July 20, 1896.

THE AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHIC JOURNAL,

175



FORMULA.

TO UNLOOSE STOPPER.

Jpf APPY is the reader who has never been bothered by an obstinate stopper, i.e., one that obstinately persists in stopping in the bottle neck when we want it to come out. Should this trouble arise, there are several courses open to us.

First try to remove the stopper by a screwing sort of motion, first one way and then the other.

Next wrap a bit of rag round the stopper and try again the screw motion.

Thirdly place the bottle on the table, seize the neck with the left hand so that the ball of the thumb is against one edge of ihe stopper. With tie other hand gently tap the stopper in an upward direction and opposite to the upward push of the left-hand thumb. For this purpose we must employ not a hammer or knife, but some yielding substance, i.e., a piece of wood, e.g., foot rule, papsi knife, tool handle; or the edge of the sole of a slipper is a very safe thing to use. If too much force or a non-yielding substance be used, the chances are that the stopper will be broken. If the nand be warm and the neck grasped by the hand, the warmth so imparted is a material assistance, as it causes the neck to expand and so loosen the stopper. Therefore, persevere with this method for a minute or two, trying first one side and then another.

Fourthly.—Tie to some firm object, e.g., leg of table, knob of drawer, etc., one end of a stout, smooth "piece of string; take the other end of string in left, hand, pass the string once round the neck of the bottle, now held in the right hand, and pass the bottle quickly to and fro so that the friction of the string heats the bottle neck. Every few minutes stop to try the third method. These two methods combined very seldom fail if sufficient patience is also employed.

Fifthly.—The heating method may be applied in another way—by holding the neck under the kitchen hot water tap and letting a quick stream of hot drops fall on it, the bottle being constantly turned round all the time. The water must not be too hot at first.

Sixthly.—Should all the above devices fail, the solution method may be tried. This consists of dissolving the substance which has got in between the stopper and the bottle neck and formed a cement. The solvent must, of course, depend upon the nature of the contents of the bottle. The best thing to try first when the bottle contains a liquid is some of the same liquid that it contains. For instance, a saturated solution of sodium sulphite often fixes its stopper ; but if the bottle be inserted in a vessel containing water, some of it will probably pene

trate between the stopper and neck, and so dissolve the salt precipitated by evaporation. In the case of varnishes, etc., such solvents as benzole, turpentine, alcohol, chloroform may be tried. Paraffin is a good penetrator in many cases.

To prevent stoppers sticking, it is a good plan (when the contents of the bottle do not forbid it) to rub the stopper with a bit of warm paraffin wax, or vaseline, and then remove all the superfluous wax, etc.—The A mateur Photographer.

DEVELOPING FILMS.

The best way to develop long lengths of film is to soak them thoroughly or not at all, and then to pass them, one at a time, of course, through a developing dish containing plenty of solution. No marking occurs if the process be carefully conducted, and the risk of cutting across a picture is avoided.

Spotting Prints. Albumenised Paper.—

If any speck of dust or opaque matter gets between the negative and printing paper, the result is a white or light spot or patch in the print. This defect can only be remedied after the print has been toned, fixed, washed, etc., and mounted. With a fine-pointed, small brush, a little colour, to match the surrounding tint, is applied. The colours used generally are sepia, black, Vandyke, lake, etc., according to the tone-colour of the print. Moist water colours are generally preferred to cake, as being more convenient. To make the colour hold to the glossy surface of the print, and dry shiny, a slight trace of gurn arabic is used. And to make this watery colour take on the somewhat greasy surface, a tiace of ox-gall is used just to wet the part, or what is often quite as effective and more convenient, the place is just touched with the tip of the tongue, nearly dry. Due allowance must always be made for the fact that the colour dries a little darker, duller, and colder than it seems when wet.

Preparing Negatives for Retouching.—

New Way.—A writer in Wilson's Magazine gives a new way for preparing negatives for retouching as follows:— “ The formation for a successful photogravure plate lies in the negative. A good deal can often be done with a faulty negative by retouching. In order to retouch a tooth must be secured on the negative to take the lead, and this is usually obtained by the use of retouching varnish, which has several bad features, especially when working large negatives. Now, the best thing I have found is to take a piece of cheese cloth, doubled up four times, laid fiat on the table, in which is placed some pulverized pumice. The corners are then tied tight, so as to make a hard pad for a large negative—a large pad is best; for small portions of a negative a small pad is best. In using the pad, shake some of the dust on the face of the negative, without use of varnish. Then, with the pad, give it a rubbing over in a circular motion ; keep this tip till you have taken all the gloss out of the

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