Multiple coats of gelatin sizing?

[Colin Graham]

I'm starting into carbon printing and wondering about the best way to do this. Is it better to soak & squeegee the paper to a flat substrate before each brush coat, or just the first; or just brush the solution on dry paper altogether? I tried a few different methods yesterday with lackluster results. This is with a 4% gelatin solution and varying amounts of 40% glyoxal- from a few drops to 1 ml per 100ml of gelatin solution, so I could use some help buttoning down the glyoxal amounts as well. Many thanks.

 

[Colin Graham]

I think I've sorted it out. Problem was too weak a hardening solution.

 

[Vaughn]

You might want to check this info out...

http://bostick-sullivan.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=226

Good luck!

Vaughn

PS...fortunately I like the look of transfering to fixed out photo paper and don't have to deal with this!

 

[Colin Graham]

Thanks Vaughn, I was trying to access the B&S forum all day yesterday. There seems to be a broken link to it on the B&S homepage. But that's just what I needed.

I thought sizing was going to be much worse that it was....Ok, except for the part when the first sizing coat slid off in to the tempering bath, that sucked pretty spectacularly.

 

[Vaughn]

I thought sizing was going to be much worse that it was....Ok, except for the part when the first sizing coat slid off in to the tempering bath, that sucked pretty spectacularly.

Yeah, that does suck -- I could almost hear it from here...

I just fixed out 26 pieces of 10x14 photopaper for carbon printing...not exactly a fun job either. Why 10x14? I cut up a bunch of old Arista (Ilford Gallery) grade 2 16x20 paper...and I like to be able to use 12x16 trays with a little room. Should work fine as a final support for 4x10 and 8x10 carbons. I made the tissue a few days ago.

And they are washing right now, so next I am going to prepare a bunch of sheets of Weston Parchment and perhaps some Crane's Platiniotype for making salt prints. I have a liter of salt-sizing ready to go (8g gelatin, 18g Sodium citrate, 20g Ammonium chloride, in 1 liter water).

I have a portrait each of my boys (3) on 8x10 X-ray film I want to print in salted paper. So time to get busy...

Vaughn