Dag Diary
Many of the activities I carry out on the path to becoming a daguerreotypist do not really merit a complete blog entry. Still they may be of interest to someone who is trying to figure out what all can be involved. So I have decided to keep this page for a simple record of everything I have done as I have moved along in my quest. This will include purchases, construction projects, topics/websites studied, etc.
This list is in reverse date order with the current entry at the top.
7/4/09
Make new ground glass for 8×10 camera to replace broken one.
5/9/09
Read information pack from Micro-Surface Finishing Products and look at samples
Field’s Fabrics – One Yard Ultrasuede Light Fabric (USD $42.97 Incl Shipping)
4/26/09
Covington Engineering – 5 Lbs Red Rouge Powder (USD $43.53)
3/25/09
Write “Achromatic” entry on wiki at cdags.org
Progress Machine & Tool – Red Rouge Powder (USD $9.35 – Plus Shipping)
Fields Fabrics – Ultrasuede sample pack (USD $15.00)
Post Apple Scientific – Lamp Black (USD $27.01)
3/1/09
Transfer 800 Dag related links from Google Notebook to Evernote
2/28/09
Determine recipe for Mercury Indicating Powder
Calculate cost of self produced Mecury Indicating Powder
Lab Safety Supply-Mercury Indicator Powder (USD $50.10)
Build table saw small piece cutting jig
Look at FRP performance specifications
Mercury Pot design planning
Tap Plastics – Fume Hood adjustment parts (USD $25 approx)
Lowes – Plate polish supplies and storage bins (USD $115 approx)
2/26/09
Mercury pot design planning
Cotton batting arrived
Research high temp plastic resins
2/25/09
Designing mercury vapor diffusion experiment
EMS – 1.0,0.3 & 0.05 Micron Alumina Slurry (USD $63.00 + S&H)
Kleenex polishing experiment – no scratching
2/24/09
Web research – Scientific Polishing Method
2/23/09
Amazon – Cotton Roll (Approx USD $10)
Spent 1 hour experimenting with polishing a copper sixth plate
2/19/09
Order 4 1/6 plates from Mike Robinson (USD $100 + $8Shipping)
Remainder of 3M Micron polishing paper arrives
2/18/08
3 micron polishing paper arrives
Mercury pot design research
2/17/09
Mercury pot design research
Look at Fiberglass & Polycarbonate plastic temp ranges on McMaster
Plate polishing research – CDags.org
Steel plate, velcro dots and neoprene arrives
2/16/09
Mercury pot design research
Look at industrial heaters Minco
RS Hughes – 3M Micron Graded Polishing Film 40 sheets 1/3/9/15 micron 10 ea (USD $40.40 + Tax & Ship)
2/15/09
Mercury Pot design research
Polishing research
McMaster’s – 12×24 Sheet steel, 12×12 Neoprene, Velcro Dots (USD $33.55 + tax and shipping)
Repairing fume hood
2/14/09
Mercury Pot design research
Polishing research
2/7/09
Work on mercury pot designs
LED Light arrived, seems too dim
Test Bosch RO Sander (200 grit, 0.3 Micron)
2/4/09 LEDlight.com - Red 108 LED bulb – (USD $59.23)
2/2/09 Preliminary designs for mercury pot
2/1/09
Install carbon filters over fan outlet-cure light leak
Prepare wet chemistry for camera test
Carry out camera test
Develop paper negatives
Scan and invert in Photoshop
Post – “Camera Test”
1/31/09
Clean up the Castle
Reglue failed magnetic tape on Hood facing
Fume hood testing and re-design
Mix photographic chemicals
Hang vinyl light trap curtain on door
Load film holders with RC paper
Home Depot – Blue tape, charcoal filter material, vacuum extension, vacuum bags (USD $49.06)
Post “A Fine Busy Day”
1/28/09
Review offerings on Spectrum Chemicals and Laboratory Products
1/26/09
eBay 8×10 search
Finish Pobboravsky thesis OCR
1/25/09
Web search shutter designs
OCR Second third of Pobboravsky Thesis
1/21/09
myToolStore.com – Woods power grip suction tool (USD $23.48)
1/18/09
Finish new Gilding Stand after two design failures
1/15/09
Launch of CDags.org
1/14/09
Write to Irving Pobboravsky
Receive answer!
