Gum bichromate

Shakey · Feb 8, 2008

:confused:Firstly I would like to say hello to everyone as this is my first post on this amazing forum that I have stumbled upon, it also impresses me how many people are still in love with the darkroom and not jumping all in to digital although it does get you a lot of cheap analogue stuff.

Anyway enough rambling, Im a sixth form student and Im interested in gum printing however I cant quite find enough information on the internet about it, I have looked at websites like gumphoto.co,uk and Katharine Thayer website, however I still a bit confused about making the test strips for the photo, mainly because the pic doesnt show up on katherines website (probably cause of my computer) :confused:

I would appreciate any help and also whether anyone would be willing to sell me 'The Gum Bichromate Book', by David Scopik as its out of print and Ive tried everywhere, including silverprint. Or recommend any really good books for this process that are easy to get my hands on.

Thanks Shakey

Schlapp · Feb 8, 2008

Welcome Shakey. If you can get hold of this months B&W mag, there is an article about Gum Printing by Andrew Sanderson in it.

BobNewYork · Feb 8, 2008

Welcome Shakey. Hell, I was in the sixth form once - back when dinosaurs roamed the earth of course!

Try this site: Don't know if it helps with your immediate question but you may find it of interest.

Bob

Uhner · Feb 8, 2008

Welcome to APUG Shakey.

I am not that familiar with the gum dichromate process, but John P. Schaefer devotes a chapter to it in his Basic Techniques of Photography, Book 2. It is hardly an exhaustive explanation of the process, but he is a good writer on the subject of photography and the chapter should point you in the right direction until you find more specialised works on the subject.

Cheers

Claes

Mike Wilde · Feb 8, 2008

free gum guide on the web

http://www.alternativephotography.com/books/js_post_factory.html.

There is a reprint of issue 1 available for free download that gives a good run down of gum printing.

Akki14 · Feb 8, 2008

test strip just means cover up most of the image and put it under the UV light. Time it. Move the heavy paper covering up the image along a small amount every 30seconds-1minute. Develop the paper for 30minutes or so in water and estimate your times from that. The lightest section will be the least amount of time; 1 30second increment, say. The next will be 2 30second increments, and so on and so forth.
And please be very very careful when mixing the bichromate. Get everything out that you need before you start, use gloves, use a face mask, use a disposable piece of paper to measure out your bichromate if you're weighing it out before mixing it with water. Minimise touching anything you can't wipe up with damp kitchen towel(paper towel) and that you can throw away immediately and keep away from any people/pets/things.

Mike Crawford · Feb 8, 2008

Abe books to the rescue

Hi Shakey
Do a search on www.abebooks.com. Currently there are four copies available from $11.95 to $70. Terry King has been doing workshops in Gum and many other proceses in St Margarets, West London for a long time, so it may be worth checking with him when he's next doing one.
(http://www.hands-on-pictures.com/html/home.html) Bit of a journey from Leamington, but a great way to learn about Gum.
All the best
Mike

dodger · Feb 8, 2008

re Gum bichromate

Hello there shakey,
Ian mitton, a lecturer in Dunlaoighre college of art and design teaches about it and also cyanotypes etc etc. I think that the guys in fp workshops are trying to entice him to do a weekend course on it at airfield. You should check with them.

Shakey · Feb 9, 2008

If only I hand a few hundred £s to go on his workshop (Terry King) as being a sixth former, and having just booked a skiing holiday Im not quite that loaded at the moment but do really appreciate your help.

That magazine from alternative photography is a big help thanks, havent even noticed as it was on their website that I came across the process. I'll also have a look for that magazine in the news agents thanks.

Do now whether they charge and how much or how to get in contact with fp workshops as Im not sure whether Ive found the right thing as it came up with Glasgow functioning programming workshops which doesnt seem to be it.:confused:

BobNewYork said:
Welcome Shakey. Hell, I was in the sixth form once - back when dinosaurs roamed the earth of course!

Try this site: Don't know if it helps with your immediate question but you may find it of interest.

Bob

Hi bob it there doesn't seem to be any link!:confused:

Thanks everyone for your help, Shakey

Uncle Goose · Feb 10, 2008

be sure to do teststrips, I also started recently with gumprinting and in the beginning I didn't do any teststrips so it was like firing a cannon without knowing where the enemy is, you sometimes get a good hit but most of the times it's a miss. The more experienced you get the less teststrips you will need. Live got easier when I began doing teststrips.

Gum bichromate

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