Re: Those darn fish-eyes

Yes, the gelatin should be hot. Your procedure is OK, although it's not
necessary to keep the gelatin in cold water for "several hours" prior to
heating it up. Fifteen minutes should be sufficient. It may be easier and
faster to directly heat the gelatin solution on the stove burner, rather
than using a water bath.

I sometimes see the "fish-eyes" when coating paper. Typically it will
appear on the initial pass of the brush, but subsequent brush strokes will
close it up and create a blemish-free coating.

Dave in Wyoming
-30F this morning!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Nored" <gnored@centurytel.net>
To: "Alt List" <alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca>
Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2004 8:38 AM
Subject: Those darn fish-eyes

> A gelatin sizing question appears at the bottom of this message.
> Everything in between is just background ....
>
> I've thought for some time now that most of the gum-printing
> problems I've encountered stem somehow from my gelatin sizing.
> This weekend a friend tried to use some of my paper with his own
> gum/pigment mixtures, and encountered the dreaded fish-eyes. I
> take this as confirmation, of a sort, of my thinking.
>
> So now I'm re-examining my sizing process which is, more or less:
>
> 1. Add gelatin to cool water and let bloom several hours.
> 2. Place gelatin in a 145 degree F hot water bath, and allow
> temperatures to equalize.
> 3. Place paper in the hot gelatin, soak, and remove, drawing the
> paper through the wooden dowel thingy Dave Rose told me how to
> make (thanks Dave!).
> 4. Hang until dry.
> 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4.
>
> My question is: should the gelatin be hot when I coat the paper?
>
> Regards,
> Gary Nored
> http://home.centurytel.net/Gary_Nored/
>
Received on Tue Jan 6 13:52:17 2004