First light 215 30mw DCG

manalokos · Post by **manalokos** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:29 am

Hello all!

I've just received a 215 30mw from Dave, and tried on some plates,
I still don't know very well how to process, the plates I had were left several days
in a very humid box that developed fungus and the gelatine was probably inhabited by millions of bacteria
and got bumpy, I tried some dip-n-shoot, so I soaked the plates in KDi 2 days before
and left them in that humid box,

excess drops of KDi crystalized and ruined most
of the surface of the plates, I made 4 tries and this was the best one (don't laugh!),
I tried some coins and I think I can see one of the coins! That is nice for a first try,
I processed quite wrongly without heating the last IPA bath and drying cold, so I reprocessed the
plates following Dave's advice and they got much better...

It is incredible how sensitive to moisture these plates are, you need only to breath
onto the plate and yo can see the hologram disapear!
It is good that you can reprocess and make it appear again... :dance:

I'll see if I can do some more tomorrow, I mold coated 4 more plates
and veil coated one big one that I will cut in tiny pieces to make more tests
with dip-n-shoot! This time: thicker emulsion and soapy dip!

Best regards
Filipe Alves

holo_cyware · Post by **holo_cyware** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 6:38 am

Oooooh, that definatley is a hologram. My first one was just a nauseating white plate (milkiness). 3 different brands of gelatin, 2 coating processes (mold and veil) and few weeks later I started to get the green inferference colors on the edges of the plates showing me that the laser "does" something.

Congrats, you are on the DCG addiction way.
Hi, my name is Filipe. Welcome Filipe!

dave battin · Post by **dave battin** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:23 pm

Congratulations Filipe ! i can see a coin in there! the reprocessing is a real bonus when you are first starting out ! a little soap will make you a great improvement, more picture please.

rzeheb · Post by **rzeheb** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:03 pm

Dave, most (all?) of the references I've read on this forum to DYI DCG plates mention the use of ammonium dichromate (AmDi). In the above thread Filipe says he made his plates using potassium dichromate. Are these two dichromate salts interchangable for DCF holography? If so, any experience by others on this board on the relative merits of either?
Best, Ron

dave battin · Post by **dave battin** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 1:11 pm

rzeheb wrote:Dave, most (all?) of the references I've read on this forum to DYI DCG plates mention the use of ammonium dichromate (AmDi). In the above thread Filipe says he made his plates using potassium dichromate. Are these two dichromate salts interchangable for DCF holography? If so, any experience by others on this board on the relative merits of either?
Best, Ron

Yes good insight Ron! i was excited to find out Filipe using the Kmdi , the potassium dichromate gives about the same sensitivity (in 532nm) and will give you a "redder" dcg hologram.

JohnFP · Post by **JohnFP** » Wed Mar 03, 2010 4:32 pm

If you can breath on your hologram after blow drying, then it is not fully dried.

Also, lessening the concentration of your KDi sensitizing bath will do away with the crystalization.