1/12/09
Get additional Tap & Die equipment at Sears
1/11/09
Reading Pobboravsky (Thesis)
1/10/09
Web search UV Flash lamps
Finish creating drilling template
Drill first coupler nut for gilding stand
Tap first coupler nut
Threaded rod only goes through one side-(design flaw?)
1/9/09
Start creating drilling template for gilding stand coupler nuts
1/7/09
Join editorial board for Contemporary Daguerreotypes
1/6/09
Home depot Pro-Threaded rod couplers for gilding stand-(USD $2.34)
Home depot -Threaded rod, nuts, bolts, flat stock & $20 Tap and Die set for gilding stand-(USD $50.53)
1/5/09
Work on gilding stand design
Look at brass pipe and fittings on fastfittings.com
Lowes-Bosch VS 5″ Random Orbital Sander & disks (USD $94.03)
Beverly Fabrics-2.5 Yds Vinyl for Castle door cover (USD $21.57)
Home Depot-Galv metal for plate clamp (USD $2.31)
Home Depot-Brown acrylic caulk for last holes in Castle (USD $8.62)
1/4/09
Read about SF Daguerreotype event in CDag.info
Work on backdated Dag Diary record
Publish up-to the moment Dag Diary
Post “Artist Reveals All”
1/2/09
Read about silver soldering stainless steel
Look up clad metal manufacturers
Look up which metals amalgamate with mercury
Read daguerreotype section of Coming into Focus
1/1/2009
Happy New Year!
Spent about 4 hours reading things Daguerreian
Purchase 1992 Daguerreian Annual (USD $115.00)
12/25/08
Merry Christmas!
Research electronic shutters 1 2 3
Determine LCD shutters won’t work
Look at home made shutter and another
12/24/08
Research UV Meters 1 2
Research Teflon Plastic
Email Plastic Welding tool company
12/20/08
Attend Brought to Light exhibit at SF MOMA
Look at Alan Bekhuis tremendous Artist & Artisan Journal
90% done with lightproofing castle
Post “Brought to Light”
12/14/08
Home Depot-Staples for weatherstripping and UV CF for light testing-(USD $21.73)
12/13/08
Continue backfill entries to Dag Diary (not posted yet)
12/10/08
Looking up granite tile as a polishing substrate
Continue backfill entries to Dag Diary (not posted yet)
12/7/08
Go to Lowes – Weatherstripping for Castle door (USD $44.23)
12/3/08
Look up PTFE Sheet
Look up PTFE Glue
View Cynan Jones Flickr site
12/2/08
Go to Aaron Brothers – 4″x6″ Glass clip frames 6x$1.99 (USD $12.93)
11/30/08
Post “Glass”
Reply from AB
Post question re glass cutting to Dag Forum
Look at glass cutters on stained glass site
11/29/08
Cut cover glasses for sixth plate
Read Nelson article on Mercury at cdags.info
11/27/08
Email from AB re Sheltech die stamping
Peruse Sheltech site www.sheltech.net
Read about calculating f-stop p.90 Primitive Photography
www – ISO of photo paper http://photo.net/black-and-white-photo-printing-finishing-forum/003oFW
More updates to Dag Diary
11/26/08
Look online at die cutting machines for card stock mats
Look online at die cutting service companies
Seal more light leaks in Castle Daguerre
Update Wordpress
Post “New Clips, New Features”
Test 8×10 camera DOF
Make and test card stock aperture for lens
Add Alan and Jon to link list
11/25/08
Fabricate ground glass holders for B&H 8×10 camera
Purchase 2 rolls 1″ J-lar tape – findtape.com – (USD $30.24 incl shipping)
11/23/08
Restart Daguerreotype daily log
Research small heating apparatus for mercury bath
Read antique Dag manuals for proper mercury temperature
Continue lightproofing Castle Daguerre (rafter blocks)
Assemble drillpress
Reading casedimages.com website
Wordpress updates
Post Dag Diary
11/21/08
Photographers Formulary-Gold Toner mix and Sodium Thiosulfate-(USD $45.05)
11/17/08
