Pt/Pd supplies - Europe and world wide

[Matus Kalisky]

After many hours browsing and I am coming up with a very limited number of places that actually provide the chemicals or kits necessary for Platinum and Palladium printing (end even less for the Na2 method)

So - here I am trying to put together a list of places that actually carry the supplies needed. It would be great if other could share their own experience. Also interesting would be to know places that sell "bare" chemicals to individual. Please note that many chemicals or compounds are not eligible to be shipped outside given country (definitely the case for USA)

My search for the necessary chemicals is based on the 2nd edition of "Platinum and Palladium Printing" by Dick Arentz.

So - the list (as of 12/2011):

Bostick & Sullivan
- USA
- probably the place No.1 - they carry pretty much everything one may need for wide range of alternative processes.

Photographer's Formulary
- USA
- carry the sensitizers (Ferric oxalate) A and B, but do not have palladium or platinum salts (confirmed via email). Offer nice 8x10" contact printing frames for only $60.
- kits for other alternative processes available, but no Pt/Pd
- paper: Crane's 90 lb Cotton Rag

Artcraft Chemicals, Inc
- USA
- have most of the chemicals necessary, but not the restrainers (oxidizers) and also not the palladium salt solution (sodium tetrachloropalladate). According to their webpage they plan to provide Pt/Pd printing kits, but none are available as of know. I am waiting for answer from them though.

Fotospeed
- UK
- no Pt/Pd stuff, but again well priced contact printing frames and coating rods
- offer "Fabriano Paper, 300 gms", though I do not know which one - I will ask for details and update.

Moersch Photochemie
- DE (the only supplier in Germany that I found)
- carry a limited selection of Pt/Pd chemicals including the Pt/Pd salt solutions, but the "Solution B" (contains Potassium chlorate) or the Potassium chlorate is missing.
- they also offer a few suitable papers (Berger COT 320, Cranes Kit Ecru, Herschel Platinotype)

Fotofachversand.at
- AT
- not relevant fo most, but this is the only place where I found the 21 step Stouffer step tablet (1.5 x 15 cm)

* PLEASE * if you are aware of additional shops that have the Pt/Pd supplies (in particular within EU), please share it here. Right now it seems that one is not able to get the full set of chemicals in Europe, which I hope is not the case ...

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Note: It seems that for private person it is not possible to buy Potassium Chlorate (KClO3 - Kaliumchlorat in German) in Germany because of its reactive properties (Schools or such are allowed to buy it). So this may mean that the only way is to find the premixed solution B (27% ferric oxalate, 0.6% potassium chlorate).

[cdholden]

Also in the US, try Chemsavers.
In the past, they have purchased KCN from Germany. Maybe they can tell you where to look for your other bits over there too.

[ced]

Also in the US, try Chemsavers.
In the past, they have purchased KCN from Germany. Maybe they can tell you where to look for your other bits over there too.

Here is a useful French site: http://disactis.com/
Belgian site for most chemicals: http://www.le-lion.be/

[DaveF]

Digging around for info on this lately, firstcall photographic in UK have Laboldtech kits in their catalogue - seemingly of Italian origin, from www.antichetecnichefotografiche.it

[bob carnie]

Cone Editions is now selling Pt Pd combo kits and has future plans to sell more.

[minh0204]

Wet plate supplies in the UK stocks all the chems required to make anything homemade formulas imaginable, from pan-sensitized dry plates to home made developers. There are many pre-diluted solutions for hard-to-find chemicals, including Potassium Chlorate and Gold Chloride.

It's near impossible to find such a comprehensive catalog of raw photographic chemicals anywhere in the world, so please support it if you can.