Users instructions for rosin dust box SK-series. Polymetaal.
Our Rosin Dust Boxes are made of plywood and is fitted with a wooden grill to support the plate to be coated. The grill of the SK-80 slides out to facilitate the insertion and extraction of the plate. The grill of the SK-50 and SK-60 series is fixed.
Before using our product it is strongly recommended that one clean the inside of the box to insure that dust particles or particles related to the production process are extracted. This can be done with a vacume cleaner.
Place the desired amount of asphalt powder or resin powder on to the sheet metal form found on the inside of the box. Close the box and turn the handle to agitate the powder. Once the powder has been agitated insert the plate to be coated.
The range of structure of the aquatint technique can be narrowed down to three basic principles.
A structure range from coarse to fine can be achieved by taking into account the amount of time that passes between agitation and insertion of the plate. The sooner one inserts the plate (after agitation) into the box the greater the quantity of large rough particles wil be present in the air, thus creating a rough structure.The longer one waits before placing the plate in the box the fewer of these heavy particles wil be present in the air, in this way achieving a fine structure.
Intensity of the tone is dependant on the amount of time the plate remains in the box. The longer the plate remains in the box the lighter the tone achieved. Once the plate has been coated it is important that the plate be extracted with great care: the smallest shock will disturb the desired powder distribution.
The coated plate must be heated correctly to insure adheasion of the powder on to the plate. The amount of time the plate is heated wil dictate the formation of the grain. The plate must be heated from below by using an open flame from a burner or small torch (alchohol, gas, benzene, ect) The plate must be held up in the air by a frame, either suspended from above or held up from below. Heating the plate must be done carefully and evenly. During the process the grain must be constantly inspected with a magnifying glass. The particles must melt enough to bond to the plate but not "flow" into each other. If the plate is heated lightly (just enough to ensure adheasion) one will achieve a clear even structure well suited for the creation of tonal values and backgrounds. A more vermicular structure will be achieved by heating the plate for a longer period of time. Overheating the plate will cause the powder to "flow" (coating the plate evenly) thus loosing the aquatint effect entirely. If one continues to heat the plate after the powder has flowed, burning will occur destroying the ground.