open book diary of an artist

Still Moving Forward

I am so happy that I was able to find the silicone carbide that I had been looking for to make an 8×10 ground glass.

I was not sure which grit to get so I got both a 400 grit and a 600 grit pack off of Ebay. These two kinds of grits seemed to be ones that have been mostly used by others so I played it safe and just followed the pattern.

The price was still a wee bit on the high side, due to the shipping cost, but the silicone carbide was something that I really wanted and needed to help make the 8×10 box camera beast work at it’s best.

I have become pretty inventive when it comes to making something work without having the “proper” tools or materials and I thought why not share what I had done.

 

 

 

I had a small mirror that I had bought from the dollar store which had a black frame and handle. I broke off the handle and most of the black frame and left just enough on the back to stick double sided tape on it so that I could attach a small plastic container which I had used as a handle.

 

I started off with the 400 grit and it seemed that the 400 grit was all that I needed. It took me about 20-25 minutes to get a nice clean finish and throughout the time of grinding I had added an extra 1/2 teaspoon of more grit when I felt friction loss on the glace surface.

 

 

Here it is complete!

 

 

How about a comparison of the old and the new?

 

3 comments

  1. Lisa Marie Stevens

    Definite improvement Nicole. I’m thinking of rebuilding my homemade box camera out of wood and adding a ground glass for focusing. That would probably change everything about the current look of the photos. I’d have a new camera tho.

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