RE: SAFE URETHANE OR VARNISH?

Well Bill, If you can quote the page, can you at least tell our friend Bob
if he is on track?
Wow. Give'm a break ( I'd like to know too. You see, I picked up an old
school flat file for $5 but don't need to "burn" up the images inside of it
to save money)

EJ Neilsen

Eric Neilsen
http://ericneilsenphotography.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: William Clark [mailto:bill.clark@charter.net]
> Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 7:34 PM
> To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> Subject: Re: SAFE URETHANE OR VARNISH?
>
> Bob,
>
> Try to find "The Life of a Photograph" by Keefe & Inch (Focal
> Press/Butterworth) 2nd. Ed. 1990. Keefe & Inch both worked at Light
> Impressions for years. It's my "bible" on conservation & storage
> questions.
> Out of print, but worth looking for. Amazon.com can steer you to Rare &
> OOP
> dealers who would have it, or try Barnes & Noble's services.
>
> Pages 260-262 "Drawer Storage" covers exactly what you need to know. The
> book is priceless.
>
> Bill Clark
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bob Kiss" <bobkiss@caribsurf.com>
> To: <alt-photo-process-l@skyway.usask.ca>
> Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 6:18 AM
> Subject: RE: SAFE URETHANE OR VARNISH?
>
>
> > DEAR MICHAEL,
> > Thanks! I will look into your suggestions!
> > CHEERS!
> > BOB
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: msb@f32.usask.ca [mailto:msb@f32.usask.ca]On Behalf Of Michael
> > Briggs
> > Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2005 5:42 AM
> > To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> > Subject: Re: SAFE URETHANE OR VARNISH?
> >
> >
> >
> > On 02-Mar-2005 Bob Kiss wrote:
> >> DEAR LIST,
> >> This may sound off topic but not far. I just got two great wood
> flat
> >> files in which I hope to keep my alt prints and 100% cotton papers.
> They
> >> are made of plywood. What worries me is that I know I shouldn't put
> > prints
> >> or papers near raw plywood inside the drawers. I am hoping that I can
> > seal
> >> them with a urethane or other varnish to provide a barrier between the
> > acids
> >> and lignin in the plywood and the prints/papers.
> >> Please suggest which type of varnish is best (archival?) for this
> >> purpose.
> >
> > I am not an expert of this. From my reading, paint, especially fresh,
> > emits
> > fumes that are bad for silver-based photographic materials. Fresh paint
> > can
> > damage photos in a few days. Hydrogen peroxide is emitted for at least
> > weeks.
> > Painting your wood files could make the situation worse. Baked enamel
> on
> > steel
> > is considered the best because of low emission of fumes.
> >
> > The Kodak publication "Conservation of Photographs" reports (p. 84) that
> > latex
> > (water based) paints are much better than alkyd (old based) paints. The
> > research seems to be from circa 1952, so the materials may have changed
> > since
> > then. I _speculate_ that if you want a clear varnish, the newer so-
> called
> > water
> > based clear finishes might be better than the older urethane varnishes.
> > The
> > technology has some similarities to latex paint. I say so-called,
> because
> > while water is the main solvent, other petroleum-based solvents are
> used.
> >
> > Another clearish finish that _might_ be good is shellac. Shellac is
> made
> > from
> > an excretion from insects that is dissolved in alcohol (ethanol). The
> > best
> > shellac is made by mixing fresh solid shellac flakes with ethanol,
> rather
> > than
> > buying pre-mixed. I don't know of any studies of the effects of shellac
> > on
> > phtographs.
> >
> > I suggest further research. If you decide use a finish, let it air out
> > for
> > at
> > least one month.
> >
> > --Michael
> >
Received on Thu Mar 3 22:48:29 2005