Where boxes of dry plates interleaved with paper?

Hi there, I am new to the group only recently started making plates.
I am about to make a big batch of plates to take on holiday, 25 - 50 plates. As I don't have anywhere near that amount of plate holders so Im going to put them in a cardboard box much like dry plates used to be sold in rather than a fancy wooden one with equally spaced routed slots for each plate to fit in.
Im wondering if the old plates where interleaved with a paper and if it would need to be unbuffered acid free?
Also if I should add some hardener to my finals to prevent scratching?

Then another possibly stupid question, I'm gong to have to load these plates using a dark bag (with arm sleeves) does anybody have any tips to ensuring I put the plates the right way around in the darkslides?

Thanks for any help.

Yes, the boxes of plates I've opened have had a sheet of paper between each one. The backs also had an anti-halation coating which is fairly crude and feels a bit rough (well not smooth) compared to the emulsion side so feels quite different.

You can pack them in boxes, emulsion side up, that way you'll know which is the emulsion side.

Welcome after 6 years of lurking

Ian

How exactly are you planning to handle your boxes of plates, and what kind of box design are you aiming for? Carefully loading them with the same side up in a box with an obvious direction marker you can feel with your fingers seems like the easiest way, as it does not require changing anything about the plates themselves.

Also don't forget about how you will deal with your spent plates while 'in the field'. One of those "Minor details" that is easily overlooked while you're getting ready to head out, but becomes far more obvious while you're sitting there with all the slots of your storage box filled and all your plate holders filled as well. - Having extra boxes on hand to store more plates than you have in total may be a good idea. Prevents having to carefully track of which slots in a plate-box are exposures and which are pending.

Not to mention the fun and exciting question of picking up a box of plates and asking yourself "Are these the half dozen I have left to use, or do all of these have an exposure on them already?

wirral_matt said:

Im wondering if the old plates where interleaved with a paper

Click to expand...

I have a few boxes of Ilford ¼-plate from the 1940s & '50s, and they are packed in pairs emulsion-to-emulsion, and each pair wrapped in opaque paper.

Thanks Ian! I did find an old plate and like you say it has a weird coating on the back, purple ish but feels like a cross between a dyed emulsion or a paper. Loading them all in the box the right way, Why didnt I think of that!! I was trying to think of complicated marking methods with a hanging tape tag on the back etc. Yes, I've been a member a long time! Luckily all 6 where not spent trying to make successful Gelatin Dry plates, only the last 1 year!

Luckless, I think you may of saved my life as I had just ordered 1 box.... and now I've realised I actually do need 2! My holiday photos might of been a nightmare. I have a 5x7 cardboard black box thats fairly deep. I was going to wrap my plates in a 10x8 mail bag and them put them in the box (similar design box as large format film boxe) Ive not tried if everything fits in just yet. Ive a couple of weeks for fine tuning! It sounds like you have learnt this from experience.

If you plan on using a paper interleaf between each one be sure to use a paper that is photographically inert.

pdeeh said:

I have a few boxes of Ilford ¼-plate from the 1940s & '50s, and they are packed in pairs emulsion-to-emulsion, and each pair wrapped in opaque paper.

Click to expand...

Thanks! That could of been quite a neat solution. I do have MPP 5x4 holders which should get 2 plates in each but my glass is a tiny bit too thick so I can only get 1 plate in safely. If i could get thinner glass having 2 plates wrapped neatly in lightproof paper would be ideal.

whenever i pack my plates i pack them with waxed paper inbetween/
i'm not storing them for long, just long enough for me to mule
load, shoot, mule back, un-load process.
nothing sticks to waxed paper. and from what i remember it was invented by
gustov le grey
https://archive.org/details/photographicmani00legr

have fun!
john

I have some empty 4x5 sheet film boxes that I use for storing extra plates. I separate the plates, stacked emulsion side up, with a plain sheet of paper between to avoid scratching the emulsion when I put a plate in or take them out.


Older boxes I've seen were packed like pdeeh indicates, but I would be hesitant to do that with hand-coated plates (more flaws in the hand-coated surface = more chances of scratching the delicate emulsion)