Ferric Oxalate

[Black Dog]

Can you make this yourself and if so how? Where could I find instructions on this?
BD

[Jorge]

Here goes buddy.....

http://home.att.net/~jeffrey.d.mathi...title_page.htm

this one is far easier than the traditonal method, I beleive Dick Sullivan also published a method but I cannot find the URL.

[wm blunt]

The New Platinum Print by Richard Sullivan and Carl Weese has info in the appendix on making ferric oxalate and exotic oxalates.

William Blunt

[sanking]

From a purely practical and economic perspective making Ferric Oxalate for pt/pd printing is not worth the trouble IMHO. Even the method described on jeffrey mathias website, which Jorge describes as far easier than the traditional method, takes many, many hours to complete, and in the end yields only about 125g of ferric oxalate powder.

And, compared to the costs of the platinum or palladium salts, feric oxalate represents a very small investment in the overall cost of pt/pd printing. A hundred grams of ferric oxalate from Artcraft costs $50, enough to make over 400ml of the working 25% ferric oxalate solution used in Pt/Pd printing. By contrast, an equal amount of 20% palladium or platinum solution (based on prices at B&S) will cost between $800-1400.

Sandy King



Sandy King

[Jorge]

I agree with Sandy, although I was curious I did not even tried to do it once I saw all that was involved. Both B&S and artcraft sell FO at good prices and very pure....

[edbuffaloe]

As Sandy King can attest, my attempt at making ferric oxalate was a disaster. I'm going to leave it to the experts.

[Jan Pietrzak]

BD,

Sorry for the me too, but Sandy and Ed are right.... spend
time making prints not chemistry....I once had the pleasure in watching Sullivan make chemisrty.....some thing about the smell of almonds that cleared the lab...
Life is to short to cut corners....I have found that with
B&S if something is not rite they make it rite.

jan pietrzak

[avandesande]

I think that a good shortcut could be had by eliminating the step of isolating the ferric oxolate. You could simply add oxolic acid, ferric nitrate, and the right amount of sodium hydroxide to your working solution. As long as the residual sodium nitrate doesn't interfere with the developing, you should be in good shape.
As others have mentioned you are making a platinum print, not ferric oxalate. I see no reason to isolate it.

[Black Dog]

Thanks for all that-I'll get in touch with B+S as they have loads of stuff that even Silverprint don't .

BD

[sanking]

Ed Buffaloe wrote:

"As Sandy King can attest, my attempt at making ferric oxalate was a disaster. I'm going to leave it to the experts."

Just so Ed does fill unduly intimidated by the procedure, he should know that my several attemps to make ferric oxalate have also been total disasters.

Best advice from here is, buy the powder and make prints quickly.

Sandy