Inexpensive source for blank glass plate

[dwross]

I agree about using the old cameras. My favorite was in WWI France and I wouldn't think of retiring her to a cabinet.

I don't know much about British cameras. Need to learn more. If I ever make it over to the UK, is there a museum dedicated to cameras? (fingers crossed!)

 

[Ian Grant]

I agree about using the old cameras. My favorite was in WWI France and I wouldn't think of retiring her to a cabinet.

I don't know much about British cameras. Need to learn more. If I ever make it over to the UK, is there a museum dedicated to cameras? (fingers crossed!)

When the RPS had it's headquarters and Gallery in Bath there was a good collection of cameras. I've not been to Bradford for years but the then Museum of Photography Film & Television had a good display. It's definitely worth visiting Lacock Abbey where Fox Talbot lived and worked but it's only a smallish museum. I went about 4 or 5 years ago when delivering a large TP roller blind shutter to a girl in the next village.

If you want to come to the UK I'm sure we can point you in the right directions

Ian

 

[dwross]

...
If you want to come to the UK I'm sure we can point you in the right directions

Ian

Now that sounds like motivation to buy an airplane ticket!

 

[wildbillbugman]

Not only do I prefer old cameras, I like large format pinhole cameras. People , at large, have no idea how sharp a negative can be made with a pinhole.
Despite the current trend to have hole drilled by lasers, the best pinholes are made with very small files and the pinhole image projected on a screen.

 

[paul_c5x4]

One problem, at least here in Europe, is that the minimum thickness of glass sold to the public is 2mm and it has to be thicker still for green-houses. So the local glass suppliers never have anything thinner.

1.5mm and thinner glass is more specialist and needs to be bought from companies like Edmunds Optical.

Glass used for medical slides can be obtained in a variety of sizes and thicknesses - Search for large format slides for Neuroscience and you should find a number of sources. In the UK, I have found Chance Glass to be very helpful when I needed some 1.2mm thick sheets cut to 5x4.

 

[Ian Grant]

Glass used for medical slides can be obtained in a variety of sizes and thicknesses - Search for large format slides for Neuroscience and you should find a number of sources. In the UK, I have found Chance Glass to be very helpful when I needed some 1.2mm thick sheets cut to 5x4.

I had an account with Schott who are another supplier. I think my frame-maker in the 90's bought their glass from Chance Glass and it came ready cut to size and was far more economic than the frame makers cutting it themselves, I paid the actual price with no mark-up.

At the moment I have enough thin glass and no plans to coat my own plates, although I have the materials to make my own emulsions

Ian

 

[Nodda Duma]

Ian you just reminded me of gorilla glass which might be a viable option if one is worried about fragility of thin glass plates.

 

[Ian Grant]

I think you'll find some of the thin glass is borosilicate, similar to pyrex because normal glass is too fragile. Maybe that's what they sell as gorilla glass.

From experience the glass used for plates and older focus screens is brittle and just knocking a camera accidentally could crack a screen.

Ian

 

[Photo Engineer]

Gorilla Glass is Alkali Aluminosilicate. Basically, it is Transparent Aluminum but Paramount has the Copyright on that name.

PE

 

[removed account4]

i can't imagine spending that kind of money ( i am guessing scientific glass is $$ )
or super thin glass for dry plates, or even as glass to enlarge on ... ive never had
good luck with super thin glass, it breaks if you look at it wrong ...

 

[Photo Engineer]

Mark Osterman at GEH, buys 8x10 glass in bulk at the local glass supply house which is near GEH. He has a jig that allows rapid and precise cuts to get 4 4x5 plates from each sheet. I'm sure he would share this here or on his FB page if you ask.

PE

 

[Whiteymorange]

Nodda Duma, come to Photographica and I'll give you a lot of old photo plates. Clean them up and recoat.

 

[bdial]

I would be willing to relay them, if you can't make it.

 

[Nodda Duma]

Nodda Duma, come to Photographica and I'll give you a lot of old photo plates. Clean them up and recoat.

Thank you, that is very generous. I do plan on going, hopefully Saturday. Would love to meet some of you folks. I'll plan on wearing my tan Arkansas Razorbacks hat with my avatar pic on it so if you see me say hi.

Thanks bdial also for the offer. I'll let you know if I can't make it.

 

[dwross]

I hope you post updates on your glass plates and emulsion making adventures!

 

[Nodda Duma]

I will!

 

[Nodda Duma]

Nodda Duma, come to Photographica and I'll give you a lot of old photo plates. Clean them up and recoat.

I'll be there! Saturday morning time-frame. I'll wear my tan baseball cap with the Razorbacks logo (my avatar). Tall with glasses and I'll probably have my boy (6 yrs old) with me. Or one of my slightly older daughters. So stop me and say hi

 

[Nodda Duma]

I hope you post updates on your glass plates and emulsion making adventures!

This is what a stack of 60 freshly-cut 4"x5" plates looks like!

I scored (pun intended) 40 12"x12"x0.050" sheets of borosilicate glass for about $1 a sheet. That has covered my last two coating runs plus this next batch. The 0.050" thickness is perfect. I get 6 4"x5" plates per sheet, or 5 5"x7" plates per sheet.

I have been posting scans of plates or prints from plates in the galleries.

 

[brazile]

That's a great price. And you know you can reuse the ones that don't turn out well, right?

Robert

 

[Nodda Duma]

That's a great price. And you know you can reuse the ones that don't turn out well, right?

Robert

Absolutely! I have LOTS of experience reusing plates that didn't turn out well

 

[brazile]

Oh, so do I!

Robert