Anybody doing tintypes?

[waynecrider]

Just getting my fingers wet in tintype, with the Rocklands AG-Plus and "tintype developer" and hoping someone here can asnwer some questions.

#1 - The developer mixed up the colour of strong tea. It was purchased directly from Rockland only recently but I had read that the brown colour indicates it is "oxidized". The process isn't working well for me, so could this be part of the problem?

#2 - Coating thickness. When I spread the AG-Plus with my finger into a nice thin sheet, it all seems to just "wash off" in the developer and leave no image. When I paint it on thick with a brush, I get a better image but it is still REALLY dark (even when exposed up to f5.6 @ 3 seconds - books says f16@.5S in sunlight) Could this also be the developer? How thick should the emulsion coating be? As thick as a sheet of paper? As thick as a sheet of photo paper?

I have the opportunity to market "olde tyme photos" to 10,000 to 15,000 people over 4 days in July but I am rapidly loosing faith in the reliability of the tintype process!

Did you ever get this process down? I know the thread is a little old....wayne

 

[Donald Qualls]

Just in case Jane doesn't see this -- over on the Large Format Forum she posted that replacement developer from Rockland solved the problem and she was getting much nicer plates now.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Yup, I got the Tintypes 90% the way I want them and very consistent. I'm quite happy with the whole thing.

My biggest problem was a bad batch of developer, which Rockland replaced. Once the developer was working, I was able to concentrate on the other aspect of the process.

I have come to learn that Tintypes are 80% craftsmanship (handling the plates), 10% photography, and 10% blind luck

You'll be hearing from me Craig!

 

[Donald Qualls]

Well, Jane, after seeing your pages chronicling construction of your 4x5 cameras, I'd have to say your craftsmanship is fine; your photography appears well in hand as well, so now you just have to contend with the "blind luck" factor -- and 90% odds aren't a bad bet, IMO.