Sure, you can edge glass yourself.  However, you're going to have to deal
with a frame shop to get the coated glass in the first place, unless
you're buying a huge quanitity or want to pay Edmund Optics style prices;
so you might as well pick a frame shop that has an edge seamer, and then
you don't have to do any sanding; they can just make the edge safe for you
when they cut it.

HI,

I just want to thank all the people who responded.  Some very
interesting comments and information. Didn't know that you only put an
AN on the top and regular good quality glass on the bottom.  I've been
shooting 4x5 on and off for the past few years, mostly do 120 and 35,
but as I go on, I'm drawn to the larger format, bought a 5x7 Elwood
enlarger which will differently need an AN, and have shot about 100 8x10
negs.  I'm also drawn to the palladium print and thought that the AN
would improve the quality of the negative. I have a heat absorbing glass
in the filter drawer on my DIIv.  But still, I like the idea of using
just one neg holder for 35, 4.5x6, 6x6, 6x9 and 4x5 is very alluring.
Point taken about possible dust problems but I'm very scrupulous,
always "dust" both sides of the neg with compressed air and dust out the
condensers at least once a month, if not more often if I'm using it
heavily.  So the dust problem would be taken care of.  Another factor
that I have to consider is that I often work with the same negative all
day and night.  Must take a beating being under the "lights" so long.
????.  The AN might help there???

Anyway, You have been very helpful and I Thank You!

Regards,
Bogdan

If you mean that coated glass isn't the same stuff a photo supplier will
sell you as "anti-newton glass", that's correct; the acid-etched "anti
glare" glass sold by frame shops is, as far as I can tell, the exact
same product, however.

But if you mean "coated glass doesn't _work_ as anti-newton glass",
you're not right.  Newton's rings are an interference pattern; the
waves that are interfering are those reflected back and forth between
the surface of the negative and the surface of the glass.  Coated glass
reduces the amplitude of each reflection from its surface by about 95%
compared to uncoated glass; so in fact it is a very effective way to
avoid Newton's rings.

The acid-etched glass works in a different way (by increasing the distance
between the negative and the glass, and by providing a diffuse reflection
that does not give the interference pattern), and is cheaper.  I do not
think it works much better, though -- but since you can't use it
below the negative, coated glass is your only option there anyway.

I use it for both top and bottom though I admit that I only use the
top if the negative is bowed. Suprisingly I find that my TXP negs are
flat. Perfectly flat ? Nope. But with one glass on the bottom and only
2X enlargments .... adequate.

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