[jdanforth]

Beautiful! Well done. The through-dovetails are a nice touch. Is there a reason that you opted to use hardware to affix the screw plate instead of the sliding dovetail method?

[jdanforth]

I was hoping to sell a couple of my images at the Symposium. Does anyone have any suggestions for doing that? Hehe…

[jdanforth]

Sounds like it will work to me!

[jdanforth]

I’ve had about 100g in my Iodine box for several years. Tip: mix in some non-indicating silica gel with the Iodine crystals to make a nice even output across the whole surface of your box. Does that make any sense?

You can get silica gel by the pint from Talas.

I get Gold Chloride from the Photographer’s Formulary but I’m almost positive that there’s a cheaper source. I get AuCl3 from the Formulary because that’s where I get my Sodium Thiosulfate. Mmmm! Convenience!

[jdanforth]

Erick, David, Nadia, Curtis, Xose, Paul, and others! Welcome!!

Erick: are you handy at all in the wood shop? A sensitizing box doesn’t have to be very elaborate. My first Iodine box was just seven pieces of wood. I bought a Pyrex 11-cup dish (jeez, can we get Pyrex to sponsor the forum?!?), set it on the work bench, and cut wood to fit around it. Bam! Sensitizing box!

Plates are trickier. I suggest buying some from Mike Robinson or solid silver plates from Rio Grande.

[jdanforth]

That’s horrible! Very sorry to hear about that, Corey!

[jdanforth]

I’m game.

[jdanforth]

I’m interested. Not that I expect you to bend to my will but my typical time period for this kind of thing is August if that’s possible!

[jdanforth]

I built one out of 1/4″ acrylic. I’m using an 8″ inline blower mounted to the top and it seems to work pretty well. The vaneometer I bought on eBay is very useful for testing. I also got the opportunity to make some homemade smoke bombs to test it! Woot!

[jdanforth]

I have been using museum glass for a while but I’m growing to dislike it. The anti-glare coating is great if you’re framing a print but it doesn’t do much when you’re properly viewing a daguerreotype. Since you have to view them at the proper angle anyway I think that it’s kind of a waste. Furthermore I find that the coatings actually tint the image in a way I dislike.

[jdanforth]

Quote:

then douse the light and give the plate a final few seconds of exposure to iodine and load it into your holder under safelight. Other Becquerel daggers out there, is this the way?

That’s what I do.

[jdanforth]

Festus, I use coffee filters and they work fine. Recycled ones to boot. I just cut them into little squares so I don’t lose much solution to transpiration.

edit: better do what Photolytic commands you to with the finger. It’s worked fine for me for years but obviously it’s wrong. In fact, I guess you could disregard all my advice for the same reason.

[jdanforth]

Thanks for the great feedback, folks! I assembled the four walls of the hood Monday night but I’m waiting on the right fan before I install the top. I figured it would be far easier to cut the vent hole *before* assembly than after!

I’ll look at a 700CFM+ fan. I got my Dwyer vaneometer in the mail on Monday (including the hilarious old photographs of people using it!) and can’t wait to experiment. I was planning several rounds of vaneometer tests and smoke tracer tests before proceeding with any kind of actual chemical work.

[jdanforth]

Also make sure that the plate is perfectly level. I pour the solution on the plate and then use my finger to carefully draw the water along the perimeter of the plate. It’s vital that the liquid not evaporate or pour off the plate while you’re gilding.

The only advantage that the blow torch has over the alcohol lamp is speed, by the way.

This has already been mentioned but it bares repeating: filter your solution every day you’re going to use it. Months will go by where I haven’t made plates sometimes and I always filter the solution about four or five times before using it.

If you don’t filter it then you’ll get these little black spots all over the plate. I’ve heard it called Daguerreotype Measles. I think it has something to do with sulfides but I’ll leave the real answer to the scientists on the forum.

[jdanforth]

I have been talking with the French daguerreotypists about this exhibition for about three years. I wish that cdags were the embryo for it but sadly not in this case!

