Many thanks for prompt & sympathetic suggestions about Newton Rings. The
first, from J McCardle, said put the emulsion to the glass-- & sure enough,
no Newton Rings! (!!!) But there was just perceptible image degradation,
not too much for contact negatives but for projection I decided to seek
greater perfection.
Sympathy also from Guy in France who said coated glass had solved his
problem. By now I'd reached NuArc -- the first fellow never heard of Newton
Rings OR coated glass. The next insisted "Newton Rings are
good!" -- a graduate of RIT, by the way (but graphics division). He said
Newton Rings show you've got good contact. I gather in
graphics it's either dot or clear and middle values of Newton Rings
don't register.
The last word from NuArc was call your glazier about "coated
glass". But the anti-newton ring negative carrier results were
inferior to emulsion-to-glass. Whether
that was due to pebbly anti-Newton glass or inferior contact I dunno.
(Does anyone have the word on "coated glass"?)
All of which brought me to desperation measure -- Carson Graves's
daunting prescription of powder in a squeeze bottle. Fortunately
Carson's description was a model of concision and
clarity. Digging unused mustard dispenser out of closet, I put layer of
"finest talc" baby powder
in bottom, and practiced shaking it, counting to 3, and then going
"pouf." Amazing. It does make a fine cloud! I
practiced coating an old negative, gaining confidence to
spread powder in the darkroom. (Yikes!)
Meanwhile my assistant had set up vacuum frame with full size film
positive (11x14). Same Newton Rings were visible through the glass. We
made a test negative.This time Newton Rings did NOT appear on the film!
I have no explanation -- except that the 11x14 was onto N31P, the 35mm
onto T-Max 100. Or maybe it was all because
the 35mm frame got sort of polished in cleaning.
Whatever, having bought the T-Max 100 for this project and found the
mustard bottle & dared to spray powder, I will make that contact positive
(report to follow). BUT, if anyone else out there is contemplating
similar folly, she or he might want to reconsider. On the one hand, T-Max
100 makes beautiful small contact. (No secondary grain visible, at least
to my eyes.) On the other hand, if you can clean glass & film & keep it
clean for this operation well enough for projection you're better than I
am. (Quel hassle!) (And your darkroom is probably a lot cleaner.)
To be continued. Meanwhile, thanks to all.
Judy
PS. The Story story was about seating the 35 mm in baby oil. This I never
for an instant contemplated, having spent about a week of my relative youth
chasing the bubble in the baby oil for a course in dye transfer. I mention it
for the record, and because the thought was a great comfort. If people
go to THAT extreme,I figured, I'm not just being klutzy!