How do you preserve your dags against oxidation?

[titisteph]

Hello,

I still didn’t find an effective way for sealing my dags into my cases, in order to preserve them against oxygen and pollution.
I’m desesperate to discover, after a few months, some brown stains all over the edges of my plates.

Do you have a way (not too complicate!) to seal your dags perfectly?

Thank you so much!

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[titisteph]

I explain my “bad” process. Please, hep me to find where I’m wrong!

First, I use a neutral cardboard with a hole in order to see it. I protect this behind a glass.
Then, I use a”hot glue gun” like this :

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[titisteph]

I fix the plate to the cardboard with the hot glue gun.
Then, I fix the cardboard to the glass by putting some hot glue all over the edges of the glass/cardboard. It’s difficult, but I think it’s a perfect way not to let the air reaching the plate.

After that, I add some Filmoplats P90 tape all over the edges.

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[titisteph]

Here is the back.

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[titisteph]

Next step : I add an aluminium foil sticked with P90, in order to protect all the back against air.

And the result, despite all that work, oxidation comes after only 3 to 6 months!

What’s wrong?

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[titisteph]

titisteph wrote:

I explain my “bad” process. Please, hep me to find where I’m wrong!

First, I use a neutral cardboard with a hole in order to see the plate. I protect this behind a glass.
Then, I use a”hot glue gun” like this :

[titisteph]

error

[greg7mdp]

Hi, I think your sealing method is a little complicated, but my main worry is the mat (passe-partout, that you call cardboard) you use. You say it is neutral. I assume you mean “buffered”.

Buffered mat contain calcium carbonate. This can be very bad for dags (see https://books.google.com/books?id=FLTyvuWX6MMC&pg=PA173&dq=daguerreotype+buffered+mat&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAGoVChMIneea9tj0xgIVBDaICh11cQJe#v=onepage&q=daguerreotype%20buffered%20mat&f=false).

You must used unbuffered mats (passe-partout musée sans reserve alcaline).

Bon courage!

[titisteph]

Thank you for your help!
I didn’t expect my mat (passe-partout) may be guilty!
I did a little research on Internet about unbuffered mats : it’s extremely expensive (sometimes 450 Euros/$ for one large sheet!!) and rare. And there is a poor choice of colors (only white or cream).

I’m disappointed and sad…

But I wonder if mat is the only one responsible : I stored several plates preserved with my method into a plastic bag, and I noticed none oxidation.

Is it possible for you to explain how do you proceed? What is your method?

[greg7mdp]

Well, I don’t know about France but it is not that expensive in the US. Here are 10 sheets, each enough for 4 whole plates: unbuffered mat

If the plates stored in the plastic bag are fine, then it means that the sealing you are doing is not effecive and oxygen is going through to the plate.

[titisteph]

Thank you for your answer! I’m goint to purchase that kind of board. Hope it’ll solve my trouble.

Is anybody can explain his own method for sealing his plates? I still didn’t find any good explanation about that.

Everybody speak about polishing, iodine, etc. But it’s very difficult to find good (easy to use!) informations about sealing.

Thank you!

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