[LargeFormat] pure-silver/ Goat girl

[rstein]

Dear Nephew James,

     I would normally take extreme umbrage at your disrespectful treatment
of the Mighty Shen Hao, but instead will resolve to work with the machine
this weekend and produce some results. As you know so far the bulk of the
production from this camera has been bad language and heartburn.

    Several ideas have occurred to me - one a suggestion from Ken Sinclair
regarding sealing of the wooden film holders. He set me wondering whether
the pinholes that have been plaguing my efforts with the TitX fim have
really been pinholes per se or just the effects of distributed dust inside
those holders. I must admit - the operation of the captive wooden darkslides
in the holders seems to generate dust particles from the cloth hinges.

     I am going to step aside from those holders for a moment and load some
TitX into standard 4 x 5 double darks. I am confident that the ASA
equivalent is about 12 and I suspect that D76 in 1:2 dilution will give a
good negative density and contrast. If I find no pinholes I will suspect the
dust problem.

    The other equivalent check will be Ilford MGIV paper in the wooden
holders with a standard paper developer - if I find pinholes I'll know it is
dust.

    Then to fix it - I may have to seal the inside of the holders with a
thin Estapol and redo the cloth hinges with watered-down Tuxan black shoe
colour.

    In any case I have secured the services of a blonde Brunhilde for
Sunday, complete with spear, helmet, and shield. I have a book of Victorian
opera singers and some of the wonderfully corny illustrations are worthy of
emulation!

     Uncle Dick