Page:TheAmericanCarbonManual.djvu/29

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SWAN'S CARBON PROCESS.
19

After pouring the requisite quantity of the tissue-compound upon the surface of the plate, I spread or lead the fluid by means of a glass rod or soft brush, over the entire surface, taking care to avoid the formation of air-bubbles; and I keep the surface in the horizontal position, until the solidification of the tissue-compound. In coating other than plane surfaces, I vary, in a suitable manner, the mode of applying the tissue-compound to such surfaces. In coating a cylindrical surface, I rotate the cylinder in a trough containing the tissue-compound, and after having produced a uniform coating, I remove the trough, and keep up a slow and regular rotation of the cylinder until the coating has solidified. After coating the surface of glass or other substance as described, I place it in a suitable position for rapid drying, and I accelerate this process by artificial means, such as causing a current of dry air to pass over the surface coated, or I use heat, in addition to the current of air, or I place it in a chamber containing quick-lime, chloride of calcium, or other substance of analogous desiccating property. When the tissue is dry, I separate it from the surface on which it was formed, by making an incision through the coating to the glass, around the margin of the sheet; or I cut through the cylindrical coating near the ends of the cylinder, and also cut the coating across, parallel with the axis of the cylinder, when, by lifting one corner, the whole will easily separate in a sheet. When the tissue-compound is applied over a coating of collodion, the film, produced by the collodion, and that produced by the tissue-compound, cohere, and the two films form one sheet. Sometimes, before the separation of the coating from the glass, I attach to the coating a sheet of paper, for the purpose of strengthening the tissue, and making it more easy to manipulate. I generally apply the paper, in a wet state, to, the dry gelatinous surface; and having attached the paper thereto in this manner, I allow it to dry; and I then detach the film and adherent paper from the glass, by cutting around the margin of the sheet, and lifting it off as before described. Where extreme smoothness of surface, such as is produced by moulding the tissue on glass, as described, is not of importance; and where greater facility of operation is desired, I apply a thick coating of the tissue-compound to the surface of a sheet of paper. In this case, the paper is merely used as a means of forming, and supporting temporarily, the film produced from the tissue-compound; and such paper separates from the gelatinous coating in a subsequent stage of my proces. In coating a surface of paper with the sensi-