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photolytic on "Alternate toners?"

photolytic — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:51:28 +0000

$50/gram is the equivalent of $100/gram of gold metal or $3110 USD / troy oz. That is a little less than twice the current commodity market price for gold. Artcraft Chemicals in US is selling gold chloride for $48 USD /gram. <a href="http://www.artcraftchemicals.com/products/products-page/general-chemistry/a-m/gold-chloride-solid-part-1700/" rel="nofollow">http://www.artcraftchemicals.com/products/products-page/general-chemistry/a-m/gold-chloride-solid-part-1700/</a> I don't know if they ship to Europe but first class mail may be possible.

Bakody on "Alternate toners?"

Bakody — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:14:24 +0000

ohh $50 is much cheaper then I found. Maybe I found the most expensive one. I think, I need to find an other shop in Europe. From where do you buy it?

photolytic on "Alternate toners?"

photolytic — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:54:51 +0000

Concerning the use of varnish on Dags: This subject was discussed on Jonathon Danforth's shinyphotos.com on June 8 2008. Any substance that you put on the surface of the Daguerreotype will have a different refractive index from air and will change the way the image particles reflect and refract the light. I have coated Dags with the gum Sandarac varnish used on ambrotypes, and although it reduces the brilliance of the image considerably it does protect it from abrasion. Because this varnish shifts the wavelength of the reflected light away from the blue region of the spectrum, the varnish will also transform a fugitive or solarized blue image into a warm brown one. The cost of gilding with gold chloride, currently running around $50/gram, is still only a little over $2 USD for a wholeplate. According to our expert Daguerreotypist from Russia, Bailun, you can also gild with platinum Chloride but I'm not sure of the relative costs. Compared to the high cost of plates, mats, and cases, the gold is not too high.

Bakody on "Alternate toners?"

Bakody — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 04:43:42 +0000

-Because of the price of the gold chloride, is anyone could find the solution how to replace gold chloride with something else? -Without gold chloride just pout the b-dag behind the glass and forget about protection. After a few years the image still will be on the surface? -We should use gold chloride to protect dags. What about to use spray lacquer? Artist use those spray lacquer to protect carbon or graphite drawings. Is anyone has experience with it?

photolytic on "How to evaluate an image (BD)"

photolytic — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:04:30 +0000

Javi, Nice images, Yes a random orbital buffer can be used at low speed in place of hand buffing. You need more sponge applicator pads though. One for rouge, a second for lampblack, and a series of clean pads to remove the reside from the plate after steps 1&2. Last minute buffing of the inverted plate (face down)on a clean hand buffing pad can be used to remove any dust or velvet lint just before fuming. Keep your buffing pads in sealed plastic bags when not in use to prevent dust contamination. Warm the pads with a hair dryer before use to remove traces of moisture. Crown Graphic cameras are nice and relativly cheap ($300USD on EBay).

Javi on "How to evaluate an image (BD)"

Javi — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:19:04 +0000

John, thank you so much for your help. I decided to spend a few days focusing only on exposure. I ended up with two "better" exposures at 1' and 1'30" at 11:00AM and EV14.5. I am getting more comfortable with exposure times but still need more & more & more & even more practice. I decided to "start" again with the whole process learning, devoting a few days (or more) to each step (buffing, sensitizing, exposure & fixing/gilding). About buffing, could an orbital sander be a substitute for the hand buffs? Not that I enjoy buffing but after a while my arm becomes numb (as a positive side at least I do exercise!). I also get exasperated to see how much the cotton-velvet hand buffs "attract" dust when I'm buffing. As a last question, I am considering switching my current (oldie but goodie) 5x7 camera for a 4x5. Any suggestions of models and lenses to avoid/obtain? Unfortunately, price does matter and I doubt the 5x7 is worth much (Eastman 33A) to trade it. Thanks again! Javi

Bingtan on "Sharing Updates"

