Daguerreotype Polishing Powder -new For Sale

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Have you ever wanted to make a daguerreotype? (The first viable photographic process, popular from 1839-1860.)  In order to make one, you will need some kind of polishing powder, and this is the best powder I have been able to find after many years of research and testing.

The first step in the daguerreotype process is to polish the silvered copper plate (which will become your daguerreotype) to a perfect mirror, before you sensitize it over iodine vapors to make the silver surface light-sensitive.

In order to achieve a beautiful mirror-like surface (the key to a great image), you must first polish the silver surface of the plate, prior to buffing it.  This first polishing step requires a powder that has just the right amount of abrasive in it so that you can easily remove all of the tarnish and air pollutants that have accumulated on the silver surface.  Your polishing powder should also be able to easily remove any previous images that you may have exposed onto the plate, especially images that have been gilded with gold chloride (the last step in the process), which hardens the image to the surface, making it very difficult to completely remove.

After many years of research, I have finally discovered a powder that will do just that -  and do it quickly and easily, and without the large amount of physical effort required by other methods.

Only a small amount of polishing powder is needed to polish an average-size 4" x 5" daguerreotype plate, and a built-in sifter inside the jar's lid, allows the user to dispense only the amount of powder needed.  Shake out a small amount of powder onto a cotton flannel pledget pre-moistened with distilled water, and polish your plate by-hand; instructions are on the label.  After polishing the plate with my powder, you will then need to buff the plate to remove the very fine scratches left by the abrasive powder.

The 4.2 oz. of polishing powder comes in a strong styrene jar with a built-in sifter and screw-top lid.  There's enough powder in one jar to polish at least 100 plates.

Please check out my items for modern daguerreotypes that I have made, all of them made using this polishing powder as the first step. A gallery of some of my daguerreotypes can also be seen at www.cdags.org

Please email me (idag at pce.net) if you have any questions.

Note: All photographs appearing in this listing are the copyright of Rob McElroy (2011) and may not be copied, duplicated, transferred, transmitted, or in any way displayed (electronically or in print) without express written permission.  This includes restrictions on any internet or website display, usage or transfer.

SHIPPING: Domestic shipping for one jar is $6.00 via USPS First Class Mail with delivery confirmation, or $10.00 via USPS Priority Mail with delivery confirmation (additional jars of polishing powder shipped in the same box, to the same address, are $4.00 each).  If you purchase more than one jar, they must be shipped via Priority Mail because the weight of the package containing more than one jar will exceed the 13 oz. limit of First Class Mail.  The shipping amount includes postal insurance because has decided (as of 9/22/2009) to eliminate your (the buyer's) ability to choose whether or not you want your package insured. is forcing sellers to be responsible for the safe delivery of packages to their customers' doors, and I am no longer allowed to give you (the customer) the option to save money by opting-out of the insurance. Because I am not willing to assume the risk of loss or damage to packages, I must charge you to insure your package.

The shipping fee also includes the additional fees imposed by and PayPal on the shipping charges, which amounts to an additional 15% on top of the fees charged by the post office. Shipping discounts are available for multiple purchases shipped to the same address in the same box.

International buyers please note: The shipping charges you pay when purchasing this item do not include import duties, taxes, broker's fees, or other charges that may be imposed by government officials or Customs brokers in your country. Please check your country's import regulations if you want to be informed about any additional charges that may be imposed on your package when it arrives.

PAYPAL PAYMENT REQUIREMENTS: Visa and MasterCard are accepted through PayPal for domestic purchases. For international purchases, because of PayPal's very strict rules regarding proof-of-shipment for sellers, if you want to pay for the item using PayPal, and the item sells for less than $250.00, I can only accept a PayPal payment if you are willing to pay for USPS Express Mail International or Priority Mail International shipping. They are the only on-line-trackable shipping methods offered by our US Postal System to international destinations, and an on-line-trackable shipping method is a PayPal requirement. If the item sells for more than $250.00, then Express Mail International is the ONLY shipping option available because it is the only service that requires a signature upon delivery, and PayPal requires signature confirmation on packages worth more than $250.00.

Additionally (for both domestic and international purchasers), if you pay for the item using PayPal, there are two Priority Mail services I cannot offer, their Flat-Rate Envelope and Small Flat-Rate Box. Neither of these two services are trackable (or insurable), and they are therefore against PayPal's rules.

PAYMENT OPTIONS: has made changes to their payment rules whereby (in 's own words) "Beginning in late October [2008], sellers will no longer be allowed to offer [any traditional person-to-person paper] payment methods on . Only approved electronic methods will be allowed." As a seller, now prohibits me from even using the words that describe what those traditional paper-transaction payment methods are. strongly encourages all buyers to pay for their items by using PayPal (an -owned company). I accept PayPal, and encourage you to use it, but I will not force you to use it. 's rules also state "A seller can accept [paper payments] from a buyer if (and only if) the buyer requests it. We will not take action against a seller who is trying to accommodate their buyer, complete a sale and be in compliance with the policy. Sellers cannot in any way solicit [paper payments] from a buyer." So, let me be clear, I am not, in any way, soliciting you to use any payment method other than PayPal, I am simply informing you (the buyer) of all of 's rules, which you can read for yourself on 's website by clicking on the following link (where the previous quotes came from): 's new rules.

This item has been shown times. Daguerreotype Polishing Powder -new: $25