First DCG, Please, Help me find the problem.
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:31 am
Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!
Crystalization is usually due to too much AmDi or KDi in the mix. Lower your concentration just a bit, maybe down to 2 grams per 100ml.
Also, I can help but notice that is seems your fall off on color is from one end to the other on both plates, so I ask, are the places where you set the plate right after veil coating perfectly level if you are laying them horizontal? If not they the gel will creap to one end as it dries. If you cant get a perfectly level (and it should be darn close to perfect) and if you do not spin after veil coating then I would suggest leaning them up against a wall or something (almost straight up and down) and let them dry vertically.
I always use this guideline for fixing. Fix until clear, no yellow left and no blue precipitate coming off the plate at all and then another 15 - 20 seconds. If it takes longer then 2 minutes then increase your exposure time, but I think you are pretty darn close on that as you stated it takes 1 minute.
Ellaborating as to what Dutchelm stated and your last statement, you do want to heat the water bath and you don't have to monitor it real close. It's suprising how close you can keep "warm" by feeling it with your fingers or hand. But keep this in the back of your mind. If you are going to warm the water bath to luke warm lets say then I would warm all alcohols to luke warm and then up the temp of the last alcohol bath a little warmer then the water and initial alcohol baths. Also, warmer baths need a slightly harder gelatin. So if you are going to warm your baths and you get a milky white hologram, then simply expose the next one a little longer and leave it in the fixer a little longer. When you get to a junction that you just go past the milky stage by doing this you will be at a very incredibly bright hologram. Welcome to the ballancing act.
Again, great work.
John
Crystalization is usually due to too much AmDi or KDi in the mix. Lower your concentration just a bit, maybe down to 2 grams per 100ml.
Also, I can help but notice that is seems your fall off on color is from one end to the other on both plates, so I ask, are the places where you set the plate right after veil coating perfectly level if you are laying them horizontal? If not they the gel will creap to one end as it dries. If you cant get a perfectly level (and it should be darn close to perfect) and if you do not spin after veil coating then I would suggest leaning them up against a wall or something (almost straight up and down) and let them dry vertically.
I always use this guideline for fixing. Fix until clear, no yellow left and no blue precipitate coming off the plate at all and then another 15 - 20 seconds. If it takes longer then 2 minutes then increase your exposure time, but I think you are pretty darn close on that as you stated it takes 1 minute.
Ellaborating as to what Dutchelm stated and your last statement, you do want to heat the water bath and you don't have to monitor it real close. It's suprising how close you can keep "warm" by feeling it with your fingers or hand. But keep this in the back of your mind. If you are going to warm the water bath to luke warm lets say then I would warm all alcohols to luke warm and then up the temp of the last alcohol bath a little warmer then the water and initial alcohol baths. Also, warmer baths need a slightly harder gelatin. So if you are going to warm your baths and you get a milky white hologram, then simply expose the next one a little longer and leave it in the fixer a little longer. When you get to a junction that you just go past the milky stage by doing this you will be at a very incredibly bright hologram. Welcome to the ballancing act.
Again, great work.
John