Re: haunted VDB

[Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>]

On Fri, 2 Oct 2009, Joao Ribeiro Globo wrote:

> Hi Judy,
>
> I'm not sure it is the plastic as some pictures changed and others didn't.
> I can buy selenium powder here but the cost is hi (higher than silver 
> nitrate)
Hi Joao,

I haven't bought silver nitrate in a long time because at one point it 
got very cheap & I bought a kilo... But in my practice anyway, far more 
silver nitrate got used than selenium powder, so the price comparison 
isn't so relevant. You need just enough selenium to tone a layer that's 
made of something else, and you only tone the "successes." But you need 
enough silver nitrate to coat the paper fully and a lot of those prints 
will get thrown away; you don't only print your successes, but a lot of 
misses. Also, a lot of that coat gets fixed out, so it too goes down the 
drain (or wherever your wastewater goes).

Which is to say, when I was using silver nitrate, I used several pounds; I 
haven't yet finished the small jar of selenium.

> Not to start that argument again but I'm planning producing gold salts using 
> Lyan's method in PF.
> The thing is I like the brown color and gold will shift it to purple black 
> isn't it?
It's been a while, but I recall the purplish hues of gold (tho not black 
-- I'll have to check). But look at it this way, the brown color could be 
anything ... the gold-toned print (besides permitting the magic word 
"gold") does look different (at least to the discerning eye).

> Well, trying is part of the game, who knows I might fall in love when I see 
> it in my hands.
> Thanks,
> Joao
Good luck, enjoy ! I am myself these days in thrall to gum printing, 
but .... there is something about that gold. (Devil get thee behind 
me!)

J.