Strange tar like goo?? Waddizit? 11X14 Century.

[jimgalli]

Spent all weekend working on a lovely 11X14 Century and was repaid with 2 fine prints from the first 2 negs! 2 for 2, I should quit while I'm ahead. Anyways, the old girl came with 4 wooden holders all in various states of repair and dis-, but one of them when I opened it up, was full of this tar like goop. There were masking tape lines and inside the lines (actually everywhere including the film channels) was this tar like goo. Try to imagine someone putting gummy tar inside a film holder! Any ideas of ancient processes that would use anything like I'm describing. Thankfully, it was just one side of one holder that was tarry. The verso on that same holder was pin clean!

 

[removed account4]

hi jim -

i am more clueless than you, but from what i remember tintypes require a thin piece of iron plate that has been baked in tar.

i might be wrong though

-john

 

[Aggie]

John has it right. The tin types have asphaltum baked onto them. But it could also be residue from someone trying to do wet plate photography long ago. That stuff sets up. but little bits of it will run until processed. If it has benn sitting for a long time, it may be that the chemicals turned to a tar like goo.

 

[jimgalli]

Thanks for the ideas. BTW I've just posted 2 images made with this camera and the warehouse one I'm proud to say was made in the tarry side of the film holder after 4 hours of cleaning and a re-paint.

 

[pgomena]

The tarry goop may have been a piece of old nitrate film that deteriorated in the holder, if the holders are that old.

Pete Gomena

 

[Steve Hamley]

That's the sticky tar they used to keep the film from sagging....

Steve

 

[jimgalli]

Whatever it was, it was way nasty and took about 4 hours to clean. Shear determination...........and some good tunes! My hands are still sore 2 days later.

 

[Struan Gray]

Was it a film holder or a plate holder? If the latter, I've seen some very gummy pieces of sheet foam in plate holders, presumably there to push a film septum against the front of the plate rails. The light traps in one of my MF backs also ended up in an almost liquid state.

For me, the best solvent is pure auto gas or Coleman fuel. Naptha for really stubborn stains. It dissolves foam gunk and decayed rubber beautifully, without affecting most laquers and varnishe.