From: Robert W. Schramm (schrammrus@hotmail.com)
Date: 11/14/00-05:37:10 PM Z
Judy,
Thymol is used by archivists and librarians to "kill" mold on paper
(like books. The paper is placed in an enclosed cabinet with a dish
of thymol crystals for a week or so. It is, BTW, toxic to people.
Maybe you just did not use enough.
Bob Schramm
>From: Judy Seigel <jseigel@panix.com>
>Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>Subject: keeping gelatin
>Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 14:53:27 -0500 (EST)
>
>
>Dear gelatin users:
>
>I'd made a note from discussion on the list that 2 cc of 15% thymol would
>preserve (I forget how much, note buried in alleuvial tides) gum arabic. I
>believe it was Sandy King who said he'd kept -- either gum arabic or
>gelatin -- at room temp successfully for more than a month with addition
>of thymol.
>
>Last month I added 2 cc 15% thymol to 2 litres of (used) 3% Knox gelatin,
>and left on the shelf in a closed bookcase. The smell of the thymol (of
>which some had spilled into sink) preserved *me* for days, but failed
>abysmally to preserve the gelatin. When I went for it last week, found a
>hellacious liquid that gave new meaning to the word "rotten."
>
>I'm wondering if I mistakenly remembered it as applying to gelatin, if I
>didn't use enough -- or if anyone has any other clue.
>
>What else could preserve gelatin? Salicylic acid ?? (Working large, a
>batch of gelatin is a gallon or so, which seems a lot to throw out.)
>
>I'll add that so far, random and definitely NOT definitive tests of
>brush-on gelatin have given an inferior coat. For instance, last night I
>put a first coat on a large sheet done "brush on", using a tried & true
>emulsion mix. Flaked badly -- as I've never seen in any color but black.
>Hardly the rigorous testing of my usually impartial and scientific
>system, but rather does reinforce subjective *hunch* that bath-sized
>paper works better for me.
>
>In any event, comments re keeping gelatin would be appreciated. I'm
>wondering meanwhile if hard gelatin heeps better -- this is Knox.
>
>Judy
>
>
_________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com.
Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at
http://profiles.msn.com.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : 12/01/00-11:46:56 AM Z CST