I always have been fascinated by photography.
But with the introduction of the digital camera it all became too easy, too predictable …to me.
So I forced myself to go back to the roots of real analog photography.
Not just by making the photograph itself, but by controlling the entire photographic process.

This brought me back to the middle of the 19th century, to the amazing Collodion wet plate process.
And every single day I feel challenged to refine and improve myself.


For my website please visit : www.alextimmermans.com

Alex Timmermans
Holland


"You don't take a picture, it's given to you"

zondag 6 januari 2013

Modifying a normal 4x5" film holder into a wet plate holder



I have done this before with a 8x10"holder, but this time I tried modifying a 4x5" holder.
It is as easy to do. The only thing is that you need some little tools.
This timeI have used a Dremel with a small cutting blade.
The whole process didn't took me more than half an hour.
So if you are a bit handy it is really a piece of cake.
First you tape the inside which makes you able to mark the actual needed size.
You can go up to 8.4 mm x 11,4mm

BE AWARE !
There are several 4x5"plateholders available.
Make sure you use the more luxury versions.
They have a massive alluminium plate inside it instead of 2 thin plates.
The cheaper versions with those 2 thin plates just don't work and will cause
a lot of trouble, like contamination, when used with wet plate.
This used Fidelity Elite is the good version.



I have used a Dremel with a cutting blade for metal.



As you can't reach the corners with a round blade you will have to use 
a normal saw blade suitable for metal to cut out the last pieces 



Use a file to smoothen the cutted pieces and drill little holes in each corner.
The drill measures 1.5 mm



Use 99,9 pure silver wire for the corners and glue them with a rapid glue.
The glue is needed to make sure the silver wire is much more solid and
to be sure it doesn't wiggle anymore.




Don't forget to protect the cutted alluminium with a strong paint.
 I have used nail varnish which is also available in black. It's very solid and dries fast.




Et Voila, you have made yourself a perfect usable wet plate holder!





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