Bingtan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:29:05 +0000

Hi Everyone, Just sharing my updates...I've been busy acquiring equipment the past couple of months to get this project off the ground. Chemicals: Mercury - check (sciencecompany.com) Iodine - check (ebay) Br - I now have Br! With respect to the warnings against creating Br, I ended up creating some myself through distillation of bleach, muriatic acid and sodium bromide. An afternoon's mad scientist work gave me about 20 grams of Br. I simply had no way of acquiring this chemical from where I am. Darkroom - 48x48x80 Secret Jardin Darkroom Hydrofarm 6" 400 CFM Hepa Filter Fuming Box and Mercury Pot Under construction... Polishing Powders for lapidiary also purchased... Lastly, I'd like to thank Mike Robinson. I purchased a batch of 6x6cm plates and 6x9cm plates from him. They look really nice (from a still-not-a-dag photographer) perspective. Everyone's been talking about making sure the plates are mirror like. I'm starting to get overwhelmed and worried at how much polishing needs to be done to get to that point...I shall try polishing plates soon...wish me luck!

photolytic on "How to evaluate an image (BD)"

photolytic — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 08:16:54 +0000

Javi, As you know, the intensity of light from a lens diminishes as the square of the distance from lens or in other words the area covered by the image it casts. Hence your exposure should be proportional to the square of the ratio of the (close-up) lens to plate distance divided by the normal focal length of the lens at infinity. EX: for a 100mm lens extended to 150mm, the exposure time should be extended by 150mm/100mm squared or 2.25 (a full stop). Brian May of Queen, a Daguerreotype collector himself, would be amused to learn that he has become part of the process itself. Wash the plate in flowing tap water, being careful not to place the plate itself under the spout to avoid damaging the delicate image. Then, holding the plate at an angle, flood the upper edge with a stream of distilled water so that it flows off the opposite edge. Do this several times(3)until all the tap water has been washed off. At this point the water should be repelled by the surface of the plate and flow off completely when chased by a stream of hot air from a hair dryer. Happy Daging, John

Javi on "How to evaluate an image (BD)"

Javi — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 04:31:10 +0000

Thank you so much for your wise input. I will try and shorten the exposure time a little bit and try to get an overall image less dark. Another doubt I have is how much exposure changes between camera-to-subject distance (and hence, focus). I have tested other plates to more close-up objects (all out in the sun) and having a hard time determining a good exposure. About buffing, I use Red Rouge (first buff) and then nothing (second buff). I use a song by Queen as a time and pressure pattern (no joking!). I play it once and then turn 90� the plate and keep on buffing, turn again 90� and so on). Maybe I should try other compounds just in case and be more careful not to scratch the surface of the plate. I prefer making up new fixer every day for consistency's sake. Do you recommend a final bath in distilled or pure water (even if not gilding)? Thank you again! Javi

photolytic on "How to evaluate an image (BD)"

photolytic — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:18:27 +0000

Javi, Thanks for the update. Your dag stll looks slightly dark but the tones are good. The center image looks to be the 3min exposure. Is that correct? Over exposure can block the highlights, making them look out of focus. Ten times is about max for a plate with 13microns (.0005in)of initial silver plate. For a 25micron silver plate you can get about 20 images before it wears out. All this depends upon how agressive your polishing technique is. If your polishing is sufficient and you have enough silver left on the plate, you should have no stains or scratches on the plate. The stains may be a sign that you have buffed through to the copper. Those dark wavy lines around the edges of your plate indicate the copper is closer to the surface. The plate can still be used for experimenting. I would suggest you try a more agressive polishing technique such as randon orbital buffing, or hand buffing with a courser buffing compound to get rid of all scratches and stains. What are you using now? A first cycle magenta fuming may be more sensitive. Developing in weak shade light takes too long, allowing the latent image to fade. Better to stick with the brighter halogen light if the sun is not available. The sodium sulfite is added to prevent the oxygen in the air from oxidizing the thiosufate. If your hypo is fresh (no sulfur odor) and you make up fresh fixer for every plate you can get by without the sulfite.

Javi on "How to evaluate an image (BD)"

