Collodion substitute for plate pouring practice?

[Removed Account]

Since it'll be a while before I've assembled all the equipment and chemicals I need for wet-plate I'd like to start practicing my pours. From watching the YouTube videos of Quinn Jacobsen, Will Dunniway and others it looks like collodion is a lot more runny than usual descriptions would have you think. I've tried using corn syrup, but to get that runny it has to be pretty hot and it hurts like a SOB when it runs down my arm! Is there anything else that costs less than the $100/L of collodion that is useful for practicing?

[Marc Leest]

fresh cream does the trick.

-M-

[jnanian]

maybe simple syrup?
you can also probably get flexible collodion at
your local pharmacy ( i know i can ) maybe you can
make believe it is the real thing, dilute it with everclear &C
and pour THAT ... once you get it on your plate and it drys, you can
draw on it with ink, and take a pin, pry up a corner and peel off the celluloid ...
it takes pen/ink and its fun to play with ...

just keep it away from any source of heat
it's very "sensitive" ...

[Don12x20]

Denise Ross uses artists Gesso diluted with water as a substitute for emulsion in practicing (or demo) of dry plate preparation.

You can dilute it a bit more to achieve the right consistency....

[billschwab]

Wait until you get the real thing and practice as you learn. You'll be surprised after watching others do it how easy it is to pick-up. A steady, level hand will do it. You'll get the trick. Spend your time getting the real stuff together.

If you must, try corn or sunflower oil... a tad thicker, but it is close.

Have fun!!

[nawagi]

I recommend 1/2 and 1/2

NWG

[PVia]

BTW...where can you buy collodion pre-mixed?

[TheFlyingCamera]

If you mean pre-salted with all the other goodies but silver nitrate, you can't. It ages too rapidly to be a commercially viable product. You buy the raw USP Collodion from Mavidon ( http://www.mavidon.com ) ( http://www.mavidon.com/catalog/produ...5ed7fa227846f9 )

And it isn't quite as expensive as you think. Unless you start pouring 8x10 and bigger plates, a little USP goes a LONG way.

[PVia]

Thanks...so the collodion from Mavidon has the ether already in it.

Now what about storage, since the stuff is so flammable?

I'm looking to take a workshop in wet plate, so my questions will probably be answered there, but I'm trying to do as much research ahead of time as I can...

[scootermm]

PVia, most of the recipes out there for the different Collodion mixtures actually require you to add a bit more Ether to the Mavidon USP Collodion when you mix up the collodion for pouring.
I know some people have substituted Everclear for the extra Ether. I think Smieglitz does this. If he doesn't see this thread you might want to shoot him a PM and ask him about it.