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Century Darkroom
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Daguerreotype Equipment
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We have available beautifully detailed Daguerrean Mercury Pots and Sensitizing Boxes as well as the capability to build any custom pieces required for the Daguerreotype and other historical photographic processes
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| Mercury Pot | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Click on any image for expanded view - each is 30k | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mercury Pot Front View | Mercury Pot Rear View | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The mercury pot body is made from welded mild steel . The support column, tighten clamp, the two dark slides and the mercury cup are all made from 304SS (stainless steel). The base plate is 3/8 inch mild steel and provides a substantial base that keeps the mercury pot securely positioned. The base also rides on four rubber feet that are securely attached with drilled and tapped SS machine screws.
The mercury cup is removable from the mercury pot (it is threaded into the receiver plate of the mercury pot) and comes comes with a screw on cap for secure mercury storage when the mercury cup is removed from the mercury pot. The mercury cup incorporates a neoprene 'O' ring seal into its top mating edge. The mercury pot is available in sizes to accomodate half, full, and custom sizes. The mercury pot is available with either an alcohol heater or a very convenient and stable electric heater.( An upgrade to the electric heater from the alcohol heater is possible with no alterations to the basic mercury pot apparatus.) The interior surfaces of the mercury pot are perfectly smooth and all corners are radiused for ease of cleaning. All surfaces of the mercury pot made from mild steel are sandblasted, epoxy primed and then given 3 finish colour coats of alkyd enamel. A minimal amount of mercury is required (15 - 20 ml) in the mercury cup. Only enough to immerse the tip of the temperature probe is necessary. Incorporated into the mercury cup is a mercury 'well' for the temperature probe tip. This is the key to minimizing the total volume of mecury required See detail picture below. |
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| Mercury pot electric heater with temperature controller and thermocouple | Mercury pot alcohol heater with digital thermometer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Mercury cup detail showing mercury "well" and 'O' ring seal. | Detail of temperature sensing probe mount. This is the sensor for the alcohol heater. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Electric heater assembly mounted to mercury cup. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Sensitizing Boxes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Back view | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Our boxes are built from solid walnut with solid brass fittings. WestSystem epoxy glue is used throughout. | The lapped edge glass jar rides on phosphor bronze springs and the lapped glass slide is 3/16 thick. Brass spring 'limiters' are incorporated to control the degree of jar tilting that occurs when the glass slide is withdrawn. This provides an smoother and therefore more controlled glass sliding action | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plate adapter kits are available to accomodate various plate sizies. For example, if a full plate box set is ordered, along with handling full plates, adapter kits can be ordered to allow any plate size smaller than the full plates, (including custom sizes) to be utilized. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Gilding Stand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Levelling knob | Plate holder yoke and 'stickout' adjustment | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This gilding stand is made from solid brass. The Daguerreotype plate is supported on sharpened stainles steel pins. The plate is levelled by the 3 knurled knobs on the base. The plate support carrier is adjustable for 'reach' and may also be oriented in any direction relative to the base. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Swing Arm Polishing Stand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| This swing arm polishing stand is patterned after the Southworth and Hawes design. The basic concept allows the polishing paddle to make contact with the plate in an even and controlled fashion. The top of the plate carrier is precisely at the same height as the swing arm swing axis, 'B'.
The plate carriers are made from black cherry, sealed with epoxy and provided with a slotted brass mandrel on their bottom side, 'C', that drops into the cup on the swing arm. The base of the cup contains a pin that engages with the slotted mandrel, locating it precisely and preventing rotation. The plate holder is easily oriented for landscape or portrait polishing . There is a dedicated plate carrier for each plate size. The one in picture A is for 1/2 plates. |
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| About Us | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We are constantly adding to our equipment line. Currently, we have just added a solid brass Southworth&Hawes style Swing Arm Plate Polishing Stand and a solid brass Gilding Stand.
All our equipment is built to order by an associate who has many years experience as a (modern) photographer and who, in near recent years has decided to become a fabricator of some truly superb pieces for the Daguerreotype process. Century Darkroom Daguerreotype Equipment started with having a need for some pieces to be built for our own requirements. |
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Mike Robinson’s Century Darkroom in Toronto Canada has gained a reputation in several alternative photographic processes. Currently, Mike’s photography centers on the Daguerreotype. His work combines a classical sense of beauty with the high level of technical skill required for success in this difficult photographic medium. His unique contribution to the modern daguerreotype has gained increasing recognition, with his work housed in many US and Canadian collections. Mikes work can be seen at www.centurydarkroom.com |
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Century Darkroom Daguerreotype Equipment
245 Carlaw Avenue Studio #502 Toronto Ontario Canada M4M 2S . 1 416 469 8128 - phone . mike@centurydarkroom.com. - email |
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