RE: Hazards of wet plate collodion ?

One point of clarity here:

1. Collodion USP (Never use Flexible) is a mixture of nitrocellulose (gun
cotton) cut with ether and alcohol. Only the purists make their own. You
could substitute the word lunatic for purists if you want to be unkind. I
draw the line at this level of danger. Highly flammable and explosive.

2. When we say we coat plates with collodion we never mean directly out of
the bottle. The USP collodion is cut with more ether and 190 proof alcohol
as well as the addition of bromides to make is sensitive.

The problem is we tend to call both "collodion." In reality, one is a mixed
version for wet plate work. The other is used to clean large telescope
lenses and as a transparent wound dressing. A common version today is wart
medicine, which is collodion mixed with some sort of acid.

I have been saying for the past few months that wet plate collodion is NOT
technical, but is technique dependent. Pouring a plate with an even level of
collodion takes some time to learn, but doesn't take any technical skill per
se. The really technical issues are usually trouble shooting your chemistry.
I would say anyone who can cognitively manage gum, can do the analysis work
with wet plate in my opinion. Sometimes a plate won't take an image. You
have to start looking at the pH and specific gravity of your silver bath,
the amount of blue spectrum light getting through your windows, the ambient
temperature--a real pain in the ass to remix your chemistry for a 10 degree
temperature change. But I see/hear similar frustrations from those on this
list doing gum so my assumption is they both require one to be able to
analyze multiple variables simultaneously.

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Loris Medici [mailto:loris_medici@mynet.com]
Sent: Monday, August 08, 2005 10:21 AM
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: RE: Hazards of wet plate collodion ?

Thanks for the clarification. Well, I guess I will start with hypo fixing if
I manage to make ambrotypes. Cyanide intimidates me too... First of all I
have to locate a source for collodion in my area (which is not likely, I
will try it anyway...) Do you prepare your own collodion or do you get it
ready? If you prepare it yourself can you describe the process (if it's not
overly complicated) or point a source of information (website or book)?

Thanks again,
Loris.

-----Original Message-----
From: Kerik [mailto:kerik@kerik.com]
Sent: 08 Ağustos 2005 Pazartesi 20:09
To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
Subject: Re: Hazards of wet plate collodion ?

Loris,

Yes, that has been my experience. I don't have scanned examples I can show
you. And really, you need to see them in person to appreciate the
difference.

Kerik

On Mon, 08 Aug 2005 19:54:38 +0300, Loris Medici <loris_medici@mynet.com>
wrote:

> Kerik, thanks for the valuable info.
>
> I am also interested in wet plate collodion. Specifically in ambrotypes.
> From what you wrote below I understand that ambrotypes fixed in sodium
> thiosulfate are duller and have a more neutral hue when compared to
> potassium cyanide fixed ones. Did I get it right? Do you (or others
> practicing wet plate collodion) have scans of either hypo and cyanide
> fixed ambrotypes so that I compare the results?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Loris.
Received on Mon Aug 8 21:46:53 2005