Re: Daguerreotype base-metals

I'd imagine too that the gold chloride gilding would help in the prevention
of oxidation.

Thanks for the tips!

Silvered glass, eh? No polishing you say? Intriguing!

-Jon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gregory Popovitch" <greg@gpy.com>
To: <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2004 11:05 AM
Subject: RE: Daguerreotype base-metals

> I don't think there is a problem if you use another
> metal, or even a non-metallic support for the silver
> layer. Actually Theiss provides daguerreotype plates on
> brass I believe, and people have made dags on silvered glass
> (silver deposited via vacuum deposition - no polishing needed).
> The main problem is to find a metal on which the silver
> plating adheres well.
>
> Normally, only one side of the support is silver plated
> (to lower costs), but if you plate both sides sure you
> could engrave the back by scratching the silver layer.
> People sometimes 'write' on the back of the dag plate
> (the copper surface) using a point.
>
> Nothing to worry about oxydation, which is prevented
> by sealing the daguerreotype under glass, preventing
> oxygen from the air to oxydize the silver on the dag
> surface.
>
> Hope this helps,
>
> gregory
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jon Danforth [mailto:jdanforth@sc.rr.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 11:59 PM
> > To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> > Subject: Daguerreotype base-metals
> >
> >
> > I have always seen Daguerreotypists use silver-plated copper as
> > their plate.
> > What happens if you substitute copper for another metal? Perhaps
pewter?
> > The pewter would be silver plated so is there any chemical reason
> > for us to
> > keep using copper?
> >
> > Further, once plated, could I engrave the back of the plates by
scraching
> > away at the silver plating (on a silver-coated copper plate) or would
that
> > cause oxidation of the copper over time and, thus, ruin the dag.?
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Jon
> >
> >
>
Received on Wed Apr 7 14:35:30 2004