Re: Gum solution problems

TERRY KING (KINGNAPOLEONPHOTO@compuserve.com)
Mon, 03 Nov 1997 05:53:44 -0500

Message text written by Hans Nohlberg
>
We dissolve the gum lumps in boiled but cooled (20C) water and when all
lumps are dissolved we strain it, check the Baume and then we add
formaldehyde. The gum we used was the best we have found during the years.
Bright lumps and when in solution still very transparent. This time we
wanted to try glyoxal but we did not get the chance....
The only difference this time was that "glyoxal was in the air". The gum
lumps were placed in a brown paper bag in another bag 5-7 meters away from
the sizing tray!
<

Hans

In the days, at least ten years ago, that I used gum arabic for making gum
prints, I always placed the gum arabic in cold water and allowed it to
dissolve over a couple of days without stirring or heating. I would
certainly never have dreamt of adding a hardener to the gum and I still
cannot see what purpose it serves as perfectly good gum prints can be
obtained without doing so.

Cold water and no hardener would seem to be the answer.

Terry King