Lowes-10″ drill press, misc hardware-(USD $133.06)
11/12/08
Franciscan Hobbies-Camera repair hardware, experimental-(USD $10.17)
11/11/08
Purchase camera repair screw assortment Papenhausen Hardware-(USD $6.29)
11/10/08
46 Jewelry Supply-eBay-Anti-tarnish tissue roll-(USD $21.68)
Aaron Brothers-8 4×6 Euroclip frames (for glass) – (USD $21.55)
Electron Microscopy- 3 micron aluminum oxide powder 1 Pound – (USD $21.01)
11/9/08
Kragen – Nitrile gloves, Terry applicators, Sponge Applicators, Paint for camera (USD $33.50)
Lowes-Black Light, 2 10×12 glass, glass cutter (USD $17.29)
Home Depot-Clamp Lamp and red bulb (USD $9.68)
11/2/08
Post “Vaneometer”
Home Depot – Foam tape for light-proofing (USD $7.51)
10/27/02
Angel Gilding – Glass Mirroring Kit (USD $193.80)
Lab Safety Supply – Vaneometer to test Hood (USD $52.53)
10/26/08
Post “More Small Steps”
Sears – Hole saw, drill/clamp drill press, other tools (USD $90.44)
Calumet – Photo paper, chemicals, bottles to do camera tests (USD $59.93)
10/19/08
Lowe’s – Electric heater for Castle (USD $21.62)
10/14/08
Tap Plastics – pro cuts for large dimension ABS for fume hood (USD $13.04
10/12/06
Post “Infrastructure”
Home Depot – Castle electrical (USD $14.52)
10/9/08
Tap Plastics – Materials for Fume Hood (USD $194.41)
10/8/08
Home Depot – Castle upgrade misc (USD $55.01)
Home Depot – Fume Hood materials (USD $31.87)
Kelly Moore – Paint for fume hood (USD $50.10)
10/1/08
Utility trench dug (USD $300)
9/30/08
Trip to Home Depot -Fume Hood 4′x8′ AC Sanded plywood & 8×2″x4″x8′ (USD $43.60)
Trip to Home Depot-Misc castle improvements (USD $49.89)
Home Depot – Castle Electrical (USD $72.70)
9/28/08
Trip to Home Depot-Castle Electrical (USD $54.81)
Trip to Home Depot-Fume Hood 4′x8′ AC Sanded plywood (USD $93.06)
9/27/08
PIE Warehouse-Fume Hood: Fan, Filter, Speed controller (USD $219.02)
9/14/08
Post “What I Don’t Know”
Trip to Home Depot – Castle Electrical (USD $136.69)
Trip to Lowe’s – Castle Electrical (USD $318.44)
9/7/08
Purchase “Daguerreotype Process: Three Treatises” (USD $55.74)
8/31/08
Post “Inspiration from the Field”
Trip to Lowe’s – Castle Electrical (USD $25.76)
8/30/08
Post “Activated Carbon”
8/27/08
Caswell’s eBook Plating Manual (USD $15)
8/17/08
Home Depot – Castle Electrical (USD $16.43)
8/11/08
Eastwood Co. – Rotary bench shear (USD $34.83)
8/10/08
Post “Polishing Pad Comparison”
8/5/08
Post “Wordpress Upgrade”
Donation to Keith Dsouza programmer of WP Auto-upgrade (USD $20.00)
8/4/08
Home Depot – Electrical supplies for Castle (USD $28.64)
Home Depot – Small Ryobi Table Saw (USD $107.17)
8/3/08
Post “Castle Daguerre”
7/23/08
Post “Mike Robinson Article”
7/20/08
Home Depot – primary purchase of castle electrification supplies (USD $324.44)
7/7/08
Copper arrives from onlinemetals.com
Ordered copper from Renaissance Graphic Arts (USD $32.95)
Studied various thicknesses of copper
7/6/08
Bought plywood and supports for playhouse counters
Finished clearing out playhouse
Cleaned up floor of playhouse
7/5/08
WROTE Street Fighter IV
POST Street Fighter IV
7/4/08
Clear out playhouse
Build new rubbermaid shed and shelves
7/2/08
Email Dialog with AB re plate polishing
7/1/08
Write Sharing Treasure
Post Sharing Treasure
Order copper plate sample set from OnlineMetals.com (USD $21.95)
6/30/08
eBay-Kenmore Camera- 5 wooden 8×10 film holders (USD $95.67)
Unrelated Postage charges (USD $62.44)
6/28/08
“Loaner” equipment from anonymous benefactor arrives
6/25/08
Write Popular
Post Popular
6/24/08
Took apart eBay lens shade and mounted lens – perfect fit!
