Mounting sensitized plates in a camera

[Andy Stockton]

My gilding stand is complete.

http://www.thedaguerreotypist.com/tdg1/wordpress/2009/01/18/gilding-stand/

Next stop – figure out how to mount sensitized plates in my 8×10 camera. Is anyone willing to share ideas about mounting plates in-camera? I have 8×10 film holders and a few vague ideas, but sure could use some suggestions. I suppose there is no “best way” but any ideas would be appreciated.

I’m starting with sixth plate.

[Jon Lewis]

What I have been doing and it seems to work okay is to use double stick tape and tape the plate to the film holder. I have seen on a few collodion sites some instructions on how to turn your film holder into a plate holder but I can’t seem to find them at the moment. You can get plate holders off ebay but they’re not always standard sizes. I got some plate holders for my quarter plates and they fit in there well but the plate holder doesn’t actually fit in my camera.

[Jon Lewis]

What I have been doing and it seems to work okay is to use double stick tape and tape the plate to the film holder. I have seen on a few collodion sites some instructions on how to turn your film holder into a plate holder but I can’t seem to find them at the moment. You can get plate holders off ebay but they’re not always standard sizes. I got some plate holders for my quarter plates and they fit in there well but the plate holder doesn’t actually fit in my camera.

[CasedImage]

Attached are some images of my darkslides. Recently I made a format reducer to shoot ninth plate in my sixth plate camera. It was a quick fix job as I was shooting on that day. You can see its just a insert of card with a window the size of ninth plate. A thin backing to that with a smaller window opening gives a shelf for the plate to sit on. I would avoid using tape inside the darkslide as residue can find its way on to the plate surface in processing, also its best to keep handling to a minimum.

The back of my sixth plate darkslide has a brass tongue that holds the plate flat in the film plane. In my larger format camera that wasn’t good enough I use thin clad plates that get warped in their production. To keep them flat I put a sheet of acrylic behind them which fortunatley works well with the depth of the plate holder. I mention the tongue and plate as with holders that are made for glass plates, the depth is an issue to be resolved and I find these solutions work for me.

www.CasedImage.com

[CasedImage]

Attached are some images of my darkslides. Recently I made a format reducer to shoot ninth plate in my sixth plate camera. It was a quick fix job as I was shooting on that day. You can see its just a insert of card with a window the size of ninth plate. A thin backing to that with a smaller window opening gives a shelf for the plate to sit on. I would avoid using tape inside the darkslide as residue can find its way on to the plate surface in processing, also its best to keep handling to a minimum.

The back of my sixth plate darkslide has a brass tongue that holds the plate flat in the film plane. In my larger format camera that wasn’t good enough I use thin clad plates that get warped in their production. To keep them flat I put a sheet of acrylic behind them which fortunatley works well with the depth of the plate holder. I mention the tongue and plate as with holders that are made for glass plates, the depth is an issue to be resolved and I find these solutions work for me.

www.CasedImage.com

[Andy Stockton]

New ideas are flowing already! Thanks for the suggestions. Anyone else? I know there must be a number of approaches.

[drdag]

As you may know I use 5X4 plates, I use ordinary 5×4 film holders, and put about 1 inch of double sided tape right in the middle to stop any darkslide/silver meetings. If you use too much then it is difficult to get off.

[Andy Stockton]

I noticed yesterday that 3M (Scotch brand in USA) now has a “removable” double sided tape. I tried some and it seems to cling well, but lets go easier than the original stuff. It didn’t seem to leave any residue, although I didn’t leave it in place for any extended lenght of time.

Does the tape in the middle of the 5×4 stick even though you can’t press down on the middle of the sensitized plate?

[drdag]

I VERY gently push it with a clean bit of velvet, Also my plates are very flat so need little encouragement to stick.

[Andy Stockton]

Thanks for the clarification. Since I’m still working from theory and not practice, I had jumped to the conclusion that the sensitized plates were as fragile as I had heard the developed image was. Apparently they are at least marginally tougher.

[photolytic]

I’ve been using Scotch double sided, removable, “Poster Tape” (cat 109) for years.

A 1 inch piece at the corner of each plate will hold the plate firmly to a Plexiglas or glass surface firmly during hand buffing operations, thus eliminating the need for clamps. It will also stick to plate holders, without pressure, so it should be removed beforehand if you use double-sided holders in your camera.

