Many years ago, in high school, or the Dutch equivalent, I (together with a good friend) did a project involving holograms. It was before the internet, so apart from a old library book and some leaflets from the dutch holography lab, we really didn't have a clue what we were doing. We had build an huge table full of sand, borrowed a green laser and had a very helpful (school-appointed) assistant.
In the end we did create some, for us, rather nice transmission holograms, but could not figure out how to make a reflective hologram. It might have been the type of plates, or simply the way we positioned the objects (mirrors, plates etc).
All this nostalgia aside, I was for some reason reminded of this project and after some searching, found this forum and the holograms virus reared it's reflective/transmissive head again. Wouldn't it be fun to do it all again, but this time actually fully understanding what I was doing? And see where it could bring me?
Searching the internet for some info, I noticed a banner (and some forum posts) directing me to integraf and their "starter"kits.
Now I do believe that might be a good way to start exploring holograms again, but what if I decide I do (again) like it and want to expand a bit. Is it possible, using this kit (which features a 5mW laser (I think), some plates and all the chemicals), to make other holograms, like multibeams etc, or do I have to purchase a stronger laser (apart from beamslitters, mirrors etc etc).
Seeing the prices of some lasers ($1000+), it is a big step to take from a first starter kit, or are there intermediate levels of equipment which gives me enough to explore more of the holographic world?
So, in short, what would you advise a rookie?
Picking up holography again after many years.
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Hans
Picking up holography again after many years.
The integraf kit is very nice to get started. For split beam and such you will need some more sophisticated equipment. Kris Meerlo does very nice workshops. He lives in Schoonebeek. He will make a hologram with you that you can take home. I would highly recommend it.
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The_Stranger
Picking up holography again after many years.
Today was the day I used the integraf kit for the first time and with some succes...
Since coins were suggested, that was the first "object" I tried to record and lo and behold, the added picture shows those coins (and a small bracelet, in the middle of the picture) in quite good clarity and even some depth. There are some damaged area's, particularly the bottom, which rested on thick papertowels while drying (left on the picture) causing damage to the emulsion and an area where I think I might have taken off the emulsion before exposing the plate, or after when placing it in the developer tray. It is nervewrecking though, having to wait for the drying, which really takes hours, before seeing the result...
The photograph doesn't do it justice.
Two other holograms turned out a little less nice, one I did not bleach long enough, since there a some black/grey stripes visible, which makes the image difficult to see and another hologram shows a lot of (false) color, it's like the object is under a thin layer of (melting) ice :eh:
In the end, I am rather pleased with all results, but I do have some more questions, which I hope you are willing to answer.
-When placing the exposed plate into the developer, it turned dark in less then a second, instead of the 10 to 20 seconds mentioned in the booklet. This made me fear for the results, but apparently it did work. Any idea why it turned so dark so quickly?
-After I was done playing, I noticed in the rinse bath, which I used to rinse the plate after the developer bath, a lot of dark hairs of some kind. They looked like metal shavings or very small hairs. Is that normal, and what are those?
-Seeing I bleached one of the plates too short, is there a danger in bleaching it too long? Now I did it untill I thought all dark area's were gone, but can I just leave them for 1 minute or more?
-At what time during the developing/bleaching part can I turn on the lights again?
-As a safety light, I use a green LED light, shielded as much as possible. Does anybody know if a green LED is a good light to use, or is there still some "white light" in there?
-I read that you can apply black paint on one of the sides to bring out the picture a bit more. On which side would that be (I assume emulsion side) and is there an easier way, which gives the same results as paint?
I am glad the first ones are a succes, even if the next 10 fail, I still wil be enjoying it....
Since coins were suggested, that was the first "object" I tried to record and lo and behold, the added picture shows those coins (and a small bracelet, in the middle of the picture) in quite good clarity and even some depth. There are some damaged area's, particularly the bottom, which rested on thick papertowels while drying (left on the picture) causing damage to the emulsion and an area where I think I might have taken off the emulsion before exposing the plate, or after when placing it in the developer tray. It is nervewrecking though, having to wait for the drying, which really takes hours, before seeing the result...
- coins.jpg (82.99 KiB) Viewed 3817 times
Two other holograms turned out a little less nice, one I did not bleach long enough, since there a some black/grey stripes visible, which makes the image difficult to see and another hologram shows a lot of (false) color, it's like the object is under a thin layer of (melting) ice :eh:
In the end, I am rather pleased with all results, but I do have some more questions, which I hope you are willing to answer.
-When placing the exposed plate into the developer, it turned dark in less then a second, instead of the 10 to 20 seconds mentioned in the booklet. This made me fear for the results, but apparently it did work. Any idea why it turned so dark so quickly?
-After I was done playing, I noticed in the rinse bath, which I used to rinse the plate after the developer bath, a lot of dark hairs of some kind. They looked like metal shavings or very small hairs. Is that normal, and what are those?
-Seeing I bleached one of the plates too short, is there a danger in bleaching it too long? Now I did it untill I thought all dark area's were gone, but can I just leave them for 1 minute or more?
-At what time during the developing/bleaching part can I turn on the lights again?
-As a safety light, I use a green LED light, shielded as much as possible. Does anybody know if a green LED is a good light to use, or is there still some "white light" in there?
-I read that you can apply black paint on one of the sides to bring out the picture a bit more. On which side would that be (I assume emulsion side) and is there an easier way, which gives the same results as paint?
