Chemistry in N.Z. Where to buy ?

[Robert Hale]

Hi NZ B&Wers

Are any of you doing your own chemistry work,
making developers and fixers ?
If so where are you sourcing your chemicals ?

Best Regards

Rob

[Mike Wilde]

From all over, though in Canada, not NZ.

Developing agent:
Hydroquinone and phenidone or metol - mail order. One order can go a long way.
Ascorbic Acid - the heath food shop
Caffenol - coffee from the grocery store.

Alternatively - one bottle of Agfa rodinal or Kodak HC-110/ilfords Ilfotec HC commercial developers will when diluted as planned , go a long long way.

Preservative:
Sulfite - commercial food processor in the past - sausage maker. Now mail order.

Alkaline - Washing soda - sodium carbonate and borax- sodium borate - grocery store; Pool supply house is an option for the carbonate

Add Lye from hardware store - and with the CRC book as a reference , get to soduim metaborate (kodalk) from the borax, or buffered stop bath with soduim acetate from the vinegar

Restrainer - bromide - from mail order. Or Benzotriazole - much more concentrated - a stock solution of BZT , measured carefully can replace bromide

Stop bath - Vinegar for FB paper, or just water changed from time to time for film and RC paper.

Fixer - Hypo crystals - mail order, with a bit of sulfite and other little mial ordered bits. Or more frequently, 60% ammoinuim thiosulfate, by the gallon jug. Commercial Ilford fixer is just as good a deal, and works the same as most rapid fixers.

TF-4 from Photogrpahers formulary, or Superfix formula from APUG's Photo Engineer, will save hours of your life from otherwaise slow fixing processes.

Spend to buy a copy of Troop/Anschel 'the Darkroom Cookbook', and then build a spreadshet of the common elements that you will need.

I know Claire at JD Photochem outside of Montreal will mail ship all over the world. I get excellent service from her, as well as Mike at Artcraft, and the crew at the Formulary.

[Robert Hale]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for information. I think I have just about rounded up sources for the heavy bulk stuff locally and will contact Claire to see about to expensive light weight stuff soon.

Best Regards

Rob

[P C Headland]

I make PC-TEA developer.

I bought Phenidone from Artcraft, and there were no problems with shipping. I got enough to last a long, long time!

For the TEA (triethanolamine), I sourced that locally from Merck - it was on special, but still somewhat more expensive than US list prices. I'm sure I could have got a less pure version cheaper, but this wasn't too bad. I did have to fill in some declaration as to its use, but that was just a formallity.

The Vitamin C powder came from the health food shop.

I've also got all the chemicals I need to mix home-brew Rodinal - these were easy to source.

Let us know which local suppliers you end up using.

[Robert Hale]

Hi P C,

Merck humm yes I found some pyrogallol in that super lab grade which was a bit budget blowing at some $ 250 per 100 gms.

It’s sodium metaborate that I am hunting – apparently this is used in the diary industry as a carrier in one of the cleaners but the bods here at the Mount who make the cleaner won’t admit to using it “ bother “ or something ( it’s probably not suitable to use the dog advert b..... !! on an international forum )

Any way – yes I will list all the sources once I have tested them and actually bought from them which will probably post Christmas. I am hoping to get away up north where I have some shots in mind for PMK developing.

Thanks for your input.

Best Regards

Rob

[xtiaan]

they couldnt help me due to their elaborate screening process, but mabey you can make use of them

http://www.purescience.co.nz/bona.0.html
"(We do not sell directly to individuals; but we can refer individuals to a suitable retail pharmacist - who can on-sell all our products - after we have all the information requested in this message.)"

[xtiaan]

Ive given up on NZ
I can order all the chems I want from artcraft photograhic chemicals
and theyll ship them

Ill get back to you all and let you know if it all got through etc