From: Alan Elliott (alanell@netlink.com.au)
Date: 02/16/01-03:14:28 AM Z
> > Jumping in here. Cellulose nitrate is guncotton. To make a coating, it is
> > dissolved in ether and a plasticizer (old-timers used camphor) added. The
> > liquid emulsion is flammable and the dry product (celluloid) is
> > explosive.
There are several grades of cellulose nitrate and not all are suitable for
making wet plates. By the way camphor was added in order to make the film
flexible (eg "celluloid") but this was not used in photographic coatings.
Wet plate photography is not for the foolish or the faint hearted. But
there are practising wet plate photographers out there today. If you are
really interested I suggest you start with a subscription to the Collodion
Journal, published by Scully and Osterman, Rochester, New York who are
acknowledged experts in the process. As has been pointed out, the process
involves certain hazards which must be taken into account. And you need a
near-by darkroom too. But it can be done - and I am one of the
finger-stained wet-plate neophytes.
Oh, and by the way, I have successfully made cellulose nitrate and
collodion. But I hasten to add that I happen to be a chemist with access to
a fully equipped laboratory. I would not recommend that it be made in the
kitchen!
Alan Elliott
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