From: Bob Kiss (bobkiss@caribsurf.com)
Date: 01/09/03-10:45:36 AM Z
DEAR TOM AND ALL,
Tom, thanks for info.
Has anyone else had any experience sizing hand made paper for Alt and
especially Albumen?
CHEERS!
BOB
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom Ferguson" <tomf2468@pipeline.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 1:42 PM
Subject: Re: SIZE FOR ALBUMENS ON HAND MADE PAPER
> My handmade paper experience is limited (it is a very enjoyable process)
> and I've never printed an albumen....... so do take the rest of my
> comments with those disclaimers in mind.
>
> When I was making paper and printing palladium and cyanotype on it... I
> never could get a normal/photographic "surface size" to work. Hand made
> paper is basically waterleaf (VERY absorbant). With a gelatin or starch
> surface size the paper as still too absorbant and uneven.
>
> I had to use an internal size during the papermaking process. My best
> results were with analkylketene dimer (see here:
> http://twinrocker.com/sadditv2.html ). A couple notes: It take two weeks
> to "set" (become hard) in normal room temperature. Keep the liquid
> refrigerated, in liquid form it only lasts about 1/2 year before going
> bad (or so I'm told, I used mine up before then). Decades later these
> sized papers look great, and I'm told this is a common ingredient in
> many if not most high quality papers.
>
> You are able to use a "surface size" (gelatin, starch, etc) on a paper
> that has internal size if your process needs it.
>
> Another "common ingredient" in papers is "calcium carbonate" (some
> papermakers call it limestone or buffer). This is added to keep the
> paper non acid and keep "lignin" (spelling??) damage from occurring.
> Both platinum and cyanotype have serious problems with this chemical (I
> have no info on how albumen would react). I've always assumed that the
> amount of this additive is the primary reason why some papers work well
> for platinum and others are terrible.
>
> I found pure banana leaf ( papermakers call it abaca) to be too textured
> for my use. That could have been my fault (skill and/or equipment). I
> had far better results with a mix of banana and cotton. Let us know how
> Barbados banana works, papermakers (like most art types) can be quite
> the snobs. The "official word" is that only abaca from the Philippines
> is high quality?? Abaca is naturally quite brown, if you want a white
> wheet you need to use "bleached Abaca". I don't know how that is done, I
> simply bought it that way.
>
> Hope all that helps.
>
> On Sunday, January 5, 2003, at 05:55 AM, Bob Kiss wrote:
>
> > DEAR ALL,
> > I am hoping to make albumen prints on paper made by hand here in
> > Barbados using local fibers; perhaps banana or bread fruit leaf stalk or
> > locally grown cotton. I have a professional paper maker who knows all
> > about
> > the making but she asked me what sizing would be best for my particular
> > process...albumen.
> > Please let me know if any of you have any experience making albumen
> > prints on hand made paper and what size you recommend.
> > NEW YEAR'S CHEERS FROM BARBADOS!
> > BOB
> >
> > Please check out my website:
> > www.bobkiss.com
> >
> >
> --------------
> Tom Ferguson
> http://www.ferguson-photo-design.com
>
>
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