[alt-photo] Re: Gum Bichomate used as a resist for metal printing

[Keith Gerling]

Jack, this is very helpful!  I'll be heading your way in the spring.  Hey,
dont I owe you a print still?

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Jack Brubaker <jack at jackbrubaker.com> wrote:

> Keith,
>
> Several thoughts. There are a lot of materials that will color metals.
> There
> is a great company in WS that makes patina solutions that I use. They are
> at
> www.epi.com. I also use JAX Chemical Company patinas. In the past EPI
> would
> send out one pint samples for free. Don't know if that is true today.
>
> I use the EPI patinas in a spray bottle and mist them on either just enough
> o speckle the surface or to flood it.
>
> I prepare the metal by sandblasting most of the time, but scrubbing it
> clean
> with a Scotch-Brite pad will work. If the patina beads up on part of the
> piece scrub the patina in with a scotch-brite pad. The acid content in the
> solution usually helps clean the surface.
>
> On steel I use their Insta Blak 333 on steel and copper based metals. I
> don't know if I have tried it on aluminum. I buy that stuff in 5 gallon
> pails. If you want to try some let me know and I'll send you a sample. If I
> remember they don't actually sell smaller quantities than 5 gals.
>
> Sand blasting is another idea. I have wondered about blasting a metal plate
> with a thick gum image on it. The gum might hold up long enough to form an
> image. Perhaps sand blast first and blacken with the patina then do the gum
> image (the blasted surface should hold the gum well) and blast off the
> exposed blackening to make the final image. The gum might break down slowly
> enough to form a tonal image. I've been meaning to try this for 20 years.
> Next time you come this way let's play with it!
>
> Jack Brubaker
>
> On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 12:02 PM, Keith Gerling <keith.gerling at gmail.com
> >wrote:
>
> > As i recall, the artist used gum for a resist, then immersed steel plates
> > in
> > various corrosive agents to get different colors.  What I am looking for
> is
> > what those agents are.
> >
> > Any ideas, Jack?  You're the metal expert!  What would be even better is
> if
> > you had any thoughts on how i could tarnish/blemish/colorize aluminum.  I
> > have loads of aluminum that I could use for this.
> >
> > As for removing it, if it doesnt dissolve in one of the solutions, I can
> > always hit it with a blowtorch.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > it just dawned on my that you're going to polymerise the gum with
> > bichromate
> > which is of course going to make it insoluble in water. Your
> possibilities
> > for using an etch then broaden (I'd try high strength hydrogen peroxide
> > maybe). How do you remove the hardened gum after the etch though? ~m
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 2/5/2011 6:12 AM, Keith Gerling wrote:
> > >
> > >> Some years ago I remember seeing some links to some metal work.  I
> > believe
> > >> the artist used gum to create a resist and then allowed corrosion to
> > >> create
> > >> the image on steel.  Does anyone have these links bookmarked?
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