Hi All
Never posted before but I thought this was cool. I have been out of wet plate for a while due to working on a Masters. So I am back in. Mixed up a batch of collodiom the other day. I looked through my stuff and found a batch of old red collodiom dated December 2006. I wanted something to work with without waiting so I mixed the 4 year old stuff with the new and started making some inter-positives for orotones. This stuff is great! Very good tones, great range, and very active. I cannot believe I am getting these results from a dose of this old red stuff. Don’t throw away that dead colldium, put it in the barn and give it four or five years. Comments? Similar results?
Thanks
Steve

Do you remember the formula here? what iodides and bromides, and what type of ether and alcohol?

I am certain you did not follow the advice often given of using a cork for a stopper.

Hi Ray
The collodiom was John’s Old Reliable or I guess we could say in this case Old Old Old Reliable. And yep you are right I don’t use cork stoppers. I come from a chemistry background so I use glass stoppers or in this case a black rubber lab stopper. Thanks for the reply.
Steve

What was your percentage of old to new?

i would love to hear how your orotones are working out. I have been playing with making them for a few years now and have had mixed results. what are you using for the gold backing?

Hi Bob
It was 80% new and 20% old.
Thanks
Steve

The orotones are working out pretty well. The trick seems to be the proper density. As I am sure you know, Curtis was using dry plate. I am using some antiqued gold mat for the backing. It is working but I have seen better. What are you using?
Thanks
Steve

i have been experimenting with lots of stuff for the backing. I just cant get justify using a gold mat or gold paper behind the plate when it takes so much time and effort for me to get a good plate acceptable for an orotone. I have found that I like it best if I mix some gold and bronze colored powder in a varnish or medium and paint it on to the plate. the problem is finding the right mixture of powder and medium. if i use real bronze and brass powder in a medium that has water in it (like traditional sandarac varnish) the metal will tarnish. If i use a non water medium like a polyurethane it will react to the silver in the plate and slowly destroy it.
I had to quit my experiments because of work and moving and I am just now in the process of getting a new studio up and running. I think I have some plates scanned and will post them if i can find them. what are you using for you bleach and redevelopment ?

Curtis shot in dry plate? Now I find out! That explains everything...

I’m not bleaching and redeveloping. Are you getting better results doing that? I’m just pouring the plate and making an interpositive using an enlarger. I started backing using gold paint with as you said mixed results. I got the idea of using gold paper from France Scully Osterman.
Steve

for orotones I take a negative and project it onto a clear glass ambrotype. I develop this "positive" plate normally, but follow with bleaching and intensification which now gives the shadows (as opposed to the highlights in an ambrotype - really a thin negative of course) a brown/black tint. The highlights are clear (again as opposed to an ambrotype in which the shadows are clear) and shine golden when backed by gold foil or leaf. For a stock bleaching solution 75 grams of potassium bromide is mixed with 75 grams of potassium ferricyanide in 2 liters of water. A stock intensifying solution is 45 grams of sodium sulfide mixed with 500 ml of water. The bleach bath is mixed 1:1 (with water) and the intensifying bath is mixed 1:8 (with water).

I have to give credit to Mark Osterman and France Sculley for most of my info. they have helped me for all kinds of things.

Jodyake
Thanks a million for the info. I can’t wait to give it a go as soon as I have time. I agree with you about France Scully and Mark Osterman, they have always been happy to help and advise me also. We should always try to give credit where credit is due.
Thanks again!
Steve