acetate

[Ivan]

What is acetate, what is it for, where do you buy it?

[Steve Dunbar]

[Ivan]

[Dave Balderstone]

I think you mean acetone, not acetate. Acetone is liquid. Acetate is a fiber.

You can buy acetone at any paint supply store. It will have the word "acetone" in big letters on the label.

Or, if you have too much money, you can buy it as "nail polish remover" at a cosmetics counter.

djb

[Ivan]

Thank you David!

[Joseph Meehan]

It is likely the negatives are made of acetate. I suggest you start by trying some negative/slide cleaner from a good photo shop. These days not all of them will have it. Next alcohol. Neither of the above should hurt the negatives and may remove the stamp. Acetone is very aggressive and I have not tried it on negatives, but I fear it may damage the negative. Try it on one first if you must.

[Gary Dyrkacz]

Acetate may refer to several things: As one poster referenced it is a short term for cellulose acetate, which is a plastic. However, in chemistry acetate has a specific meaning. It is a molecular species with a specific structure. Acetic acid, (vinegar) is mainly the acetate species with a proton (acid) attached. In your case, as another poster indicated, you may be confusing it with acetone. However, it also could be ethyl acetate which can be a constituent of nail polish remover (sometimes with acetone added as well).

An acetate group can be attached to different molecules to give it different properties. Gary Dyrkacz [e-mail] Radio Control Aircraft/Paintball Physics/Paintball for 40+

[dadiOH]

I was a photographer for 50 years. I've never known - or even heard of - a photographer stamping his negatives with *anything*...potential damage, general PITA and most importantly there is absolutely no reason to do so.

Have you actually *seen* the negatives or have you seen positive prints with the word "proof"? If the latter, the word may be within the print; i.e., photographically created and un-removeable. If stamped you don't want to use *anything* that will dissolve the ink but wet the emulsion at the same time. Like alcohol (unless totally anhydrous).

-- dadiOH _____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at

[Ivan]

[Ivan]

Where did you learn all that chemistry stuff?

[Stormin Mormon]

As I remember, aluminum acetate is good for treating foot fungus, known as tinea pedis. I can't rmember the strength, ten percent or so solution in water.

Most inorganic acetates can be made by mixing vinegar and the alkalai hydroxide of the metal in question.

Cellulose acetate was a big safety improvement over cellulose nitrate. the nitrate was highly flammable. Can be a big problem when you nitrate shirt collar (really!) goes poof when you drop a cigar ash on it. Or when your nitrate film goes poof in the movie projector.

[Stormin Mormon]

College. A wonderful institution.

[Gary Dyrkacz]

...amd thirty years of experience.

Gary Dyrkacz [e-mail] Radio Control Aircraft/Paintball Physics/Paintball for 40+