Javi — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:10:33 +0000

Dear Daguis, ten days after timeless efforts (you all know that bit, right?), I finally got an image. Though satisfied, I realize it is just a starting point. Could anyone help me in assessing the image and give their input in various questions? My data (for this particular image) and doubts are the following: 1. REUSING THE PLATE. It was the 10th time I reused this plate. I read that a up to 3 times is reccommended. However, I want to know what is the max. you have tried and still got a decent image? 2. HAND-BUFFING. I hand-buff for about 10 minutes on each buff but I got the impression (by visual inspection) I don't erase hardly any imperfection. Is buffing suppose to eliminate also stains or only mild scratches? 3. SENSITIZING. I go to first cycle yellow-green. It takes 1'15" at 18�C. 4. EXPOSURE. I took two exposures of 1'30" and 3'. By viewing the plate, I am still puzzled to what is the best exposure. Any clues in evaluating exposure? The EV was <a href="mailto:14@100ASA.">14@100ASA.</a> 12:00PM. Also, I use f8 (max. aperture, what a pity!) but the image seems out of focus. 5. DEVELOPMENT. After relative failure using red plastic, I got hold of Rubylith and works perfect. I developed the image for 1 hour in direct sunlight and 9 hours more inside with a 150W Halogen Lamp. Does development work well in the shade? Or should I stick with the Halogen Lamp? 6. FIXING. My question is: is sodium sulfite also necessary in the formula? Or only the sodium thiosulfite solution will do? Needless to say, I didn't gild the image. I don't have a scanner, so I just took a picture of the plate (damn family of angles!). Thank you so much for your help, I hope one day I can answer all these questions... Greetings from Japan, Javi

Andy_Stockton on "Fuming Box Design"

Andy_Stockton — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:07:50 +0000

I have done a fair amount of experimentation with acrylic fuming boxes, but I wouldn't recommend acrylic gesso on wood as a substitute. You would be pretty much in the "unknown zone" with the various ingredients in gesso, and I strongly doubt any paint layer would reliably protect a wood box for very long. I'm willing to be corrected by someone who has tried this, but I wouldn't go there myself. It really isn't all that hard to grind a Pyrex dish lip flat and prepare a ground glass to cover it. Enclose that in a wood box and you have a time proven and safe container. See the Resource page for images of various types. As for displaying iodine, any lab supply company can sell you a glass jar with an HDPE cap and a PTFE (Teflon) liner that will contain iodine adequately for a display. If the glass stays intact, the iodine - both gaseous and solid will be contained.

yowyip on "Fuming Box Design"

yowyip — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:04:32 +0000

Hi There, I know this thread is 3 years old, but I am wondering if anyone can follow up on the results of simply spray painting the fuming box to contain the iodine from leeching out ? I know Acrylic is resistant to iodine, so would a thick acrylic gesso also do the trick? Though not strictly daguerreotypey, (it is related trust me) I have an idea to display some iodine crystals in a large glass container, but am wondering how to seal it so it does not poison the atmosphere. I am attempting to be somewhat archival here also, so that this set-up could last for at least a couple years without the iodine completely dissipating. thanks!

Mike Robinson on "workshops?"

Mike Robinson — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:30:04 +0000

Hi all, the following is my mercury process workshop schedule this year. Sorry, nothing in California. there are two spaces remaining in my workshop at George Eastman House in February 21-24. <a href="http://www.eastmanhouse.org/events/detail/photo-workshop-02-2012" rel="nofollow">http://www.eastmanhouse.org/events/detail/photo-workshop-02-2012</a> after that I do two workshops at Lacock Abbey in the UK May 19 - 22. <a href="http://www.talbotworkshops.co.uk/daguerreotype.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.talbotworkshops.co.uk/daguerreotype.htm</a> lastly, I'm at Peters Valley Craft Centre in June. 15 - 17 <a href="https://pvcrafts.org/" rel="nofollow">https://pvcrafts.org/</a> best Mike Robinson

Javi on "Where's the image?"

Javi — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 03:13:24 +0000

Hello again, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. I masked off two plates as you suggested. One plate I exposed it at f4 for 2' and the other plate at f4 for 20'. I still didn't get any image at all. The EV (at 100ASA) was of 14. I am starting to wonder if it is the red plastic film I use that fogs everything. I inspect the plate during developing with suspicious eyes but there is no hint of image whatsoever. I will try to buy a proper red or amber masking film for developing and pray for the best. Javi

rivera1212 on "workshops?"

rivera1212 — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:16:49 +0000

hello all, is there anybody willing to teach dags in California? I'm back up and running after having to put off learning dags last year. does anybody know the workshop schedule for Michael or Jerry? i dont see anything posted just yet. like always , thanks for the help!!! happy new year everyone!!

photolytic on "Where's the image?"

