darkslide material

[Ty G]

Question: what is the "plastic-like" material that some darkslides (i.e. the graflex) are made of. It looks like black metal, yet it isn't.

Thank you,
Ty G
www.tystintypes.com

[SaveBears]

A lot of my older holders have a material that resembles tightly compressed paper or cardboard fibers.

[Gene McCluney]

Darkslides have been made over the years in various materials. The early ones were fibre, and modern ones are a plastic material. There were even slides made from metal that is painted or anodized black.

[eric black]

Although I cant identify it for certain, the metallic slides I have in my holders are an awful lot like spring steel in both appearance (gun metal black) and behavior (memory when flexed).

[Ty G]

Eric,

I thought of using that (spring steel) and that may be the route I go.

Ty G
www.tystintypes.com

[snip]

I've always thought it to be something akin to bakelite

//Jan

[Tracy Storer]

The most commonly used material is Phenolic.
Fidelity switched to plastic "unbreakable" darkslides for 4x5 and maybe other sizes in the late '80s, and sometimes used anodized aluminum for some holders. (I had 14x17s with aluminum and have a couple 8x10 holders with factory aluminum slides)

[Jim Noel]

black anodized aluminum works well, is available in several gauges and is light weight.