Rod Coating Platinum Printing

[Larry Huhn]

I have been trying rod coating for platinum printing without much success so far. I always seem to get a "holiday" (painters term) or dry spot in the coating. I have tried rotating the rod, end for end, after the first pass to see if that helps even the liquid out, but it doesn't seem to help. Anyone have any tips for me?

[Alan9940]

Hi Larry,

My tip? Forget the rod and buy a Richeson 9010 brush!

I, too, first tried coating with glass rods and I found that the actual paper being coated had a lot to do with my success in getting a smooth coating. I read all the tips, consulted with those "in the know", etc, and I just couldn't master it. Others have and prefer rod coating. I attended a workshop once with Dick Arentz and Mark Nelson and they both referred to the Richeson brush as the "magic brush." Having used one for years and many pt/pd prints I totally agree! :)

[climbabout]

I use a very small beaker with a lip and pour the coating right along the length of the rod on the paper then bring the rod to the solution and the rod will then attract the solution to it - here's the important trick - just jiggle the rod a slight bit and it will draw the solution evenly to the rod and then slowly draw it across the paper.
Tim

[Larry Huhn]

Tim, that pretty much describes the technique I am using. I mix in a shot glass, pour it along the rod, wiggle it back and forth to to coat the liquid even. I get a nice even coating across most of the paper, but I always seem to get a dry spot.

[Larry Huhn]

Allan, I have been using the "magic brush" with success. I wanted to add rod coating to my toolbox though.

[Greg]

Dito the above good advice...

First off make sure that whatever surface you are placing the paper to be coated on is perfectly flat. We have always used a sheet of thick glass. I've seen students try to coat their paper on top of a countertop, only to discover that the countertop was not perfectly flat and intern they got those dry spots.

I like to tape the 4 corners of the sheet of paper to the glass.

The paper you are using is relatively more expensive than copy paper, but a fraction of the cost of the emulsion. I learned to coat paper with a glass rod (using the same number of drops of the liquid emulsion) with plain water. After coating around 10 sheets of paper with water, you will be surprised at how good you have become. Different papers coat differently, so you really have to use the paper that you will be making your Platinum/Palladium prints on.

Video of coating paper pretty much the same way I currently do (but in the video he uses a brush).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zurQJRXU9EQ

Some prefer to use a brush, some prefer to use a glass rod.... Just took down an exhibit of my Platinum/Palladium prints. They were all matted and framed, and no one looking at the exhibited prints could have told which coating method I had used.

Mistakes are teachers in disguise....

[peter schrager]

use a small syringe and lay a bead down where you will use the rod...paper makes a difference too
best, peter