photolytic — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:18:46 +0000

Dear MR Javi, 1'45" @ 21C should easily give you a second yellow color if you have enough iodine in your box. 2nd yellow should be OK but Pobboravsky has shown that thicker 110uM plate coatings may be as much as 16 times less sensitive to light (4stops) than thinner 30uM coatings. Just to be sure that this is not the problem, you should try masking off part of the plate with paper and fuming portions of the plate for 40� to magenta, and for 80� to light blue and then for 105� to second yellow.. You don't mention the aperture you are using but even 20min at f/8 might not be enough if the light is less than 13EV. If you have an exposure meter, use it! Despite claims that Dags are only sensitive to UV, Pobboravsky has shown that Dags are also sensitive to light up to blue 450uM so a meter reading is a good start. Lastly the red plastic may not be as good as Rubylith for developing Becquerel Dags. You don't say whether your Dags have no image particles, which indicates underexposure, or that they have a whitish coating, which indicates overall fog.

Javi on "Where's the image?"

Javi — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 01:25:29 +0000

Dear all, this is my first and shy post to this forum, so hello everyone. My name is Javi, from Spain (currently in Japan), and even though I was a film restorer, I always felt intrigued in daguerreotypes since I first met them at the GEH in Rochester, NY. I am well aware that the road to success requires patience, time, money and a little bit of help from our friends. This is the reason why I am posting here to implore for help from you. It's been a week since I started Mr.Bec's proccess and, of all the 7 attempts, none has come up with an image. Not even the slightest, faintest of the images. Zero. I know there are so many variants so I try to simplify steps and try to be as constant as possible. I ordered the 4x5 plates from a very helpful daguerreotypist in Japan so they are not the issue. No matter how bad I hand-buff the plates, it cannot be the blame for not getting an image. I decided to be consistent with sensitizing and all plates were sensitized at around 21�C temperature for 1'45" (1st yellow cycle). I believe that even by not getting a good sensitizing I should get an image, am I right? Finally, the only other variants remaining are exposure and development. I tried different exposures (20 seconds, 2 minutes, 20 minutes). No image. For developing, I try to do it under direct sunlight, but sometimes I have no choice but develop under shade conditions. Also, I don't have Rubyliht but a Red plastic film (dark enough). It shouldn't be a problem either. I was thinking of uploading an image, but there is no image!, only that dreaded layer of iodine (before fixing). Has anyone encountered a similar problem? Can anyone hint a possible solution? Thank you so much for your help!!! Javi

photolytic on "fix and brom water"

photolytic — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:32:52 +0000

Hi Dan and Mike, The most common moisture indicator in silica gel is cobalt chloride, It is pink or purple in the hydrated form and blue in the dry form. It is possible that the pink color might make it more difficult to judge the level or halogen added from the color of the mixture but this would only occur in the presence of moisture, an unlikely event unless one added bromine water instead of anhydrous bromine liquid. While cobalt salts are carcinogenic when inhaled, the level used here is so low that the indicator silica gel does not have to be labeled carcinogenic even in California. Since chlorine is a stronger oxidizing agent that bromine or iodine there is no possibility that chlorine would be released if these halogens were mixed with indicator silica gel. Best, John

Mike Robinson on "fix and brom water"

Mike Robinson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:41:18 +0000

Hi Dan, 6 / 16 is a good size to manage when you need to remove the sensitizer from the box for transport. I cannot imagine why alternate mesh sizes won't work. I'm not sure what the active ingredient in indicator silica gel is and have no experience with it so I hesitate to offer an opinion on that. best Mike

daniel on "fix and brom water"

daniel — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:41:10 +0000

I have a question for Mike- I took the your workshop at GEH early last year and you recommended the using the 6-16 mesh silica gel. I was wondering why you settled on the the 6-16 mesh size as opposed to any other size. Would it be OK to use a any other mesh size and if so what are the alternative mesh sizes that might still work. Also, is the indicating type of silica not suitable for charging with bromine. I finally have some bromine on the way so I would like to get some silica before it arrives in a month or so. Thanks, Dan

jgmotamedi on "FS: Mercury detection badges (5 for $60)"

jgmotamedi — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:46:59 +0000

Sorry, forgot to mention that sales outside of the US will not be possible with these badges.

