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Some DIY plate equipment

alexhill

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May 22, 2010
Messages
174
Location
New Hampshir
Format
4x5 Format
I had to make some of the required equipment for coating dry plate emulsions. To help anyone else who might take up an interest, I wrote two instructables on how I made my leveling table and plate rack

I am quite satisfied with the results from both.
 
Coating Plates In The Dark

On the subject of equipment, I have constructed some glass and Super Glue frames for coating of glass plates in total darkness. I can position the plates by "feel", then just move the coating rod in one direction. See Attachments.
Bill
 

Attachments

  • FRAME 1 copy.jpg
    638.5 KB · Views: 202
  • frame 2 copy.jpg
    596.4 KB · Views: 198
Bill -

I can't get your images to open. Any one else have that problem?

As for myself, I bought some electrophoresis plate racks off ebay for $5 each that work pretty well.

Kirk
 
I have a coating surface that is 20x24" in size so that I can (and have) coated up to 16x20 paper sheets.

When doing plates or film, I simply use a smaller coating blade which is 4" wide and with an undercut that is the width of the glass + the desired coating height which is usually 5 - 7 mils.

This is shown in the sticky slide show in this forum. I tried to upload some photos, but got a "Security Token Missing" and when I tried to report this problem, I got an "Invalid path specified for message". Not my day.

PE
 
Ian Grant said:
They load after a few seconds on my laptop.

Alex is there another way to download your PDF's ? That sites not simple.

Ian
Click to expand...


http://www.instructables.com/pdf/Ma...ack/Make-A-Wooden-Photographic-Plate-Rack.pdf
http://www.instructables.com/pdf/Le.../Leveling-Table-for-Dry-Plate-Photography.pdf

Hopefully those links will take you directly to the pdf's for each file.

PE, I've been flipping between wanting a coating blade to make up for my miserable skill and being determined to practice until I get it. Of course once I get some consistency, I will probably want a blade anyways because darkroom toys are fun
 

Use a puddle pusher with scotch tape to lift it. The tape is 2.5 mils so 2 turns gves you 5 mil undercut. Ride the pusher on two plates on each side of the plate you intend to coat, just as Bill shows above.

OTOH, you can pour plates as most do today. I am awful doing this and as Mark Osterman has said, "you have not mastered this because the emulsion is dripping off your elbow".

So, I use a blade.

PE
 
Hi All,
The reason I posted this is that I am coating in TOTAL darkness. I usually pour-coat ortho emulsions. But I cannot imagine pour-coating without some light. But I suppose that was what was done with the first commercial panchro emulsions. Of course, what helps one person may hinder another. I have found that the frames that I have made minimize bungling around in the dark. Also, taking ten slow,deep breaths between movements helps.
Bill
 
To All,
I first started working with glass frames as a result of Denise Ross's description on her website " Thelightfarm.com". The only thing that I he added are the "Guides" on both sides of the puddle pusher.
Bill
 
The purpose of what I have labeled as "guides" in my diagrams is to hold the Puddle Pusher to one path. All sheets of glass are glued down and do not slide.
Bill
 
Ian Grant said:
Alex, you have to be a Pro member to access the PDF's so that's not an option. Many of us make information freely available.

Ian
Click to expand...

Oh. Thats stupid. I'm sorry for that. It lets me download the pdfs so i'll post them on my google docs. If someone could mirror them I wouldn't mind in the least. The information is under this creative commons license. Not that I actually care what happens with it

Plate rack
Leveling table
 
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