[AgNO3]

You should have turned a brass body and made a cradle stand like the Voigtlander cannon camera. That would work really well with the circular plates and keep down the size.

[AgNO3]

At least clean the cover glass and rinse the plate in distilled water. Getting rid of any film or organic gunk on the plate would dramatically improve the brilliance.

If you want more information I recommend to anyone here to read The Daguerreotype by Barger and White. I dedicates a chapter to describing in great scientific detail both processes of electro cleaning.

[AgNO3]

I’m very sorry, I found the image on this web site: http://www.ryerson.ca/news/media/General_Public/20080616_rn_robinson.html

I did not attempt to pass it off as an image of my own, I only meant it as an example of the cleaning. The caption in the article says it was cleaned by electro cleaning. I should have posted the link where it came from.

I am not familiar with these forums and have not found a way to edit the older posts, that is why I double posted to clarify my post.

If one of the moderators finds it appropriate they can delete the picture or the whole post, I will write a clearer description.

I will try to find another picture of a cleaned image.

I thoroughly apologize if i wronged you.

[AgNO3]

Re reading my post it might not be completely clear. The Aluminum dish is crucial to the cleaning, what is happening is an electrochemical reaction that decomposes the silver sulfide. The treatment also has the effect of cleaning the copper back of the plate. You know it’s working if the dish smells faintly of rotting eggs after you put the plate in, that’s the sulfide being released.

The picture was not one of mine, I pulled it off the web, but I can attest that the one’s I’ve cleaned have had just as dramatic a change.

[AgNO3]

I’ve done the sodium carbonate cleaning numerous times and have never had a problem. Just find yourself a small aluminum dish or cake pan add a spoonful of washing soda (available at any supermarket near the detergents) and add warm water to cover the plate. After the soda dissolves place the plate on the bottom and gently rock the pan. depending on how strong the solution is the tarnish will slowly begin to lighten and disappear. The dust and particles should also loosen and come off. Take it out when you judge it is clean enough and wash first in tap water and then in distilled water, then dry with an alcohol lamp or cigarette lighter after carefully shaking off excess water.

[Image removed by administrator]

[AgNO3]

I bypassed all the trouble of looking for it and made distilled water myself. Took out a large glass retort I bought a while back and placed a clean bottle with a ground stopper under the neck. I just put a bunsen burner under it on low and after a hour I had a full bottle of pure H20 without any dissolved solids. If you use rainwater to distill instead of tap water it would be even cleaner.

I placed a drop on a plate and heated it until it dissapeared and it didn’t leave a spot.

[AgNO3]

This is an excerpt from a treatise on the daguerreotype by Levi Hill (yes that Levi Hill)

[AgNO3]

I took this 3 years ago at a class by Jerry Spagnoli. I got a good exposure with his guidance.
Folding Autographic Kodak

Becquerel development
Anniversary Speed Graphic/ f4.7 127mm Ektar

[AgNO3]

Took my first plate 2 years ago in a class from Jerry Spangnoli. Have meant to get the equipment for some time, but recently have jumped into it due to my discovery and restoration of a chamfered box dag camera and wooden tripod.

With help from my dad, who repairs and restores antique furniture, I have replicated all the period equipment and repaired the camera to it’s full glory.

[AgNO3]

I wanted to let you all in on a method I came up with to keep my buffs clean. I found several empty 400 foot 16mm movie cans and they are the perfect size for a wheel, and you could even cut off a good sized piece of rouge stick and keep it in the can. The cans stack together and can be taped on the edges to keep out moisture.

I’ve tried to keep all my equipment having a vintage look to it and since one of my other hobbies is collecting antique electrical devices I took one of my old 1920’s GE motors and rigged up an old looking setup. I attached an arbor directly to the shaft and mounted the motor to a cast iron pedestal stand for grinders. I used an old surface mounted snap switch the same vintage as the motor to control it, but I did upgrade the setup with a ground wire to the motor frame.

This setup has worked very well for me and it is light enough to be moved out of the garage to keep the dirt flying off from coating all the other equipment inside.

I’ve buffed my first set of plates with it and am now ready for the plater’s ” title=”Very Happy” />

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