I am glad the first ones are a succes, even if the next 10 fail, I still wil be enjoying it....
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JohnFP
Picking up holography again after many years.
I have a couple of answers for you.
You don't want to paint a transmission or the front side of a reflection (if you paint the front side of a reflection you will be stuck flipping the plate around to view it and will only be able to view the pseudoscopic image.)
Very nice job by the way with the integraph kit on your first few attempts. Welcome back to holography.
John
You can very safely bleach for 1/2 minute after the plate looks/seems clear under the safe light.-Seeing I bleached one of the plates too short, is there a danger in bleaching it too long? Now I did it untill I thought all dark area's were gone, but can I just leave them for 1 minute or more?
It is safe to turn on the lights when the plate looks/seems clear. You can then insure under much better and brighter lighting that the plate is fully bleached.-At what time during the developing/bleaching part can I turn on the lights again?
Green LED is prefect!-As a safety light, I use a green LED light, shielded as much as possible. Does anybody know if a green LED is a good light to use, or is there still some "white light" in there?
You can paint either side but you want to paint the back side of course in a reflection hologram. Usually the emulsion faces the object to painting the emulsion side in the scenereo would be the correct side.-I read that you can apply black paint on one of the sides to bring out the picture a bit more. On which side would that be (I assume emulsion side) and is there an easier way, which gives the same results as paint?
You don't want to paint a transmission or the front side of a reflection (if you paint the front side of a reflection you will be stuck flipping the plate around to view it and will only be able to view the pseudoscopic image.)
Very nice job by the way with the integraph kit on your first few attempts. Welcome back to holography.
John
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BobH
Picking up holography again after many years.
Yep ... great results! Don't worry about how fast the plate turns black. The little filaments in the developer and wash after it could be little pieces of the emulsion, or glass.
Here's a tip: Get the plate in to and out of all the chemical baths as fast as you can without throwing any drips. Especially the developer, in and out. Don't dawdle. Don't shake the plate off over the baths. If you want to look at the plate in the middle of development, give it a fast rinse off in water to prevent uneven continued development while you're looking at it. And keep agitating, without splashing, in all the baths. Fast transitions and agitation make uniform holograms!
Here's a tip: Get the plate in to and out of all the chemical baths as fast as you can without throwing any drips. Especially the developer, in and out. Don't dawdle. Don't shake the plate off over the baths. If you want to look at the plate in the middle of development, give it a fast rinse off in water to prevent uneven continued development while you're looking at it. And keep agitating, without splashing, in all the baths. Fast transitions and agitation make uniform holograms!
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The_Stranger
Picking up holography again after many years.
I thank you both for your replies, it is nice to see (in this and other topics) a small community being so helpful. It certainly makes this hobby al lot more satisfying, although seeing that first image appear after drying also does a lot 
One question remains though, what does agitation mean in practice? This time I used a tray filled with water (the kind that's treated so it's without minerals). Do I have to shake the tray so the water sloshes from one side to the other, or do I have to hold the plate and move it through the water? (I do not have running water it the spot where I am developing). And when BobH is talking about in and out of the developer, does that mean only 1 or 2 seconds in that tray, since it turn black in less then a second? Right now, it kept it in for about 10 seconds, since that was mentioned in the booklets.
One question remains though, what does agitation mean in practice? This time I used a tray filled with water (the kind that's treated so it's without minerals). Do I have to shake the tray so the water sloshes from one side to the other, or do I have to hold the plate and move it through the water? (I do not have running water it the spot where I am developing). And when BobH is talking about in and out of the developer, does that mean only 1 or 2 seconds in that tray, since it turn black in less then a second? Right now, it kept it in for about 10 seconds, since that was mentioned in the booklets.
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BobH
Picking up holography again after many years.
By agitation, I mean to just keep the liquid moving around on the plate. Don't just let it soak there. The chemicals need to be stirring around all over the plate for best results. Especially in a developer that does its job in less than a minute.
Ten seconds seems very short to me. I'd decrease the exposure time or laser power to make the developer take more like a minute to get the brightest results. That way you have better control of things as they happen. Ten seconds development just seems to be unnecessarily fast.
Ten seconds seems very short to me. I'd decrease the exposure time or laser power to make the developer take more like a minute to get the brightest results. That way you have better control of things as they happen. Ten seconds development just seems to be unnecessarily fast.
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Colin Kaminski
Picking up holography again after many years.
Swirling has not worked for me. Rocking back and forth works better for me.
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JohnFP
Picking up holography again after many years.
In photography class in college, I was told not to ever put the print in the liquid and move the liquid around. I was instructed to hold the print by the corner and agitate it in the liquid. That's mostly what I do in hologaphy. I put on rubber gloves, hold the plate by the edges and move it back and forth and around in the liquid.
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The_Stranger
Picking up holography again after many years.
That's basicly what I did last time.JohnFP wrote:In photography class in college, I was told not to ever put the print in the liquid and move the liquid around. I was instructed to hold the print by the corner and agitate it in the liquid. That's mostly what I do in hologaphy. I put on rubber gloves, hold the plate by the edges and move it back and forth and around in the liquid.
Again thanks for the responses, the next time I set up the whole thing, I will keep the plate a bit longer in the developer (30 to 60 secs), and see what the influence is on the image. I will also experiment with exposure times, I have used roughly 10 secs last time, will try 5 and 15, just to see if and what difference it will make..