Is this light suitable for Gum bichromate

[Shakey]

This is a metal halide light that i found on ebay, just wondering whether it is suitable before i buy it?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/400W-METAL-HA...ryZ58145QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If anyone has any other ideas or sources for where i could find a suitable light source for under £50 then please say.

Thanks for any replies

 

[smieglitz]

Shakey,

I've used a variety of lamps for gum bichromate. I prefer the mercury lamp found in the NuArc 26-1K plateburner I now use for all alternative process prints, but other solutions are much less expensive.

I've had good results with 500W quartz halogen shop lights that can be found at large home improvement centers. In the US, these run about $10. The problem is that these lamps generate considerable heat. But, they are inexpensive and widely available. I also used a quartz halogen FEL lamp in a studio hotlight for awhile with great success.

UV blacklight fluorescent tubes are cooler, but I've had episodes of emulsion fogging with them for some inexplicable reason. As a result, I haven't used them in years. (FWIW, since I switched from UV fluorescents and ammonium dichromate to quartz lights and potassium dichromate, I have not had any episode of emulsion fogging.)

Joe