If you have access to lengths of glass rod or tubing it is easy to make your
own coating rod. You just need to put a right-angle bend near each end to
form a short handle.
The shape is like |___________________|
You have to make sure that the bends are neatly done so that when you hold
the two ends the whole flat length can lie on the paper. Heating the tube at
the appropriate place and allowing gravity to bend - with very slight
assistance generally produces suitable results. The centre bit needs to be
about 1 - 2cm longer than the print width before bending.
The tubing I use is about 6.5mm outside diameter, and is thick-walled (the
extra weight seems to help). Tubing is probably more accurately made than
glass rod but I don't think the difference is significant.
In use, having established a film of liquid between paper and rod you then
drag it smoothly across the print area with very gentle pressure - really
just enough to ensure you retain contact. Then lift the rod to the outside
of the solution you have pulled across and draw it back in the same way. Not
sure how to describe the speed - unhurried but not slow - perhaps like the
speed I generally spread butter across bread -
Peter Marshall
Family Album/Gay Pride - http://www.dragonfire.net/~gallery/index.html
Also on Fixing Shadows: ----------- http://fermi.clas.virginia.edu/~ds8s
Future Press and elsewhere... E-Mail: petermarshall@cix.compulink.co.uk