How to unstick a sheaf of 8x10 glossies?

[m...@freedom.net]

I've got about 50 B/W glossy contact sheets that have all become stuck
together (water damage in storage) in one rock-hard sheaf. How on earth do I
get them unstuck? I've tried soaking them in hot water but this doesn't seem
to work very well (they are rather impermable). Any suggestions?

Signed,
Stuck up
fc...@videotron.ca

p.s. Since I no longer have a darkroom, it's not a simple matter to simply
reprint the contact sheets, but the contact sheets are really useful for
choosing the photos I want to scan with my negative scanner...

________________________________________________________________________
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[m...@freedom.net]

I've got about 50 B/W glossy contact sheets that have all become stuck
together (water damage in storage) in one rock-hard sheaf. How on earth do I
get them unstuck? I've tried soaking them in hot water but this doesn't seem
to work very well (they are rather impermable). Any suggestions?

Signed,
Stuck up
m...@freedom.net

[Richard Knoppow]

m...@freedom.net wrote:

>I've got about 50 B/W glossy contact sheets that have all become stuck
>together (water damage in storage) in one rock-hard sheaf. How on earth do I
>get them unstuck? I've tried soaking them in hot water but this doesn't seem
>to work very well (they are rather impermable). Any suggestions?
>
>Signed,
>Stuck up
>m...@freedom.net
>
>p.s. Since I no longer have a darkroom, it's not a simple matter to simply
>reprint the contact sheets, but the contact sheets are really useful for
>choosing the photos I want to scan with my negative scanner...
>
>

About the best you can do is to rewet the prints in a solution of
Photo-Flo and try separating them after a long soak. Unfortunately,
when prints are wet the gelatin softens and tends to melt together
where it touches another sheet. Once it dries and shrinks back up the
areas in contact become welded together and simply can't be separated
without tearing the emulsion. Sometimes soaking will get them apart
but be prepared for disappointment.
---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, Ca.
dick...@ix.netcom.com

[Fred]

The only thing you can do is put a little Photo Flo in the water and let them
soak, and soak.... It doesn't have to be hot water, just 68 degrees (F).
Unfortunately the photo paper will eventually get soggy so you have to be
careful. I would carefully peel them one at a time, removing them one by one and
leaving the rest in the water to soak more.