jgmotamedi on "FS: Mercury detection badges (5 for $60)"

jgmotamedi — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:19:00 +0000

I recently purchased a box of 10 Mercury detection badges, and only need half of them. So I would like to sell half of the box. I paid $134 for the box, and would be happy to sell half of them (five single-use badges) for US$60 plus shipping. Note however, these badges need to be refrigerated, so they would have to be sent to you via a one-day delivery service, packed with ice-packs, so figure that the extra shipping will run $25, which is what I paid to have them delivered to me. Of course, you can also swing by and pick them up in Portland Oregon. <a href="http://www.labsafety.com/chromair-colorimetric-badges-mercury_s_26756/?searchterm=mercury%2bbadge" rel="nofollow">http://www.labsafety.com/chromair-colorimetric-badges-mercury_s_26756/?searchterm=mercury%2bbadge</a> <a href="http://www.morphtec.com/html/chromair.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.morphtec.com/html/chromair.html</a> Please note that these aren't the absolute best Hg detection method, as the threshold is fairly high. The manufacture claims that the minimum detectable limit is 0.02mg/m3 over eight hours. However these do serve as a good first alert to see if your mercury fumes are being cycled back into your lab or somehow leaking, and they don't require the investment of hundreds of dollars plus lab fees. While a smoke bomb is the best form of detection for leaks, it can't tell you if mercury is building up in your studio.

jgmotamedi on "Where can I buy some plates?"

jgmotamedi — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:37:35 +0000

That is one impressive machine... On the smaller side, Di Acro makes very nice 24" guillotine shear. It still weighs a lot, but may be worth looking into. If I had space I would certainly be looking for a used one on eBay and Craigslist. Instead, I made friends with a local printmaking co-op and use their machine. Before that I used a small guillotine at a local art college.

Andy_Stockton on "Where can I buy some plates?"

Andy_Stockton — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:30:19 +0000

Rob - an impressive piece of equipment and a most helpful response - Thank you! I am glad to hear that you are able to achieve cuts without creating marking at the edges. That was one of my main concerns about using a shear.

dagist on "Where can I buy some plates?"

dagist — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:59:04 +0000

Andy, My metal shear is a foot-operated industrial unit that is built like a tank by a company called Niagara, and can cut up to a 36" wide piece of US 16-gauge mild steel, according to the descriptive name plate attached to it. The unit itself weighs 700 hundred pounds and is probably 50+ years old. I bought it used for $200.00 from a company that upgraded to a larger hydraulic powered unit. The unit I bought had been used every single day for cutting aluminum duct work for heating systems and it still works perfectly for all my daguerreian needs. The 3'-wide unit is actually quite small compared to most industrial metal shears which are often 10 or 12 feet wide and can weigh well over a ton. The heavy 18-gauge copper I use for my daguerreotype plates (the type sold by Daniel Smith) requires me to jump on the shear's treadle (foot-bar) with all my weight in order to cut through the thick copper. That's not a fault or problem, that's just the way it works. The harder or thicker the metal, the more force you need to apply to the treadle-bar. These days, most shears are powered hydraulically, not manually. I have attached a photo I found online showing the same shear I own. I can't say that I know what other types of metal shears would do the job equally as well for a daguerreotypist, but I have been very happy with my shear. It cuts super accurately and once you have it perfectly square, you never have to adjust it again. One thing that you must be careful of - is the hold-down bars that all shears have, which hold your work piece from moving or shifting when the piece is sheared. Because the hold-down bars have a tendency to leave a mark on the delicate copper or silver surface, you must figure out a way to hold your copper (or slivered copper) plate in-place without using the hold-down bars. I do it all the time, so yes, it can be done. I hope that helped. Cheers, Rob McElroy Buffalo, NY

Andy_Stockton on "Where can I buy some plates?"

Andy_Stockton — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:18:27 +0000

Hi Rob/Dagist - I was re-reading this thread (since the forums have been kind of slow during the holidays) and I saw your mention of having acquired your own metal shear. I have been looking into getting one as well and wonder if you would be willing to share any information on yours? Likes/Dislikes/Words of wisdom or warning? Thanks.

jgmotamedi on "Where can I buy some plates?"

