Many of you who are either interested in trying out dry plates or are in the process of trying out dry plates probably soon realize that certain accessories are either required or very useful when working with this process. One of the really handy accessories to have is a plate drying rack. After you've ooh'ed and ahh'ed a plate fresh out its rinse bath, the next step is to let the emulsion dry. I've always recommended setting the plate vertical, but you quickly realize that leaning the plates ad hoc against something on the countertop is a risky venture. Enter the plate drying rack. They are such a handy and convenient dry plate photography tool. Plate drying racks have been around almost as long as photography itself, but oddly enough antique racks are very difficult to find. So, you either have to fork over half-a-fortune if you do come across one, adapt something for the job, or make your own. In an effort to help you out in your dry plate photography ventures, I'm going to start offering useful dry plate accessories for sale through my Etsy shop. Made by Greg Fealey of Cold Creek Wood Products, these wooden plate drying racks are great for holding 9x12, 4x5, and larger plates while they dry after being developed. Made of oak and with a water-resistant finish, they are solid performers that will hold up for many years. Feel free to check out the listing at http://www.etsy.com/shop/Pictoriographica A major goal of mine is to keep dry plate photography as affordable as possible, so I've pushed down the price as far as I can to US$45 + $10 shipping. When you shoot glass plate negatives, one of the last things you'll think of is storage of the plates. I realized I had this problem when I started cleaning the dust off stacks of plates on my desk. Fortunately for us, archival storage of glass plate negatives is something the industry has been dealing with for about a century now.
For my use, I've found the archival glass negative storage boxes and envelopes available from http://www.gaylord.com/Photo%2C-Print-%26-Art/Gaylord-Archival%26%23174%3B-Blue-Grey-Barrier-Board-Glass-Negative-Storage-System/p/HYB02428 to be perfect for my use. The 4" x 5" boxes listed in the link easily store 100 plates, in a container that will fit great on your bookshelf or on top of your case of 35mm slides. :) |
AuthorI'm the guy behind the curtain, Jason Lane, coating plates instead of sleeping. Archives
June 2022
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