Having returned from France I have been reflecting (no pun intended) on what I liked the most about the experience. It was tremendous for my spirit to compare artistic and technical notes with the daguerreotypists in Bry. I would love an occasion like this every couple of years. As we’ve said before though, the Daguerreian Symposium isn’t the right venue.

[jdanforth]

Here’s a video of the Marc Kereun and the mayor’s remarks. I don’t speak French and I don’t remember if I cut the mayor off or not. It’s all I’ve got though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEqWgyHZGkw

[jdanforth]

Top Row (left to right): ?, Jerry Spagnoli, Tom Young, Ken Nelson, Marc Kereun, Jeanne-Pierre Spilbauer (mayor of Bry), Domique Genty(?), Bailun, Takashi Arai, ?, ?, Åke Hultman

Bottom Row (left to right): ?, ?, ?, ?, Jonathan Danforth, Sean Culver

Help me fill in the blanks!

[jdanforth]

Et Voilà: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34447700@N00/sets/72157622433097494

I haven’t edited them or anything but you get the idea.

[jdanforth]

I am back in the US now and am planning to post some photographs tonight.

The opening was very nice and well attended. The exposition was very interesting but the most interesting of all was the reunion of contemporary daguerreotypists. By my count there were 18 present for the opening ceremony.

Tom Young

Jonathan Danforth

Ken Nelson

Jerry Spagnoli

Sean Culver

Takashi Arai

Bailun

Dominique Genty

Åke Hultman

Marc Kereun

Pascal Rue

That’s all I can remember in my jetlagged state without the photograph in front of me. I promise to deliver more information soon!

[jdanforth]

Quote:

So the silver disk rests on the lip around the hole and the “backside” dark slide holds it in place? Or do you put some tape on the disk?

The disc rests against a very thin lip around the hole. I put a piece of cardboard between the disc and the rear darkslide that holds it in place.

[jdanforth]

I’ve been cramming dags from quarter plate to 8×10 into my big-ass 8×10 view camera. I decided to build a camera to shoot some fisheye plates. I made the box out of some baltic birch plywood that I normally use for daguerreotype cases if they’re stick-built instead of CNC-cut. The box is butt-jointed together, is mostly square, and is painted matte black on the inside. A standard 4×5 film holder slides into place for shooting and a simple ground-glass slides in for viewing.

The lensboard was made on the CNC and the lens mount (since it’s designed for a 6×6 Hassy) was made on the mill/lathe. Quite a time consuming project, really. I may paint it or veneer it. I’m thinking that a metallic Ferrari red finish would be bitchin!

The lens is a laughable but cheap Arsat 30mm circular fisheye. It will completely cover my 2.5″ diameter solid fine silver discs.

Of course I had to modify a poor, defenseless 4×5 holder to make the whole thing work so I chucked it up on the big lathe:

and bored a whole straight through the septum:

and it fits perfectly!

I haven’t shot anything with it yet since I broke the lens 😡 but I will get it repaired soon. I laser-cut and sand blasted some acrylic to use as a ground glass. 30 seconds in the sand blaster makes a DANDY ground glass! I’m not sure about the spectral sensitivity of that lens but my plan is to polish off all the coatings with some 1µ polishing paper if the first images don’t pan out!

[jdanforth]

Ken, I will be there too! My wife and I decided to go at the last minute. Sean Culver and I will be arriving on the same plane early Thursday morning. I know Jerry will be there so that makes four of us. I was hoping to have a big daguerreotypist’s dinner on Friday or Saturday night!

[jdanforth]

I sent two over:

4×5:

and

whole plate:

Maybe they’ll get there. Sent with DHL.

[jdanforth]

That’s really pretty, Alan. Ever considered tinting? I’m looking forward to trying it out whenever I can manage to get back into the studio.

Corey, I like your images quite a bit. Why is there a distinct brown/gold cast on them? The scanner?

[jdanforth]

In addition to the debatable usefulness of blue glass for daguerreian studios on the exposure, they must have curtailed a great deal of heat in the for of IR absorption. That must surely have been a benefit in those days!

[Author]

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