Re: Help with what I believe is a hardening issue

Hi Gord,

I have used gesso diluted 1:4 to 1:8 with mixed results. It works for
some images but I've found the gum layer to be more prone to flaking
when gesso was the size. It also requires a lot more exposure of the
emulsion IIRC.

While it is convenient, IMO the downside of it is that the paper surface
quality is lost under the size. You are printing on paint rather than
paper once gesso is used.

But, give it a try. You may end up prefering it depending on the image.

Joe

>>> holtsg@duke.usask.ca 11/12/04 10:23 AM >>>

Has anyone tried sizing with acrylic gesso? I've read many references
about it, but I have never tried it. It does sound appealling - no
hardening required ...

Gord

On Tue, 9 Nov 2004, ericawd wrote:

> I am mainly a lurker/gum printer who has learned a great deal from the
list.
> I could use some advice.
>
> I am having the same problem described below by Judy Seigel. I have
come to
> the conclusion that the problem is the fact that the formaldehyde I am
using
> is approximately 3-5 years old and is no longer hardening. I have
tried
> every avenue I could think of to replace it locally in Memphis,
Tennessee to
> absolutely no avail. I used to buy it at a drug store, but one now
needs a
> prescription in order to purchase it.
>
> Purchasing formaldehyde on line takes at least a week. I have a show
coming
> up and need all the time I can to work on prints. The Formulary only
sells
> glyoxal. I am a little desperate. I really can't afford losing a
week of
> working.
>
> Some of the questions I have are:
>
> I use the shrink the paper, gelatin coating, harden, gelatin, final
> formaldehyde hardening method. I have several sheets of BFK at the
final
> hardening stage and really don't want to waste the time and materials.
 The
> formaldehyde used in the third step was very weak. Can I come behind
it
> with a soaking in glyoxal hardener? Or will I drop dead on the spot?
>
> Does anyone know of a source for formaldehyde? I have tried the local
> college, chemical companies (they carry it only in 55 gallon drums and
as I
> said pharmacies. Is the prescription law a state law or fed law. I
called
> a couple of places in northern Mississippi but couldn't find anyone
who
> carried it in the first place in order to know if I could purchase
there.
> Does anyone know if it is a federal law.
>
> I am fairly certain of the problem, since it got really bad when I
mixed up
> "new" solution from the as of now very old formaldehyde. Does anyone
know
> of another problem that could be causing the speckles. Everything
else is
> as it was. (There is no pollen in my darkroom-there are no windows
that
> open in my building, being in Memphis it is air conditioned or heated
year
> round.
>
> Sorry for the long post, but as I said I am a little desperate.
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, May 04, 2004 8:53 PM Judy Seigel wrote:
>
> I had taught a gum workshop at ICP about 10 years ago, and a month
later
> got a frantic call from one of the students: Her gum prints were
coming
> out all speckled. She couldn't get any image at all, just speckling.
So I
> told her to come over and we spent the afternoon, testing her paints
on
> her paper, her paints on my paper, her gum on her paper, her gum on my
> paper, etc.... Though it didn't happen that neatly, but was some time
> before we formulated that method. Ultimately it became clear that ANY
> paints and any gum speckled on her paper. And not on mine. Finally,
she
> had a thought: She'd gone to her home in Vermont and gelatin sized
the
> paper there. While the paper (Rives BFK, BTW) was out all over the
house
> freshly gelatined to dry, she noticed a strange kind of pollen in the
> air... settling as a yellow powder over everything.
>
> She sized new paper in town and had no further problems.
>
>
>
> Sorry for the long post, but as I said I am a little desperate.
>
>
> Thank you,
>
> Candace Spearman,
> Memphis, Tennessee
>

---------------------------------------------------------
Gordon J. Holtslander Dept. of Biology
holtsg@duke.usask.ca 112 Science Place
http://duke.usask.ca/~holtsg University of Saskatchewan
Tel (306) 966-4433 Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Fax (306) 966-4461 Canada S7N 5E2
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Received on Fri Nov 12 09:40:16 2004