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Steve Harrison Says:
>So Dick, how are you cutting paper especially paper such as Bienfang
Translucent
> Marker paper which is so fragile anyway. Is it OK to use a razor
> blade without a steel rule? Plastic Scissor.. where can you buy
> them? I also have been having problems with metallic contamination
> evident in the sky especially. I can't figure out where it is coming
> from. Maybe the metal scissors I have been using. Are any metal
> scissors OK for cutting paper? What if you wipe the edges of the
> paper down after it is cut? Under a microscope it looks like a little
> pitch black rock (Teensy tiny as you describe) with a black radiation
> emminating from it. Steve Harrison
Steve,
Most people don't have this problem when cutting paper, though as noted,
some do. I would suspect that the safest way would be to use a aluminum
rule and a razor knive or fold and tear it. As I described the events
in the Biggin's affair, that was conclusive as an experiment can get.
Generally speaking any particles that might come from the emulsion
chemistry itself, will generate comet trails due to the action of the
coating tool. Platinum is notorious for throwing a small amount of black
spongy particles, though with our new lab, we were able to upgrade our
processing facility, so we are now producing a much higher purity
platinum salt, so this is a rarity today. We are adding a couple of
extra filtration steps to the ferric oxalate production system in hopes
that that will remove any little buggers that might hibernate in there.
You might try filtering the ferric oxlate through a piece of old T-shirt
or cotton ball in a small funnel.
Dick S.
Bostick & Sullivan
1541 Center Dr.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
87505