glutaraldehyde and my gum prints online

Hi all,
     Let me describe my first experience with glutaraledhyde. I used 6 ml
of 2.5% to 1000 ml of gelatin 3%. The glut is very clear, no yellowing.
When I brushed the sizing on the paper, I did a bunch of sheets and then
freaked because I noticed it wasn't sinking in, so I thought I had hardened
the gelatin too much and maybe ruined the paper. I threw the rest of the
gelatin out, and mixed up a fresh batch with glyoxal instead and finished
off the rest of the sheets with that. Then, when the paper was dry, it all
looked exactly the same, so I obviously overreacted. The good thing is I
have an extensive batch now of both kinds of sizing made at the same time,
side by side. However, the glut was only sized once, and the glyoxal sizing
was brushed on twice.
     Upon use, the paper works just fine. I coated and exposed it side by
side, same neg, same paper, same gum mix, and I cannot tell a difference
between the papers in looks or performance. So far, therefore, glut looks
equally as good as glyoxal, even one layer instead of two, but as Katharine
said a while back, how would I know, really? It *seems* to behave similarly
to glyoxal, but that is as scientific as I can get.
     However, it may be that 6ml of 2.5% glut is a bit overkill for 1000ml
gelatin, or maybe not.
     When either sizes are brushed on and dried, the paper keeps its soft,
velvety feel. No gloss of gelatin which I find with the soaking of the
paper in gelatin and the formaldehyde hardening method (a real pain in the
arse).
     These are preliminary findings, if anything changes I'll stop the
press.
     One last thing: Ed Buffaloe has put some of my gum prints, and a short
description I wrote about them, online at Unblinkingeye.com so you can see
my tricolor gums and also read how they are made. Thanks Ed, for doing
this! It is so nice to have some work online so you guys can realize I walk
the talk, so to speak...
Chris
Received on Thu Mar 25 19:45:18 2004