Waxing prints and Mixing Gum: Could a Wednesday evening be more fun?

Today I decided to add a layer of Dorlan’s Art Wax to my gum bichromate prints. The wax adds a measurable degree of clarity and depth to the colors which may not show here, but I’ll post it anyway:

gum_prints_waxedIn addition, I mixed up my first batch of gum arabic (gum acacia). I tried to duplicate a formula used by Hans de Bruijn in the Netherlands. I got carried away with adding the distilled water and now the solution is a bit thinner than it should be. The Specific Gravity should measure 1.107 or 14 degrees Baume. Instead it calculates to 13 degrees. It’s now on top of the refrigerator where I’ll let some of the water evaporate overnight.

13_deg_baume

sg_baume_chart