Mixing Developer and Fixer for the Wet Plate Process - (Part 3)

[@backtotheroots1409]

This is a great instructional series. Thank you for making all this info available!

[@davidkelsey2864]

Wow, what great resource for anyone contemplating collodion. Thanks for all the hard work making these available.

[@johnstewart8134]

2 processes i want to do in the near future are wet plate and carbon transfer. Cyanide and the dichromates are what have always made me hesitant. Having seen some alternatives to dichromates and having worked with it a bit have made me more understanding of the concerns. The cyanide is where i said no, just not comfortable. So no wet plate but then saw this video after reading some articles on using thiosulfate as alternative and adjusting certain methods. Thank You for these videos.

[@black-and-light]

Really great! Very very helpful. Thank you very much!

[@Taj3d]

Thanks for making these videos. Excellent tutorials!

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you! And thank you for commenting! I'm glad you like them.

[@six4two1]

Keep the links to these three videos in your favorites list. Handy reference to review over a cup off coffee to help keep your process consistent.

[@videophreak123]

Excellent info. I’d like to try this process someday.

[@wahoo056]

Could you seal the plates with clear epoxy?

[@BillSchwab]

I've not tried that, but I don't see why not. I've used an acrylic clled Soluvar and it works fine. However, you only get one shot.

[@wahoo056]

@@BillSchwab Just thinking about this idea, applying the epoxy, and briefly curing the plate in a vacuum to remove bubbles to get a clear seal and perfect coating. I'm not a photographer but just inquiring.

[@charlenedizac2848]

Thank you for your video, I really appreciate watching you as I am new in this process ! Just a question, when you say that you have to wash it for 10min or even 40min, are you talking about running water on them for a solid 10min ? You put your plate under a tap ? Or you just let it sit in water for that time ? How do you do that ?

[@stuartflipflops]

Another informative video for rookies in WP like myself. Thanks. PS I don't see any show notes as with other videos. Also, any chance to actually have the chemicals and the quantity used in an order in a PDF...?

[@BillSchwab]

Thanks for the kind comments. Also the reminder to put the notes in. They are there now along with the formula. As for a PDF, I’ve considered this for the future. Adding in download links. Once I have the series completed, I’ll consider this. Thank you again!

[@melsaltimages]

Hey Bill! Thanks for the video. You have helped me out a lot. I was wondering if it was possible to use a 151proof alcohol. I can only find 151 proof around my area. Maybe i could just add a little more to the solution? Thank you again.

[@BillSchwab]

Great!! Unfortunately, you’ll need the 190 proof stuff.

[@melsaltimages]

@@BillSchwab thank you so much for clarifying! Now I can do it right haha

[@JohnnyReb]

Going to be making my own developer soon.

[@caseyc8097]

where would one get an entry level camera?

[@BillSchwab]

eBay is a great place to look for cameras.

[@BySmedegaard]

Hi and thank you for showing how to mix the different chemicals used. I can't find the recipe of the Fix in the description ;-) and I have a question regarding the Everclear alcohol, how many % is it? we don't have this brand where I live :-)

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Katrine, my recipe for fix Is about a 50% solution of sodium thiosulfate. You can also use KODAK rapid fix in a pinch. A lot of people use a 3% solution of potassium cyanide, but I do not recommend this as it is deadly to those who use it incorrectly. As for the alcohol, it needs to be 190 proof or 95% “Everclear“ is a brand of grain alcohol that is 95%.Hope this helps!

[@BySmedegaard]

@@BillSchwab Hi Thank you that helped :-) I have just bought my first plate camera, and will receive it during this week. But I think I have to restore it a bit before I can take my first picture. Keep up the great work you are doing with all your great videos :-)

[@BillSchwab]

@@BySmedegaard Thank you so much! I will definitely keep it up and add more things as needed. It’s warming up here, so I will be getting my wet plate trailer dark room out and about soon, so please stay tuned and keep me posted on your progress. Good luck with the new camera! Exciting!

[@BySmedegaard]

@@BillSchwab yes warming up here as well :-) hoping that I will get the camera working soon :-) I have an idea to a future video, if you haven't already made the video. Could you explain what type of camera lenses to use for the plate camera? One of the lenses has this inscription 1:4,5 f=13,5 cm. Is this used for portrait or landscape photos? This could be interesting to get an introduction to :-)

[@BillSchwab]

@@BySmedegaard That’s a great idea. Thanks for the suggestion. I’ll put it in my queue.

[@gerryyaum]

Bill, do you use ACETIC Acid or GLACIAL ACETIC Acid? As you know they are not the same thing, different dilutions, just like vinegar and pickling vinegar. I have both Glacial Acetic Acid and Acetic acid as well as Vinegar, it gets kinda confusing figuring out how much of which to use. My books recommend Glacial Acetic.

[@BillSchwab]

Hi Gary. Yes… Glacial acetic is what you want.

[@JonathanCampDesigner]

In the UK. We cannot get grain alcohol- what can we use instead?

[@BillSchwab]

Is it possible to get denaturalized alcohol at the hardware store? It has a bad smell, but it will work.

[@JonathanCampDesigner]

@ is that the stuff we call “Methylated Spirits” over here?

[@BillSchwab]

@ that’s the stuff.

[@BillSchwab]

@@JonathanCampDesigner I do know of other wet platers in the UK and I’m not sure what they use? Maybe if one of them is following along, they could chime in?

[@JonathanCampDesigner]

@ Thanks Bill.

[@backtotheroots1409]

What would you say is happening when you mix up the water and the sodium thiosulfate and it is not clear ? It’s cloudy looking 😢

[@BillSchwab]

Offhand, some things that might be happening, could be that the solution is saturated enough already, and that no more can be dissolved into it. More likely might be a water issue. My suggestion would be to try to mix it into some distilled water rather than tap water And see what happens. You could also try filtering what you have mixed already through a coffee filter and see if that helps.

[@Normanskie]

Do not normally like to comment when the video is not new, but, excellent 5*****'s

[@BillSchwab]

Thank you!!! Much appreciated

[@jin9311]

Did the developer who made it filter with cotton or cloth?

[@BillSchwab]

I use simple coffee filters to filter out my solutions. Sometimes I double them up as well. Good luck!

[@TheSoulOfGenius]

Now I know why my plates are fogging… thank you.

[@jin9311]

Hello. I am a South Korean subscriber. I made a developer using ferrous sulfate, 99% acetic acid and 96% ethanol. Is it correct to use 99% acetic acid? And if you add white sugar, can you stop the plate fog?

[@BillSchwab]

Yes. That should be fine. I’m concerned about the ethanol, but as long as you’ve had no problems, it should be OK. I like to use pure grain alcohol at 190 proof. You can buy denatured alcohol at that strength, but the chemical they put in to the naturalize it makes it smell bad to some.