Re: mordancage staining

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From: Nate Apkon (nmapkon@rcn.com)
Date: 11/22/02-11:56:28 AM Z


Chris:

Have to laugh...just came in from my DR for a 15 min. break & found your
message. Been printing a bunch of images for a Mordancage session
tomorrow. My last session pretty much mirrors your results. I used
20vol h2o2, = vol of stock solution, and LPD diluted 1:10. I got no
staining of the margins at all. Same thing with Selectol 1:5.

Did I ever email you the Mordancage images I mentioned a while ago? I
had intended to but I'm not sure I ever got around to it. Glad to hear
about the hand coloring. I'm taking a short workshop on it in a few
weeks and intended to use some of my Mordancage prints.

I'm still here and doing very well, pretty much back to normal. Thanks
for asking.

Nate

Christina Z. Anderson wrote:

>Hi all,
> My usual posting about mordancage for those who care (Ann, Nate, Jon,
>Cor, and lurkers who haven't come forward!):
> This week I taught 28 students the process. It was fun as usual. I
>mixed up the following formula:
>15g copper chloride
>80ml glacial acetic
>to 1 liter of water
>and added equal vols of that to 20 v hydrogen peroxide. It didn't move too
>quickly so I upped the copper chloride closer to the usual 30 g per liter I
>use, so we wouldn't be waiting 6 mn per print (I was trying to save a bit of
>$$ by using the lesser amount of copper chloride, which is expensive). I
>also kept the redeveloping dektol 1:5 instead of 1:2. The students rinsed
>the prints probably just a minute or two before redeveloping in dektol.
>Room lights were on the whole time. No one fixed their prints after the
>process. All papers worked, but I have to say regular old Ilford is the
>quickest. Even the selenium toned images worked. All their prints were
>hardened, too, and they all worked. In this formula it takes about 30 secs
>to 1 1/2 min to etch the print. Again, the highlights to midtones redevelop
>as normal, and only the blacks are affected, so your print remains positive
>except in the blacks.
> The interesting thing is we got no staining--fiber and rc. I am now
>positive that the lower volume of h.p is most responsible for staining,
>because it etches the whole face of the print with its oxidizing power
>instead of just the blacks. But that coupled with lower dektol dilution and
>lower copper chloride also contributes, so my initial theory about all the
>causes remains intact. Of course, if you don't rinse off the mordancage
>solution and immediately put it in the dektol you will get automatic stain,
>so the chemical contamination is still a strong factor. But we did not rinse
>our prints fully between steps.
> It is much easier for me to test variables when teaching--when you see
>100 prints all laying out to dry on the counters and none have stain, it
>beats the maybe 15 prints you yourself can do in a day of testing! And as
>usual, even tho the students groaned about having to learn the process (it's
>getting close to final project time and they are losing steam, plus I made
>them all shoot specifically for the mordancage assignment with subject
>matter that would fit the disintegration process, or I told them I wouldn't
>let them do it and waste my chemicals...aren't I harsh???) by the end of lab
>they were all still there mordancaging every print they had in their
>possession and their dog.... It is truly addictive.
> Nate are you still there and doing well?
> Peter Marshall, would it be possible to see the McFadden article? I
>still have yet to get copper sulfate to work effectively for me, even with
>nitric acid. It is a pain in the butt.
> I have been hand coloring the mordancages and they look very nice, btw.
>The etching actually allows glossy paper to have a bit of tooth and so
>marshall oils will stick.
>Chris
>
>
>


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