Scientific American Supplement, No. 467, December 13, 1884Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 467, December 13, 1884
Various
Science -- Periodicals
3. I found that if the emulsion be rubbed (so to speak) on to the glass
there is much less chance of frilling, etc., than if it were poured
on. I think it is because in the former case the gelatine is in firmer
contact with the glass. When the gelatine is poured on to the plate
the cold glass instantly chills it, and by the time the emulsion has
reached the edges of the plate it has so far set as to have partially
lost its power of adhesion to the smooth surface of the glass.
[Illustration: Fig. 1.--Showing melted emulsion in coater ready for
coating.]
Two or three years ago, when it was the practice to warm the plates
before coating, I found from a series of experiments I then made that
when a plate was warmed before being coated the emulsion commenced
setting on the surface of the film, and of course in setting
contracted, thereby leaving a partial vacuum between the film and the
glass. On development frilling was the consequence. I found, however,
that, when pouring the same emulsion on cold glass, on the portion
of the plate where it was poured on, the film instantly chilled and
commenced to contract on to the glass, and it never frilled there; but
toward the edges of the plate, as the emulsion had commenced to chill
before they were covered, the film was not in such perfect contact with
the glass. Any person can try the experiment by first coating a plate
in the ordinary way, and on the second plate just pour a small pool
of emulsion on the center; let both dry, and he will then see after
exposure which frills the easier on development.
[Illustration: Fig. 2.--Showing emulsion flowing through the slit on to
the glass.]
After a series of experiments I found that by brushing a substratum of
emulsion on to the cold plate (with a brush made by binding a strip
of wash-leather at the end of a strip of glass), and then pouring the
full quantity of emulsion on to the substratum (for quarter-plates I
used a small silver teaspoon, which held sufficient to cover that size
of plate), I found I could coat plates far better and quicker and as
easily as when coating with collodion, and I got over the difficulties
of having frilling plates.
When only a few small plates are required--such as for experimental
purposes--I believe this method is as quick and good as any; but when
several dozen plates are wanted, any plan of coating them separately
takes a long time. With my plate-coater I can coat a dozen plates in
about the time I formerly took to coat one. When coating a number, I
thought it would be best to lay them in rows on the leveling-shelves
and draw the receptacle containing the emulsion over them, rather than
keep the latter a fixture and run the plates under it either on an
endless band or sliding shelves; because by the first mode the plates
can be fixed close together, and the emulsion is less likely to get
between them.
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