Home Build Wet Plate Collodion and Film Holder ideas

hello,

My searches for a 11x14 film holder have run dry and for the $400 or so that I could buy a new one for I am thinking of heading to the workshop instead and along with building a 11x14 rear standard for my Sinar P I could build my own film holder...

I also want to try my hand at WPC one day which gave me the idea that maybe I could build a combo double darkslide film and wet plate holder - since I am building the standard (focusing GG, bellows and all) It doesn't need to be ANSI at all, although that might help considering I may well find a 11x14 fidelity holder in the future ...

I know what makes a film holder work - it must be light tight with the slide in place and out, its film plane must coincide with the GG once in place and the film must stay on this plane.

But am yet to try WPC due to not having the gear... kind of a chicken/egg thing going on as to design a holder it would be helpful having at least seen the process up close, I am taking a stab that I might be the only current practitioner here in New Zealand if I get it going - at least who also uses internet photography forums...

So what makes a WP holder work and is it possible that I make a combo frame ?

Any caveats ? Ideas ? Plans ?

thanks,
nick

Hey nick,
I've only been doing WP for a month but I think one of the main bonuses of the process is you aren't locked into ansi stds. As long as you get the plate to be in the same plane as the GG you're set. You can make the holder any way you please really (as long as it's light tight like you said). If you make the rear standard and plate holder it could be any shape and size you please because you make the plates.... course' then you have to deal with the bellows..but you see my point.
I have an old dry plate camera and just use the holders the same but for wet plate.
It would be cool to have an 11X14 for wetplate though..

The easiest way to make a plate holder is to convert a film holder. I posted pictures of one of mine in the gallery a few years ago:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

The idea of using one holder to do both film and plates is probably more trouble than it's worth.

Kerik, Did you use some type of spring steel on the back darkslide to keep the plate tight against the corners? Or was it needed at all? Robert

Kerik said:

The easiest way to make a plate holder is to convert a film holder. I posted pictures of one of mine in the gallery a few years ago:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

The idea of using one holder to do both film and plates is probably more trouble than it's worth.

Click to expand...

righto, straight from the mouth of a seasoned WPC-ographer

I'd love to have a film holder to convert to start with ((there was a url link here which no longer exists)) - but people seem quite keen to hold onto them...

I should take that as wise advice and build two for each process - a double dark and a WP holder to start with and have a think about once I get up and running ...

Still though, the thread open for discussion re. the possibility.

Nick

RobertP said:

Kerik, Did you use some type of spring steel on the back darkslide to keep the plate tight against the corners?

Click to expand...

Robert, I use a scrap strip of trophy aluminum bent into a bow shape as a retaining spring to put between the dark slide and the plate holding glass (a glass plate to put even pressure on the aluminum sheet) when I am doing aluminotypes. The same works between the dark slide and the back of the actual glass plate when doing negs or ambros. It works great. (hoping this makes sense)

Bill

The first attachment is a basic diagram for a wetplate holder sans darkslide and door. Looking at the back of the holder, the plate glass (green) is held against the (red) glass or acrylic corners by the spring on the closed door (not shown). The small squares position the rectangular glass either in a horizontal or vertical orientation in the square back. A darkside would be in a slot on the opposite side of the glass. A light baffle would be internal at the top and there might be a trough at the bottom to collect fluid running off the plate. generally, this type holder is positioned over two small guide pegs at the base and then latched in place at the top of the holder.

The other attachments diagram what I use as a "spring" to hold the glass against the focal plane in a converted film holder. Two narrow pieces of acrylic are glued together. The upper piece runs the length of the holder opening. The shorter piece contacts the glass plate only in the middle and holds it firmly against the glass once the darkslide is in place. Having the smaller central piece eliminates any contact with the glass along the edges where fluids could migrate by capillarity if the plastic strip touched the plate edge. This helps minimize the formation of oysters on the front of the plate. The size of this strip makes it easy to find in the darkbox, easy to insert into the converted film holder, and I think it holds the plates better and keeps them from slipping as often happens when pieces of metal or old milk jugs are used as springs.