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numnutz
25th September 2009, 01:26 PM
When I started in Photography I worked in a darkroom where we mostly produced lustre prints. The occasional times we had to produce glossy prints they were glazed using ferrotype plates on print dryers, gas initially but later they were converted to electricity.

To get a high glaze on some prints one of the workers (who had clients of his own) used to glaze his own prints by squeegeeing the print onto (very) clean glass and drying in a warm place. He used a glazing solution called I believe "Bango" or something similar. This was either painted on or the print was soaked in it, I cannot remember. The results were a very deep glaze, a lot better than the glossy prints we made using the conventional way.

Does anyone know if these glazing solutions can still be obtained? or is there a formula around so I can try making my own?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

nn :)

Daud
26th September 2009, 09:49 AM
Have a look through this, started by Kennethcooke - http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=885 (http://www.film-and-darkroom-user.org.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=885)

I have steamed prints using a kettle, but really these days I think the print emulsion is rather thinner than it was some years ago, so a glazing plate/glass may not work as well as you remembered.
My recollection was that the emulsion collapsed at a micro level, giving a very high glaze.

I also think that rather more prints came away damaged than I care remembering.

David.

Martin Reed
13th October 2009, 10:31 AM
The last ready-made glazing solution that I recall was made by Tetenal, and was called 'Glanzol' - it was still around in the early 2000's and isn't the sort of stuff that goes off, so have a look around. I think the best known one was the Johnson's one, and if you can find a bottle it will probably still be ok, nothing biological can live in that brew.

Apart from that it's a case of back to nature - from BJP Almanac 1930 - first take one ox;

"Those who do not object to the mess (and smell) may prepare ox-gall by buying gall bladders from a butcher or slaughter house, and mixing the fluid from a bladder with formaline in the proportion of about 2oz (24ml) fomaline per gallon of gall. The mixture is filtered through several thicknesses of butter muslin, after which it is bottled and will keep for a long time."

It is used at a dilution of 1 oz (12ml) to 80-160oz (1-2 litres), the prints are soaked in this solution for a minute or two and glazed without intermediate washing.

I used to glaze most of my stuff when I was learning in the 60's, but fortunately discovered the delights of 'glossy unglazed' along with virtually all other printers towards the end of the decade.

Martin Reed
13th October 2009, 03:04 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Crone
According to the old Goldfinger handbook, Tetenal's Mirasol (available from Silverprint) wetting agent can be used.

This is what it say's in the Goldfinger book, "Mirasol, one of the very few glazing solutions left in manufacture, which assists in giving a mirror like surface, and sperating the print cleanly from the glazing plate or drum

I have used Mirasol as a wetting agent, it's excellent......

Unfortunately that quotation is wrong...which is very (ox) galling as I must have written it...it should have read Glanzol, Mirasol was and remains a wetting agent. Still, I was only a young lad.

vanannan
13th October 2009, 06:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Trevor Crone
According to the old Goldfinger handbook, Tetenal's Mirasol (available from Silverprint) wetting agent can be used.

This is what it say's in the Goldfinger book, "Mirasol, one of the very few glazing solutions left in manufacture, which assists in giving a mirror like surface, and sperating the print cleanly from the glazing plate or drum

I have used Mirasol as a wetting agent, it's excellent......

Unfortunately that quotation is wrong...which is very (ox) galling as I must have written it...it should have read Glanzol, Mirasol was and remains a wetting agent. Still, I was only a young lad.

Small world, I was about to reply suggesting Mirasol although not having used it myself I remembered reading about it in a Goldfinger catalogue which I still have.

vanannan
13th October 2009, 07:17 PM
Hi Martin just for you

378

That will be broken fingers then:p

Martin Reed
13th October 2009, 07:26 PM
Hang on though, I have a feeling they did another hybrid Mirasol that was wetting agent + glazing solution. There's a lot of stuff been discontinued over the years, you don't notice when it disappears a bit at a time.

It does seem bizarre though, that we have to look to the contents of the poor old ox's gall bladder to perform this specific photo processing function - has anyone got enough biochemistry to come up with a substitute? It must be something to do with long molecules from the gall solution linking with those of the gelatin.

Bob
13th October 2009, 07:27 PM
Just to add to the confusion, I draw your attention to the Tetenal website: http://www.tetenal.com/index_c.htm?AKT=01120010001000500084&L=UK

Tetenal Mirasol 2000 Antistatic/Glanzol
Antistatic wetting agent (dilution: 1+400) for b/w films. Ideal as glazing agent (Glanzol) for fibre based papers (dilution: 1+40). Bactericide effect.
0,25 Liter Konz. They are really not helping!

vanannan
13th October 2009, 07:39 PM
Just to add to the confusion, I draw your attention to the Tetenal website: http://www.tetenal.com/index_c.htm?AKT=01120010001000500084&L=UK
They are really not helping!

I must get a bottle of that and also dig out my Kodak Velox 18 inch glazing machine from under my darkroom bench and give it a go:eek: I'm joking of course, I use the back to back line drying method as suggested in the same copy of the Goldfinger catalogue which was my original introduction to archival processing and printing many years ago.

Martin Reed
13th October 2009, 09:26 PM
Just to add to the confusion, I draw your attention to the Tetenal website: http://www.tetenal.com/index_c.htm?AKT=01120010001000500084&L=UK
They are really not helping!

Well that lets me off the hook, but although many hundred bottles of Mirasol 2000 have passed through my hands I've never noticed that 'Glanzol' on the back of the wording. I'll have a look first thing tomorrow, but I'm sure it's not written on the label. But it fits, that they kept the original hybrid product going but changed the name.

Martin Reed
14th October 2009, 06:16 PM
Yes, having checked the fine print, Mirasol 2000 does indeed lay claim to being a glazing solution, it's simply used at a higher concentration than when acting purely as a wetting agent. You learn something every day.

Martin Aislabie
22nd October 2009, 04:38 PM
Buy it here - http://www.silverprint.co.uk/ProductByGroup.asp?PrGrp=53 :D

Bob
22nd October 2009, 04:56 PM
Anyone want to be the first to try it and report back? ;)