Ideas on how to make a DIY Wet Plate or Film Holder?

Hi,

I'm currently in the design part of making my own wet plate holder. I would like to keep it as thin and light as possible.

If you have successfully made your own wet plate or film holder could you please share how you made it.

The part I'm interested in the most is how you made the light trap and the materials used.

I understand you can modify factory-made plastic film holders for wet plate. But this is not that thread. The question is about making one from start to finish and how you did it.

To date I have not found that much information on how to do this, so it would be great to compile some DIY wet plate/film holder designs with materials used.

Looking forward to seeing what people out there have made.

You might want to look at a couple of 'How-To' books: http://www.wetplatecameraplans.com/

I bought them, and there are good idea's in them.

Alan Greene's book "Primitive Photography" has fairly detailed plans and directions for building holders – intended for dry and wet paper-based processes, not wet plate – but worth a look, IMHO. The approach there is to build up the holders from layers of thin material and then use the same material to construct a matching ground glass frame.

Light traps are the issue.

Find a junk fillm holder and take it apart.

You may have to crack it or saw it open.

When you see what is you will know how to proceed.

Not magic.

Hi Jon,
I did see this book on eBay once. Glad to hear you recommend it. I'll take another look at it.

I just found this book at a second hand store in Australia! So perfect thank-you.

Never mind, someone else said it first.

I made a 14x17" wetplate holder with black acrylic. It is 7 layers of acrylic + 2 dark slides. Very effective. 2 mil black acrylic seems light tight enough for wetplates. Not sure if it would be for film, but probably would.

The light trap (at the bottom) like a film holder is unnecessary. Is that what you mean? Or are you asking about the grove that the dark slide fits into (just another layer of acrylic in the frame)

Chamonix was charging $650 for a holder so I made this for $100.

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Originally Posted by lukefeeney

Hi,

I'm currently in the design part of making my own wet plate holder. I would like to keep it as thin and light as possible.

If you have successfully made your own wet plate or film holder could you please share how you made it.

The part I'm interested in the most is how you made the light trap and the materials used.

I understand you can modify factory-made plastic film holders for wet plate. But this is not that thread. The question is about making one from start to finish and how you did it.

To date I have not found that much information on how to do this, so it would be great to compile some DIY wet plate/film holder designs with materials used.

Looking forward to seeing what people out there have made.

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