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Re: bubbles in gelatin


On Tue, 10 Oct 2000, Sandy King wrote:

> >What do you "squeegee out" with?  On what paper?  It doesn't rough up the
> >surface? My squeegeeing has not (yet) been satisfactory.
> > 
> With a squeegee, done gently. The papers I mainly use are Rives 
> Acuarelle and Fabriano Artistico.
 
I've got 5 totally different things called squeegee -- one labelled Epoi
Lifetime Squeegee made by Ehrenreich Photo-Optical Industries. I don't
know who uses it for what, but it's a huge, thick heavy clunky thing & was
a disaster on the gelatin paper, besides leaving black specks.

Also a wonderful delicate squeegee from Porters, a thin soft blade about
1/4 inch high in a foot long plastic handle. I use several in darkroom
(HIGHLY recommended) for squeegeeing wet prints & fixer, etc., but NG for
gelatin sizing; then there are a couple of regular window washing type
squeegees, of different thicknesses, and somewhere in closet a windshield
wiper -- all have been tried as "squeegee" to off gelatin slosh from
paper, none worked. I thought you might have *the* squeegee, but I suspect
it isn't to be. Your operation and function probably too different.

> >Also, I find, not all, but many papers will curl if coated only on
> one >side.
>  
> At what point is curl a problem? During processing or in the finished print?
> 

Probably both, most immediately when trying to re-register negative on a
print that wants to curl like radiccio, but I would imagine in finished
print as well unless it's dry mounted.

> I think something other than the glyoxal caused the discoloration. I 
> have never had any problem of this type with either glyoxal or 
> formalin. On the other hand, I have experienced discoloration (bluish 
> stain)  using Chrome alum.

It turns out to be more peculiar than I realized -- the other paper
sample, the one with glyoxal as separate coat, also shows some
discoloration, though less. So I thought, uh oh, it's glyoxal on
everything. Then today I opened a folder with a whole bunch of hardening
tests made about that time (length of presoak, length of hardening, rinse
or not after hardening, etc.), and those papers were as white as new
fallen snow.  The papers that stained were out on a counter -- but not in
light, buried far down in the stack. This led me to recall that a student
had mentioned that her sized paper turned dark *in the drawer*.... I had
no possible explanation, and still don't. My tests that stained were
Photographer's Formulary gelatin & tests in folder were Knox -- but the
student's paper was also Knox.

> ....that soaking, dripping gelatin mess ain't no good thing by my
> reckoning.
> 

I agree, but for me, so far, the lesser evil.

Meanwhile, on the bright side, mention of defoaming agents tapped into
residual memory (or something) -- I called Kremer & sure enough they have
one. And it's called, are you ready? *defoaming agent* ! Logging on
tonight I find formula courtesy of Joe. Thanks Joe -- that "dripping
soaking mess" is NOT conducive to experiment !

Further conclusions if any to follow, but meanwhile, as thankyou to all,
I share the following just arrived from my son:

=========================

Computer Virus Alert...

You have just received the "Arkansas Computer Virus"


As we ain't got no programming experience, this virus works on the honor
system: Please delete all the files from your hard drive and manually
forward this virus to everyone on your mailing lists.


Thanks for your cooperation.

Sincerely,

University of Arkansas Computer Engineering Department.

===================================================

best,

Judy