Keep a dropper bottle of distilled water on work table (tap water
probably OK too), put one squirt of water on end of dry foam applicator &
work it in by hand til foam is damp, not wet. (If it seems quite wet, pat
dry with towel -- you don't want to dilute emulsion too much.)
Then dip applicator into emulsion til it holds a lot (desert container
liberated from airline is right size & shape, applicator will go in, dish
has low center of gravity so it won't tip over), and try to cover the
paper in one quick sweep, dipping again if you have to, but here you want
speed, without worrying about even coating.
When area is covered, take dry hake brush and whisk quickly *and lightly*
over surface back and forth and at angles until no strokes are visible.
This brush has to be clean & dry for each print because hairs clump & make
streaks. You need several for a day's coating. (This brush works better
with half hairs cut off long way -- fewer to shed, tho it will shed
anyway, even with airplane glue worked in from base of ferrule tho that
helps some, unless you get $25 hake brushes which also shed, I understand
-- I've never had one -- tho less.)
If your emulsion won't coat this way, it may be too thick and need some
water added.
Dumping emulsion into center of image area to start is risky -- can
leave a blob, especially on absorbent paper.
But all this is in the archive.
Next lesson: getting the hairs out of wet emulsion. (Any genius
techniques? And salad spinners for hairs-in-emulsion out there?)
Judy