jgmotamedi — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 22:16:06 +0000

There are at least two routes you can go for a buffing machine; You can purchase a buffing machine ready to go from a jeweler supply, or buy a bench grinder from a tool store and adapt it yourself. Buffing machines tend to be expensive. I once used a Baldor buffing machine and was very impressed with its power and quality of build, however it cost nearly $500. Nearly 4x the total price of my 6" Dewalt bench grinder plus parts. You can get a 6" bench grinder at a tool store. I am sure that a chain like Home Depot or Lowes would have one, as would a locally-owned store. Of course they can also be ordered online. You will need .5 hp or more, and if I recall correctly about 3200rpm. My advice is to buy a name brand. No-name brands do not always live up to their advertized power. You can probably also find a decent used one locally, perhaps on Craigslist, or a used tool store. If you buy a bench grinder you will also need spindles, which can be purchased at a jeweler's supply, such as Rio Grande. The idea is that you have to pull the grinding wheel and casings off the grinder, leaving it with only the shafts, then you attach spindles. If you are doing this inside, consider purchasing or making a filter box. Buffing is very messy. One other thing to consider is buffing speed. My local silversmith told me that I should be using an 1800rpm machine, not 3200rpm, for buffing. To get this low speed you pretty much have to buy a buffing machine, as bench grinders are not made at that speed. I am not sure what a slower speed buff would offer me, so perhaps someone else who knows more about silver can comment.

captivelight on "Where can I buy some plates?"

captivelight — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 07:30:45 +0000

Well Santa brought me some copper plates for Christmas. Since the elfs don't make plates she got them from Daniel Smith. She was told that they wouldn't cut the plates to the required size so I have 4x6 plates. Now I have to find someone with a shear and a good accurate ruler to cut them to size. I also got a 6" variable speed grinder. Where do I find a good buffing wheel?

jgmotamedi on "A series of question for a newbie downunder"

jgmotamedi — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:39:26 +0000

I had a machine shop (SK Grimes) make a few adapters for 3x4; you can see a picture of the product here: <a href="http://www.skgrimes.com/whats-new/2011-2/daguerreotype-adapter." rel="nofollow">http://www.skgrimes.com/whats-new/2011-2/daguerreotype-adapter.</a> These were not cheap, but work well. I have also found that you can place a plate in a corner of the holder, so that two sides are held down, so long as you are careful and don't drop or shake the holder. When I do so I make sure to use camera movements (shift and rise) to center the "sweet spot" of the lens on the plate. Walter's description using film pack holders is great, I have a 3x4 film pack adapter which I use with a 3x4 Graflex.

newone2010 on "Newbie to Dag"

newone2010 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:11:38 +0000

Wow,Walter,your website is wonderful.I can find many interesting info from it.

newone2010 on "How to digitize a Dag?"

newone2010 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:06:11 +0000

Thank you Walter.I have bought 4990 few weeks ago.I use it for my dag scaning.It works fine.It needs adjustments.I can not do it well.

70s dager on "How to digitize a Dag?"

70s dager — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:37:53 +0000

Hello, I've owned both the Epson scanners, and I feel that the 4990 is well worth the difference in cost. There is a far better control system with the 4990 unit, and easier to use. You can see my results on my web-page; <a href="http://www.walterisphotography.com." rel="nofollow">www.walterisphotography.com.</a> Walter Johnson

70s dager on "Newbie to Dag"

70s dager — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:32:51 +0000

Ok, you don't have to own a Hassy to use the Hassy cut film adapter and cut film holders. But first let me correct you as to the size of the plate to fit the Hassy film holder; it is 2 1/2" square, not 2 1/4" square; I own the Hassy system and have made Dags with it. I rebuilt a Rilex 6X9cm camera to the Hassy basic film back, with a 75mm F1.9 lens. But you can also use one of the Russian 6X6 Hassy copies to use the same film holders; these parts are interchangeable; and will fit the Kiev just fine. You can check out my Rilex conversion posted here with Cdags.org. Walter Johnson Please check my web-page; <a href="http://www.walterisphotography.com;" rel="nofollow">www.walterisphotography.com;</a> for many stories on and about Daguerreotypes and makers.

70s dager on "A series of question for a newbie downunder"

70s dager — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:21:30 +0000

There's no need to do that; go to my web-page; <a href="http://www.walterisphotography.com;" rel="nofollow">www.walterisphotography.com;</a> look for my paper titled; "Save that film pack adapter". You'll need to go into the archives to find it, and in there is my suggestion to use the common film pack adapter because you can load the Dag plate, or wet-plate from the back, then insert a filler pad to hold the plate in place when the back is closed. to remove the plate, simply remove the filler pad and turn the adapter up-side-down, and the plate will then fall into your hand. My paper goes into more detail, but you get the idea that the less you handle the plate, the better results you are going to have. Walter Johnson