My first DCG

[Steven]

My first 4"x5" DCG Hologram.

Mould coated with 240 bloom skin gelatin brought off Ebay.
Dissolved 7.5g gelatin in 50ml deionised water heated to 40-45 deg C.
Filtered gelatin using filter paper and small funnel.
I used 60um shims and a 6mm thick float glass mould.
Mould treated with rainx and heated with hair dryer prior to poring gelatin.
2mm float glass soaked in 5% hydrochloric acid (concrete path cleaner) for 24 hours.
Scrubbed under running water, then rinsed with deionised water.
Treated 2mm float glass with silane, TOTALSEAL 7016 (used for epoxying glass)

After poring and clamping mould, waited until mould cooled to ambient, then placed in fridge.
After five hours removed from fridge and parted moulds, I made two sheets of 15"x4".
Air dried at ambient for 24 hours and then cut each plate into three.
Dip coated in 3% solution of AmDi (15g AmDi + 500ml Deionised water + 5ml Ilford Ilfotol)
Air dried at ambient.

After five hours drying, exposed to 532nm with a ref power density at the centre of the plate measured as 432mJ.
My measured power takes into consideration the loss due to Brewster's, angle, but no measurement of object beam power.
I gave five minutes for dark reaction.
All baths at ambient.
Placed in KodaK rapid fix (diluted as per paper processing) Clear +15sec.
Rinse in water.
Water tuning bath for three minutes.
Dehydration in 50%, 70%, 91% and 100% IPA Three minutes in each bath except last, which was diffraction visible +15 sec.

Reprocessed with water tuning bath at 32 deg C for three minutes, other baths at ambient.
70% IPA 15sec
91% IPA 15 sec
100% IPA diffraction +15 sec.
Hot hair drier, hotplate for 20 minutes @ 100deg C, then sealed with cover glass.

Notes to self:
Don't get the mould too hot.
Double check which is the emulsion side before placing the plate in processing tray.
Don't dry dipped coated plate vertically.

[holomaker]

Nice job Steven, one comment is do not need five hours to solidify gel, 30 minutes will suffice in a refrigerated environment

[Joe Farina]

Remarkably good for a first DCG, congratulations. Good methodical approach to processing.

[Steven]

Nice job Steven, one comment is do not need five hours to solidify gel, 30 minutes will suffice in a refrigerated environment

Thanks Dave. I just needed some sleep, so I left the moulds sitting in the fridge.
I think the hologram may be a little overexposed and could probably do with a higher temperature water swelling bath.
There is only slight milkiness, so perhaps it could have been pushed further.
Overall I was very pleased with my first DCG hologram, much of it was achieved by reading posts by contributors here and the old holo forum.

What processing times and bath temperatures did you use to produce that lovely red hologram shown on the main page of the holowiki?
I suspect that you used and elevated temperature for your final IPA bath.

By the way, thanks for posting the video on your mould coating technique on youtube,because that is how I did my coating.

[Steven]

Remarkably good for a first DCG, congratulations. Good methodical approach to processing.

Many thanks Joe.

Yes, with so many variables with DCG I think we need to take a methodical approach.
It would be easy to miss or change something without realising it, so I write it all down as I go along. I have a terrible memory.
Much of what I have learned about DCG has been gleaned from this and the old forum, so thanks go to all contributors.
I have Saxby's books (1st & 2nd editions), but they don't go into too much detail re DCG.

Steven.

[jsfisher]

Nicely done.

I took the liberty of adding your accomplishment to the Gallery section at the Holowiki.

[Steven]

Nicely done.

I took the liberty of adding your accomplishment to the Gallery section at the Holowiki.

Many thanks, also thanks for correcting my incorrect spelling of pouring.

Steven.

[Kiffdino]

Amazing first shot. Very good.

[Steven]

Amazing first shot. Very good.

Thank you Kiffdino.