6/23/08
Got lens shade/clamp from eBay (USD $8.45)
6/22/08
Went to Tap plastics – bought ABS samples (USD $7.46)
Found old backsaw at garage sale (USD $1)
6/21/08
Email from Anonymous Benefactor with offer of loan of fuming boxes!
Interchange of several emails
6/20/08
Email offer from an experienced Daguerreotypist of a few practice plates
Sent thank you response
6/19/08
Write The Lineage of Iodine
Post The Lineage of Iodine
Finish reading Mercury Visions
Get Iodine from Photographer’s Formulary
Sent response to comment by Alan Bekhuis, including contemporary link updates
6/18/08
Interchange with Jonathan Danforth re camera clip
eBay – Plastic 8×10 film holder (USD $20.91)
Looking for lost daguerreotypist sites
Looking at fuming box designs
6/17/08
Reading Mercury Visions
Two “daguerreotypes” from Dunn turn out to be ambrotype and tintype – refund offered, decide to keep.
6/16/08
Read forums
Evening eBaying
Purchase Iodine Crystals from Photographer’s Formulary (USD $34.70)
Wrote$1000 per 1/2 Gram
Post $1000 per 1/2 Gram
6/15/08
Received copy of The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre for Father’s Day
My son called and asked me “So what is this daguerreotype thing?
Wrote inquiry re ebay auction for B&J focusing glass
Web research – buying iodine crystals, DEA form!
Wrote Father’s Day
Post Father’s Day
6/14/08
Web searching
6/13/08
Very nice encouraging email exchange with Alan Bekhius
6/12/08
Web searching
Response back from Rio Grande metal company
6/11/08
More Dag. Soc. reprint reading
Wrote Untold Riches
Post Untold Riches
Won bid on eBay for two damaged daguerreotypes – Eleanor Dunn (USD $21.49)
Bought Seated Woman Dag on eBay from John Orban-Looks like true Dag copy (USD $18.45)
6/9/08
Reprints from The Daguerreian Society come
Start reading Dag. Soc. reprints
Joined dagforum.com
Alan Bekhuis announces ContemporaryDaguerreotypes.info
6/8/08
WroteGlasswork Post
Found myself listed as a contemporary daguerreotypist on Flickr
Jon Lewis opens dagforum.com
Found WP setting for number of posts showing!!! Settings|Reading
6/7/08
Went to photo show and bought lens and developing trays (USD $24)
Went to TechShop
Tested lens in 8×10 camera (It works!)
6/6/08
Post Glasswork
Finish making ground glass (Success)
First contact from Jon Lewis about online forum he is preparing
6/2/08
Respond to JD comments
Get two comments on Blog from Larry
Respond to two comments from Larry
Buy glass (USD ??)
Buy valve grinding compound (USD ??)
Glass grinding failure
Order DagSoc reprints packet (USD $14.00)
6/1/08
Sarah finds me on p. 9 of Google for The Daguerreotypist
More comments from Jonathan Danforth (CNC Machine, Vibratory Polisher, Polishing)
5/31/08
Purchase Luan plywood for lens boards (USD $4)
Purchase router conversion base for Dremel tool
5/30/08
Camera arrived today. What a monster! Beautiful!
More reading of “The Daguerreotype”
Ordered The Daguerreian Society reprints (USD $19)
5/29/08
More reading in The Dagurreotypist
Learning about the surface microstructure.
Wrote 5/27/08 Post “Silver or Gold?”
