hand coating film?

[David Ivison]

Does anyone know what sort of base you could use if you were to coat it yourself . I was thinking of doing this because it would be interesting, plus the fact th at big film is very expensive!!

[Walter Glover]

David,

My gut feeling is that there is little alternative to glass.

WG

[jnantz]

hi i have coated my own glass plates for a while now . it is best to use glass (you can use plexi if you want). there are several different ways to "subb' the glass so it will have something for the emulsion to "attach itself onto". knox gelatin works well, make sure you clean the glass really well. when you put water on the glass it should "sheet" off. when you put the gelatin (you can also use polyurethane if you want) pour it from one edge/corner so it flows down the whole glass plate. it take a little practice but once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy. there are a few "store bought" emusions that come in a jug which are like paper emuslions so they will give you a positive not a negative. one here in the usa is "liquid light" http://www.rockaloid.com/ if you can dig up a photography annual from the turn of the century, they usually have recepies. there is also a book called using liquid emulsions that is out of print. it was originally printed in england - if you can find a copy, it has step-by-step on how to coat plates & even make your own emusions .. good luck john

[Pete Andrews]

"....which are like paper emuslions so they will give you a positive not a negative." - Errr! No. They'll just be slower and only sensitive to blue light.

[jnantz]

"Errr! No. They'll just be slower and only sensitive to blue light. "

liquid light is about asa 2.5 (film equiv) and if dektol is mixed into the emulsion it is a little faster - - ummm about asa 5 .. oops, i made a BIG mistake :) if it is coated on plates and exposed in a camera, it is like film. if a negative is projected onto it, it is like paper emulsion .. sorry for being so GOOFY. :) didn't mean to mislead you <g>