From: Robert W. Schramm (schrammrus@hotmail.com)
Date: 09/07/02-11:39:40 PM Z
Mac,
1. It's the silver that is important. The copper or brass is just a backing.
So the answer is yes, a silver sheet can be used.
2. The problem is getting a good, thick, even coating. This requires useing
electroplating and fairly low currents and also the use of potassium
cyanide. Plating silver out of used hypo would not result in a coat of
silver that was even enough or thick enough.
3. No chemically, yes, thickness.
4. Becquerel developed plates do look different. They have a different color
and some people think that they have less contrast. I'm not sure that is
true. The trick in the Becequerel process is the iodine fuming. You have to
let it run through two complete cycles of color change and catch the third
"yellow." I suppose you also know that Becquerel plates are less sensitive.
Opinions vary. Some say 1o times less sensitive. I do only mercury
development so I really don't know about that.
Good luck and best wishes,
Bob Schramm
>From: filmpro <filmpro@mac.com>
>Reply-To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
>Subject: DAGUERREOTYPES PLATES
>Date: Fri, 06 Sep 2002 00:08:27 -0700
>
>HI!
>
>A couple questions about the silver plates.
>
>1) Can a regular sterling silver sheet be used? or does the copper act in
>the process?
>
>2) I have some copper plate that is used in circuit boards. I remember
>putting a penny in the used fixer and the penny getting plated with
>silver. Is there any reason i can't plate my own copper in old fixer,
>then polish it?
>
>3) if i do that, after polishing, is there any reason chemically the
>silver plate would be different than a commercially plated plate?
>thickness? Chemical purity?
>
>4) I intend to try the safer Becquerel Developed process.
>
>Is the a difference in the look of the finished image compared to the
>murcury fumed plates?
>
>Thanks
>
>Mac
Check out my web page at:
_________________________________________________________________
MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : 10/01/02-03:47:08 PM Z CST