RE: Miracle size for gum
Sometimes I have trouble staying out of an argument, because who doesn't love a good argument? Research shows, moreover, that an argument about gum firms the skin and makes the hormones flow, while discouraging outsiders from attempts to muscle in on the process. But the gum argument (or "discussion") I'm staying out of now is because I don't know what the hell folks are talking about & decline to expose my ignorance. I feel safer with the term "miracle size for gum," which seems relatively clear -- a one-coat gum size that's as good as the traditional gelatin size plus hardener that takes forever & 2 days? Can this be? In fact I may have some of that miracle on hand. Alas, after too long on a ladder finding things I have no idea what I bought them for, I found Talas PVA adhesive, which I will test, but doubt is the right stuff. Meanwhile, in case not everybody has peeled off from this long intro, I have two questions: 1. There's a Utrecht art supply store in the vicinity, alleged to have Gamblin PVA size. But with too many mystery ingredients already on hand, I check that this IS the "miracle size" under discussion.... Also, that the current dilution of choice is 1 part "size" to 2 parts water, or thereabouts ? 2. Now a wild shot: I also found a jar of something labelled RHOPLEX "for industrial use only," with MANY warnings on the label: "not for use in Household area", "CAUTION!", "Keep out of reach of children," "contact may cause eye or skin irritation," and so forth. It also says "Rohm and Haas, Philadelphia." There's probably a website, which might or might not have further info. But in case anyone reading this knows what the stuff is for, I 'd trust their info more... Finally, a note of gum lore a propos of today's discussion: The old books and articles about gum, until maybe the 1970s when "breaking the rules" began to catch on and discussion was "modernized," called the final wash of a print to remove dichromate stain, and/or the underlying dichromate image, "fixing." Partly out of habit, I suppose, because silver prints had to be fixed, but some of it apparently in the belief that dichromate left would be harmful. Other authors however, advocated leaving that dichromate image under the pigment as a way of strengthening contrast. Judy
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