[drdag]

sorry I should have said, I sensitize the plates when they are in the holder.I wouldnt recommend

touching plates at all once iodized.

[Andy Stockton]

Back to planning on treating iodized plates as untouchable. Thanks for the clarification.

Re the tape – I couldn’t find a poster tape or cat 109 on the 3M site. The double sided removable I ran across is at this URL:

Tape

[CasedImage]

In the galleries section there is a page for plate handling. I find the power grip is invaluable for transferring a plate over sensitising boxes and mercury pot, without touching the plate at all.

www.CasedImage.com

[Andy Stockton]

I haven’t yet found a retail supplier for that item. I did a brief search and haven’t had a chance to look deeper. It looked like a good tool to me when I saw the photo in the galleries section.

[CasedImage]

there’s a link on the gallery page, oops maybe I didn’t make it clear

http://www.powrgrip.com/cgi-bin/powrgrip/PU0950.html

www.CasedImage.com

[Andy Stockton]

Yes, but unless I am mistaken Powrgrip seem to be a wholesaler only. So far in drilling down on their site I have only found other wholesalers or retailers that don’t seem to have that specific product. I’m sure it’s there, I just haven’t looked hard enough. When I find a retailer I will post that for everyone.

[Jon Lewis]

This seems to be one: http://www.mytoolstore.com/woods/pickup.html

[Andy Stockton]

You will have to ask for a commission, an order is on its’ way.  🙂

 

[photolytic]

You can find the Scotch Poster tape, catalog 109 and all, at Hillas packaging

http://www.hillas.com/Products/3M_Other_Packaging_Products/3M_109_3_4X150.asp

[Andy Stockton]

Thanks. I will get some to try. I wonder if there is any difference between the two products or just two ways of marketing the same thing? I will make a report back when I have them both in hand.

[photolytic]

Note that Tape 667 has “no messy liner to remove” so it tends to stick to your hand if you press it to the plate, whereas the Poster tape has a protective white paper on one side which is not messy and allows you to press the tape firmly in place before the paper is removed.

It is advisable to press the tape in place before initiating any buffing operation. If you do not, the plate is likely to move when vigorous hand buffing is applied, and particularly when buffing with Random orbital buffing machines. Additional hand pressure is still needed when buffing with high speed rotary machines. I grip the plate in a simple J-shaped piece of corrugated cardboard lined with a folded piece of soft tissue paper for this operation.

[70’s Dager]

Hi all, I have worked with several formats and have found that the film pack holder works great with a filler; I would put the plate face down in the holder, then the filler on top of it, then close the back to the film pack. The back pannel on the film pack adapter has springs to hold the film pack in place, so when a filler is used to make up the space between the Dag plate and the spring back, it also makes a good dark backing as well as holding the plate in place. It’s quick and easy, and works OK with wet-plate as well.

Film pack adapters were made in several different sizes, 6X9, 3 1/4X4 1/4, 4X5, and 5X7; the 5X7 holders are hard to find, but they did make a few and I want one!

If you want more detailed info, please contact me and I’ll do my best to make more clear my suggestion with photos.

Walter Johnson

[Andy Stockton]

Photolytic – thanks for the extra info. The liner on the poster tape sounds like a definite plus. I will give some a try.

70’s dager – I hadn’t thought of film packs. Thanks. I will keep my eyes open at the next trade show. I am currently coming up with something to fit a B&H Grover 8×10 which is presently my only large format camera. Your description is clear BTW – if I manage to get a smaller format unit it though sounds like it might be the way to go.

[Jon Lewis]

Recently I converted a 4×5 holder into a quarter plate holder. What I did was cut out a rectangle, slightly larger than the plate, from the diaphragm that separates the two sides of the film holder. I then sanded the edges of the hole and wrapped gaffers tape around each side. Next I cut small triangles of 4-ply mat board and glued them to the corners of one side. These corners help keep the plate at the focal plane of the camera. The plate is loaded in one side and exposed on the other. I used a folded bit of paper towel between the back of the plate and the back dark slide to help keep the plate in position and in the focal plane. It’s not pretty but it seems to work and it’s fairly easy to do.

 

 

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[Author]

Posts