Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Notices

Go Back   Film and Darkroom User > Alternative Processes > Contact printing

  ***   Click here for the FADU 2015/2014 Yearbooks   ***

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #41  
Old 3rd September 2009, 04:04 PM
numnutz numnutz is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SW London
Posts: 144
Default

Quote:
Alan Clark...
I have almost finished making a 10 x 8 camera and have been thinking about a vacuum box for doing contact prints, to avoid having to use glass. Does anyone have any experience of this?
I found this while mindlessly surfing the web one evening. Maybe the principle can be converted to a contact printing frame.

http://www.deadbread.com/crumbs/vac.html


nn
Reply With Quote
  #42  
Old 3rd September 2009, 06:50 PM
Alan Clark Alan Clark is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1,426
Default

Thanks NN.
I am sure a pump could pull enough air out of a box with small holes in the top to pull a sheet of printing paper down flat. The question is would enough air be pulled through the printing paper to create enough of a vacuum to pull the negative down flat?

I shall experiment and report back.

Alan
Reply With Quote
  #43  
Old 8th September 2009, 11:11 AM
les dix les dix is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Near Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
Posts: 262
Default

Where does one get chemicals for Pt/Pd printing? Silverprint do not stock them unless I have missed them. I expect them to eye-wateringly expensive but to what extent?

Les
Reply With Quote
  #44  
Old 8th September 2009, 11:19 AM
Ian Leake's Avatar
Ian Leake Ian Leake is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Middle England
Posts: 92
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by les dix View Post
Where does one get chemicals for Pt/Pd printing? Silverprint do not stock them unless I have missed them. I expect them to eye-wateringly expensive but to what extent?

Les
Silverprint sell some of the chemistry (Ferric Oxalate, developers and clearing agents for example). But you'll need to go to Bostick and Sullivan in the US (http://www.bostick-sullivan.com) for the metals - Potassium Chloroplatinite ("Platinum") and Sodium Chloropalladite ("Palladium").

The extent of your eye-watering depends... Take a look at their prices and then factor in shipping, customs duty and VAT...
__________________
Visit me at www.ianleake.com
Reply With Quote
  #45  
Old 8th September 2009, 11:41 AM
Ian Leake's Avatar
Ian Leake Ian Leake is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Middle England
Posts: 92
Default

Actually the cost of Pt/Pd depends on many more factors than just the cost of the metals and related chemistry. Developers are very cost-effective because they don't get exhausted in the same way that silver gelatin developers do. But the paper you use may be quite costly. You should also factor in the cost of wastage (e.g. test prints or when you mess up the coating). Wastage is probably the most underestimated cost of all.

I use a rule of thumb that a small print costs about £5 in materials. This number has varied significantly over the years... Nowadays I probably average 1-2 test prints before I find the right combination of Pt/Pd/developer, but thankfully I rarely mess up my coating.

All the economics change when you're making large prints - above 10x8 say.
__________________
Visit me at www.ianleake.com
Reply With Quote
  #46  
Old 9th September 2009, 07:40 AM
vanannan's Avatar
vanannan vanannan is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: I live in Port Erin on the Isle Of Man
Posts: 740
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by les dix View Post
Where does one get chemicals for Pt/Pd printing? Silverprint do not stock them unless I have missed them. I expect them to eye-wateringly expensive but to what extent?

Les
http://www.artcraftchemicals.com/

These people have the best prices I have found and they do not overcharge for postage.
Reply With Quote
  #47  
Old 9th September 2009, 08:18 AM
Ian Leake's Avatar
Ian Leake Ian Leake is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Middle England
Posts: 92
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by vanannan View Post
http://www.artcraftchemicals.com/

These people have the best prices I have found and they do not overcharge for postage.
I get my supplies for Mike Ware's platinum process from Artcraft. They've proven to be very reliable; and shipping costs are lower because their supplies are powdered (water and bottles are heavy).

But when starting out, most people prefer to buy pre-mixed chemistry kits rather than powders. While this means your shipping prices are higher, it also means that you don't need so many precautions when mixing chemistry (you really don't want to inhale some of these chemicals).
__________________
Visit me at www.ianleake.com
Reply With Quote
  #48  
Old 20th November 2009, 12:33 AM
A Sanderson A Sanderson is offline
Friend
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: West Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 33
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael View Post
If that's Andrew Sanderson snuck into the forum, he's one person I had really hoped would get here. Thank you for Night photography and a lot of other things.
What a lovely comment, I'm flattered. Thank you.

Andrew Sanderson.
www.andrewsanderson.com
www.thewebdarkroom.com
Reply With Quote
Reply
Support our Sponsors, they keep FADU free:   AG Photographic   The Imaging Warehouse   Process Supplies   RH Designs   Second-hand Darkroom Supplies  

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 09:08 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.