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Thread: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

  1. #81

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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    Quote Originally Posted by Two23 View Post
    If you mix your silver according to directions you will be fine. I've started two new baths now and both were right on the money when I mixed them.

    I will add that when messing with silver nitrate outside the tank always wear gloves and eye protection. The crystals are even more dangerous.

    Kent in SD
    Bostick & Sullivan ships their wet plate kits with the silver bath already prepared, in bottles. He won't be mixing his own silver bath, at least this time. But what Kent said is almost guaranteed to be true for you in the future as well: if you make up a silver bath at the recommended rate (9 grams of AgNO3 to 100ml of distilled water) then you will find the specific gravity of the bath is automatically within tolerances of 1.068 to 1.075 (give or take). Not once have a made up a new silver bath and found it to have an SG outside of those values.

    Maintaining the specific gravity of the bath does, however, require the purchase of AgNO3 crystals. And as Kent states, handling silver nitrate crystals does require great care: work in a space where nothing/nobody can interrupt what you're doing, wear eye protection, and gloves. If you observe common sense handling precautions, there's nothing to be concerned about. But you don't need to rush out and buy silver nitrate crystals right away: it may take weeks of use before you need to replenish the bath.

    A couple of notes regarding the Bostick kit:

    - it comes with a small amount of Nitric acid, intended for use to acidify the silver bath. Avoid using this at all, if possible, as it will have the effect of decreasing the speed of your poured plates, and potentially add unwanted contrast. Quinn makes a very clear and compelling case in his book for avoiding the addition of Nitric acid to the bath.

    - the kit also includes a small amount of Amino silane bonding agent. AVOID USING IT (All it ever did when I used it was make a mess of the plates and ruin good collodion). It is in the kit to assist you in getting good adhesion of collodion onto glass. If you clean the glass properly and use a 1/8 inch of albumen applied to the edges of the plate (I can demo this for you, if need be) then you will have no difficulty getting the collodion to adhere to the plate. Its not as difficult to get a clean plate as some people think. Quinn's instructions are very clear and he demonstrates it in the videos. Stick to what he recommends and you will avoid most of the problems new practitioners commonly encounter.

  2. #82
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Dec 2011
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    Yes, age 21 worked in a Chem lab

    I quit over sloppy techs, one my boss

    25 years later that one showed up at my favorite lab

    Soon fired for theft

    The idiot brought back the stolen trinkets, which proved the theft

    I just bought the missing Hydrometer

    Quote Originally Posted by Two23 View Post
    If you mix your silver according to directions you will be fine. I've started two new baths now and both were right on the money when I mixed them.

    I will add that when messing with silver nitrate outside the tank always wear gloves and eye protection. The crystals are even more dangerous.

    Kent in SD
    Tin Can

  3. #83

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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tin Can View Post
    I just bought the missing Hydrometer
    Better to spend the $15 than wait for months and still no hydrometer.

  4. #84
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    I like the albumin, nitric acid and silane tips.

    I am not setting up until I have everything

    AND after I study Quinn

    I already have some silver grains for other methods, unused...

    Quote Originally Posted by paulbarden View Post
    Bostick & Sullivan ships their wet plate kits with the silver bath already prepared, in bottles. He won't be mixing his own silver bath, at least this time. But what Kent said is almost guaranteed to be true for you in the future as well: if you make up a silver bath at the recommended rate (9 grams of AgNO3 to 100ml of distilled water) then you will find the specific gravity of the bath is automatically within tolerances of 1.068 to 1.075 (give or take). Not once have a made up a new silver bath and found it to have an SG outside of those values.

    Maintaining the specific gravity of the bath does, however, require the purchase of AgNO3 crystals. And as Kent states, handling silver nitrate crystals does require great care: work in a space where nothing/nobody can interrupt what you're doing, wear eye protection, and gloves. If you observe common sense handling precautions, there's nothing to be concerned about. But you don't need to rush out and buy silver nitrate crystals right away: it may take weeks of use before you need to replenish the bath.

    A couple of notes regarding the Bostick kit:

    - it comes with a small amount of Nitric acid, intended for use to acidify the silver bath. Avoid using this at all, if possible, as it will have the effect of decreasing the speed of your poured plates, and potentially add unwanted contrast. Quinn makes a very clear and compelling case in his book for avoiding the addition of Nitric acid to the bath.

    - the kit also includes a small amount of Amino silane bonding agent. AVOID USING IT (All it ever did when I used it was make a mess of the plates and ruin good collodion). It is in the kit to assist you in getting good adhesion of collodion onto glass. If you clean the glass properly and use a 1/8 inch of albumen applied to the edges of the plate (I can demo this for you, if need be) then you will have no difficulty getting the collodion to adhere to the plate. Its not as difficult to get a clean plate as some people think. Quinn's instructions are very clear and he demonstrates it in the videos. Stick to what he recommends and you will avoid most of the problems new practitioners commonly encounter.
    Tin Can

  5. #85
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    Yes, I am very worried about worldwide shortages of everything

    Quote Originally Posted by paulbarden View Post
    Better to spend the $15 than wait for months and still no hydrometer.
    Tin Can

  6. #86
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    One more piece just delivered, the French Silver Tank

    I will open it tomorrow after my usual 24 hour decontamination period

    I know some say, don't worry it was packed a week ago, but it was handled by 10 people today, including me

    I wash my hands often
    Tin Can

  7. #87
    Unwitting Thread Killer Ari's Avatar
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    I finally nailed down an order with Main Trophy.
    There's a huge difference in prices between them and the three local (Ottawa, Canada) trophy places I called.

  8. #88
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    Start another thread in one of the Darkroom subforums, 'kay? This time we'll just let it go.

  9. #89
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    Re: Should there be a Wet Plate subforum?

    Okay, guys--we've just created a new sub-forum for wet-plate photography. I will move this thread there, and reopen it. Have at it.

    I would suggest a discussion on what guidance-type threads could be created to serve as stickies.

    Rick "good luck!" Denney

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