About 8x10 glass plates.

[Old_Dick]

Hi Folks,

I've been gifted a few hundred 8x10 glass plates. Some are pretty dirty, both sides. Was hardener used back at the turn of 1900? Any emulsion side cleaning advice? My plan is to clean them, at least one side, put them in glassines and letter size hangers. Then contact print them later one. The images were taken around Plymouth NH. How about maybe scanning them? Do 8x10 enlargers hold glass negs? I will also be looking for donations from the Historical Society. That is about it.

Emulsion Side Down Regards
Dick

[Greg]

First off find two or three "sacrificial" glass plates from the collection to practice cleaning. Or pick up a few on eBay

Plain glass side, no problem - Windex works fine. Just use it lightly and with the emulsion side down atop several sheets of newspapers.

For the emulsion side - Google cleaning front surfaced reflective telescope mirrors.
https://www.opticalmechanics.com/how...escope-mirror/
a good place to start.
I have used distilled water and an old Electrostatic negative/film brush with success on really dirty emulsions. Many rinses. I personally would not put glass plates emulsion side up under a running water faucet. My feeling is that the running water may actually be too abrasive, but I could be wrong... never tried it.

[Tin Can]

I have run old dirty film and glass both with emulsion

I refix and wash in my gas burst system on hangers

then scan and you know the rest

some old plates are varnished, which is museum restoration $$$

[choiliefan]

If hardener was used on your plates, Pec-12 might be the solution.

[Drew Bedo]

Try posting this question in the "Wet Plate" forum.

[Old_Dick]

Will do, Drew.