sucker comes out as I see it in my mind, I will post it where you can gawk if so inclined!

love to all --
Clair


John Grocott wrote:
Clair and Others,
Clair, I do not consider you are a bumbling idiot but I can understand you may not be too keen to spend the cash and effort cutting from a 5 X 2 foot sheet an A4 piece of keyed Plexiglass before you can believe it works. It has worked for me over the past fifteen years. However, the paper will release early from the plastic if it has not been thoroughly cleaned of grease or if the sanding is not course enough. The paper can be re-stuck down if this happens.
I am continuing this thread with you ON LIST as it might prove to be a source of amusement and even a little education for List lurkers, but I am finding it difficult not to slide into my slightly sarcastic/facetious mode (see my past postings) as I cannot see what is not to believe, for you.
Just try it and see. If you find what I am saying is rubbish, please tell everybody and guard them against making a similar mistake. Then I will bow my head and slink back into the shadows.
If you send me your mailing address OFF LIST we may be able to negotiate the cost for me to mail to you an A4 sheet of keyed Plexiglass plus cost of postage and packing, but, honestly, I would rather not.
You cannot always trust what you believe, or not, in place of practical testing. Much depends on the imagination, of course.
''All experience is memory'' Aristotle ?

Ciao and best wishes.

John - Photographist - London - UK

PS John Cremati's solution of a 300 ton press may not necessarily work, either ,unless you get the gelatine mix right.
............................................................................................................ ----- Original Message ----- From: "cadunn" <cadunn@vt2000.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@usask.ca>
Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 10:15 AM
Subject: Re: Flattening Paper- Mini Tutorial


John wrote:
Without this key the paper would release too easily from the support and this would defeat the aim of the operation which is to keep the paper stuck down through multiple coatings and cold soak developments used in Gum and other processes.
END QUOTE

I'm having a hard time with this thread-- here's what I'm absorbing:

Stick the paper down with gelatin to the plexi and dry it. Then it stays there through multiple coatings, exposures and washings (plexi and print go into the bath). i.e. -- it NEVER (not once) comes off the plexi again until the end??

Is that right? (I find this hard to believe- which is why I'm asking for help even at the risk of being considering a bumbling idiot!)

Clair


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