More reading of “The Daguerreotype”
5/28/08
Got answer back from Hood manufacturer – Sentry Air Systems
5/27/08
Got answer back from Biro and Sons
Received copy of “The Daguerreotype” in the mail and started reading
Wrote to Hood manufacturer – Sentry Air Systems
Continued reading “The Daguerreotype”
Thinking about the “megapixel” resolution of a daguerreotype (terapixels? :)
5/26/08
Post Paint and Polishing
Write email to Biro & Sons re silver plating
5/25/08
Look at Caswell’s Polishing Guide
Ebay bid and lose on camera lens
5/24/08
Email from Race Gentry – 18 yo daguerreotypist
Wrote back to Race and included some questions
5/23/08
Look at Mouser site for copper printed circuit boards
Look at Mike Robinson contemporary daguerreotypist
5/22/08
Wrote to Midwest Photo Exchange to request use of their photos
Fail to win broken daguerreotype on eBay
Comment from Jonathan Danforth
Look at Caswells polishing guide
5/21/08
Look for “Number of posts” settings on WP (Didn’t find)
Bid on B&J Grover 8×10 camera body on eBay
Win Camera! (USD $142.72)
Put experimental robots.txt on site
5/20/08
Find “The Daguerreotype: Nineteenth-Century Technology and Modern Science” on the Danforth site
Purchase The Daguerreotype: A Novel by Gregory Patrick (USD $6.98)
Purchase The Daguerreotype: Nineteenth-Century Technology and Modern Science” (USD $19.18)
Waste a lot of time on the Amazonify plugin
Waste a lot of time on the Amazon plug-in
Post a few links
5/19/08
Read about Robots.txt files
Verified site for Google’s webmaster tools
Work on learning Google notebook to better organize links
5/18/08
Made photoshop adjustments of Tylers fuming box photos
Added Lazyest Gallery plug-in to site
5/17/08
Finished reading AHD
Much study of “Primitive Photography”
Found Anchor Optics with inexpensive lenses http://www.anchoroptics.com
5/16/08
Another email from Tyler – many pics of his fuming box
5/15/08
Wrote to Tyler Robbins about fuming box
Researched chemicals and fuming boxes
Tyler wrote back!
5/12/08
More repaginating AHD
More repaginating AHD
5/11/08
More WordPress catch-up
Find American Handbook Of The Daguerreotype – by Samuel D. Humphrey
Work on repaginating copy
Read up on Hazardous waste disposal
5/10/08
Worked on link list
Borders Books – Unknown Daguerreotype book (USD $35.95)
5/9/08
Download application for Daguerrian Society
Send in application (USD $75)
More reading on large format site (daguerrotypomanie and young dag artist)
Received eBay 9th plate daguerreotype of young woman
5/8/08
Wordpress
5/7/08
Wordpress
5/6/08
Wordpress
5/5/08
Thought about producing trash cameras
Reading WordPress for Dummies
Start producing “past” blog entries
5/4/08
Went again to Hunter’s Point Open Artist’s Studio (No Dags)
Work more on Wordpress widgets
5/3/08
Went to Hunter’s Point Open Artist’s Studio
5/1/08
Dags encased in resin plastic – ideas at 4:15 am!
Looking at WordPress for dummies
4/30/08
Started txt diary
Email from Charlie Schreiner-OK to use “The Daguerreotypist”
Set up Coming soon web page
Set up WordPress on site
4/29/08
Looking at camera kits
Looking at portable darkrooms
Purchase mercury sphygmomanometer on eBay (USD $19)
4/28/08
More web searching
4/27/08
Visit hobby shop
Purchase first Daguerreotype at Antique store – Seated young man(USD $70.53)
Figure out I already have book “Primitive Photography”
Look at “Primitive Photography”
Wrote email to Charlie Schreiner
Ordered 2nd (defective) daguerreotype on ebay 9th plate (USD 17.75)
4/26/08
More web searching
4/25/08
Visit More web links
4/24/08
Replies from Angel Gilding
Saw link to failure using mirrored glass
Discovered “The Daguerreotypist newsletter by Charlie Schreiner
4/23/08
Continued web reading
Thought of using mirrored glass
Wrote to Angel Gilding
Decide to create website/blog
Registered “TheDaguerreotypist.com” domain
4/22/08
Decision to pursue Daguerreotypy
Began looking at web resources
Saw cost of copper plates
Thought of using printed circuit boards
