Page 131 - The Wellington photographic handbook

FIXING, WASHING AND DRYING SLIDES.

When the lantern plate is taken from the developer it should
be well rinsed in water and then fixed in a plain solution of hypo
(4 ounces of hypo to 20 of water), or preferably in either the
Acid Fixing Bath or the Combined Hardening and Fixing Bath
given on pages 49 and 50.
It should be left in the fixer until the whole of the white
appearance has gone from the back and for as long again. It is then
taken out and washed in the same way as a negative. Before being
put to dry, it is well to rub the film very gently with a tuft of cotton
wool, while holding the plate under the tap. This gets rid of any
deposit from the water. The slide can then be dried.
It is more important to dry a slide where dust cannot get at it,
than it is to so dry a negative, as in the negative fine dust may be
quite unnoticed, but in the slide it is magnified on the screen and
becomes very obvious.

MOUNTING LANTERN SLIDES.
When dry a slide has to be masked, mounted and spotted
before it is ready to be shown in the lantern. Masks of black
paper can be bought, ready cut, but as this means that the picture
must be made to fit the mask, it is better to use the plain gummed
strips which are sold for binding slides. These are merely wetted
and laid down on the film side of the slide so as to black out every-
thing that is not to be shown on the screen. With a little care it
is easy to keep the corners quite square and true. Some pieces of
clean glass 3£ by inches will be wanted for cover glasses. Any
spoilt lantern plates should be kept for this purpose, the film being
cleaned off with hot water and a stiff brush.
Before binding up a slide it should be thoroughly dried in
front of the fire. Then the cover glass is placed on it, and the
two stuck neatly together, by binding round the edges with the
gummed strips sold for the purpose.
It is now only necessary to " spot " the slide. Spotting
is done to show which way the slide is to be put into the lantern.
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