Digital BW, The Print

For about four months I have been trying to coat my photographs with
Hydrocote.  (http://www.hydrocoat.com) I bought a meyer rod #30 which is
22".  On anything up to and including 8x10 the rod works fairly well.  One
be absolutely consistent with the pressure applied on the rod and the speed
you draw the rod across the picture.  I have found that I had a success rate
of about 75 per cent.  Not as good as I want.  I also found that using a
meyer rod is messy!  Each time you use it, you must clean the rod carefully
and the surface must be cleaned and dried very thoroughly. So, it is a slow
and involved process.  When it comes to larger than 8x10 prints the success
rate drops to about 50 per cent or less.  The correct pressure on the rod as
you draw it down the print has a very low tolerance for error.  The
slightest speed change or pressure difference allows for the hydrocote to be
laid down unevenly.  Plus, the clean-up is more extensive and messy, and the
waste is disconcerting.  You can recapture much of the liquid but that's a
messy operation too.

Enter the HVLP paint gun.  I thought that might be a good solution as
someone had mentioned it on the group.  I tried it and my first 13x19 came
out rather well but with deeper coverage than I really wanted.  It made the
print very glossy.  I experimented with this set-up for a while and decided
the considerable overspray (filled half the garage) and the difficult
clean-up, and the uneven result made this workflow too much of a hassle and
results were not entirely satisfactory.

Determined not to give up, I decided to purchase a Badger Touch-Up gun.
They run up to about $150 on the internet but I found a place in New Orleans
called Dixie Art Supplies, Inc.,  (http://www.dixieart.com) that sells them
for only $74.95.  

I have a compressor so I hooked up the Badger and following the simple
instructions that came with the Badger for setting up the gun, and using
30psi pressure, I sprayed 2 8x10's and a 13x19 yesterday.  The material laid
down very nicely and I was even able to spray the surface twice one after
the other to make the surface look good.  (Try that with a rod!)  The prints
dried down beautifully. Today, I repeated spraying several prints of
different sizes and again was fully satisfied with the results.  I feel I
have found the solution that works perfectly for me.  The clean-up of the
Badger is simple and takes very little time.  After finishing the prints I
simple rinsed out the cup thoroughly and and filling with clean warm water,
I sprayed a few ounces out and then  put it away.

One caveat:  This worked to my full satisfaction for me but I can't promise
it will work equally well for you.  There are variable such as temperature
of the material sprayed, ambient temperature, and spraying technique.  The
instructions said to stay within three or four inches from the object being
sprayed and that worked fine.  The weather during both times I've sprayed
was about 80-85.  

Finally, one has to be sure to carefully wipe of the print with a soft
cotton cloth prior to spraying.

I hope this information has been helpful for you.  I would appreciate
knowing if this has been helpful.  If you have a question please feel free
to email me off list or whatever.

Happy spraying!

Joe Davajon