Photographers use a "ferrotype tin", a flat sheet of highly polished
(chromed?), flexible sheet metal to get "glossy" pictures. The wet
paper with the photo is placed photo side down on the tin and a
roller used to force out all water and air bubbles. The paper emulsion
contained some gelatin I believe. The tins were then put over a
slightly curved heater (just galvanised sheet metal on wooden forms
with the () shape, and heater elements inside) and held down with a
canvas cover. At least that's how I did it 30 years ago. I don't think
the heater was necessary, except to speed drying. As I recall the tins
were not too expensive.
Grant
--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Phil" <phil1960us@y...> wrote:
> I tried spray starch, it makes the paper way too wet and you get
> wrinkling. I also tried it on heavy stock (90#) but same problem. I
> also tried ironing the paper but that just made a mess.
>
> I thought that maybe a photo dryer might work but I dont have access
> to one. I recall seeing one when I was a kid - it was a smooth drum
> that spun and pressed large glossies flat )er, curved) while they
> dried. How do paper manufacturers get paper to come out so smooth?
>
> Wallpaper might work though the stuff I looked at seemed kind of
> rough on the glue side. I have to admit to some trepidation in
> jamming that stuff through a laser printer.
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Norman Stewart"
> <normstewart@a...> wrote:
> > Haven't tried this, but would spraying the paper (any paper) with
> laundry
> > spray starch give a usable surface? Since the iodine test
> indicates a
> > starch (dextrin?), just might be similar enough. And would prepasted
> > wallpaper, which you said has a dextrin content, work - printing on
> the
> > paste side?
> > Just a couple of late night thoughts while reading the e-mails.
> >
> > Norm.