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ErinHilburn · Feb 11, 2006

I know this has been asked in the past and I read all of the other post about it. But my question is of a different sort. I need to know where I can get the chemicals, but I can't order them over the internet. (I can't really afford a 25 dollar hazardous fee for every chemical I order) Do you know possibly where I could find the chemicals in a store location.
I've done some research and I know that Beauty salons use 40(or 20 or 30) vol hydrogen peroxide to bleach hair.
I know that copper chloride is used to treat lumber and some potters use it during glazes etc.
I found out that glacial acidic acid will probably be the most difficult to locate as you can seperate synth acetic anhydride which is a watched chemical.
I've asked the chemistry department at my school and all the art teachers they all stated they couldn't help me for various different reasons.
So any ideas you have would be of assistance.
Thanks,
Erin

Monophoto · Feb 11, 2006

Erin -

I think the real question is where are you?

You are looking to purchase photographic chemicals locally. It is possible that you could find chemicals that are used for purposes other than photography that coincidentally are available in specialty shops in small communities (eg, there has been some discussion recently about the fact that some chlorine sequestering agents used in swimming pools are sodium thiosulfate and could be purchased and used as bulk fixer.) But I suspect that it would be mainly coincidence if you could make this work for all of the chemicals you are looking for.

So the other approach to the problem is to ask if there are any chemical supply houses in your area that sell over the counter. The probability of that being the case increases with the size of the community where you live.

rrankin · Feb 11, 2006

Don't know about the rest of the chems, but I bought probably a lifetime supply of concentrated hydrogen peroxide from my local chemist (pharmacist). It was very inexpensive. Cheers, Richard

jtsatterlee · Feb 11, 2006

IN the US you can get the concentrated Hydrogen Peroxide from a good salon/stylist - it is used a a "developer" for hair color. Note that is is volatile under heat, keep it someplace temperature controlled.

John Koehrer · Feb 11, 2006

erinhilburn
Beauty supply houses for the HP
Kodak used to glacial in 16oz bottles through camera shops. Don't know if the concentration is the same.
Where are you? Maybe some one on the site who is local to you has some to spare.

ErinHilburn · Feb 11, 2006

I'm in Troy, Alabama which is a little town below Montgomery, but above Mobile. It is unlikely that there will be many chemical suppliers locally. I have been asking some local pharmacist and was told to find a compound pharmacy and they might have what I need. So slowly but surely I think I'm headed in the right direction.
Thanks,
Erin

ann · Feb 11, 2006

you can get the copper cholide from the Formulary, have it sent ground and there is not hazard charge. I believe i also got the glacial acid from them as well. No harzard charges , again when sent ground

smieglitz · Feb 11, 2006

Any local chemical supply house probably has glacial acetic acid. When I was a geology student we used it by the carbouy to dissolve limestones and retrieve silicified fossils. We bought the stuff locally.

How much of the dry chemicals do you need? Chances are small quantities shipped UPS ground won't be subject to a hazard charge.

Cupric chloride is also used by artists for etching plates and also as a ceramic glaze (I think). Check with some local artists. They may have a source or would set you up with small quantities.

Joe

ErinHilburn · Feb 12, 2006

Thanks everybody I have found everything and will soon be on my way to trying this process. I appreciate all the help.
-Erin

Photo Engineer · Feb 12, 2006

Erin;

Kodak still sells Glacial Acetic Acid. It comes in 1 gallon plastic bottles for about $30. I have forgotten the price, but that is close to what I paid about 2 years ago. One gallon of acetic acid is a lifetime supply for one of us, I would imagine.

I simply went into my local photo store and tried to buy some, and he said "Gee, Kodak doesn't sell those little bottles any more, let me look it up", so he got out his Kodak catalog (yes, there is still a printed catalog and he gave me one) and yes, there it was, Cat # 64-19-7.

Good luck.

PE

eumenius · Feb 12, 2006

Erin;

I don't know about the USA, but here in Russia the 70% solution of acetic acid (not the glacial one, but wouldn't this one suffice?) sells under a name of "vinegar essence" in food stores. It's widely used in canning, because the regular table vinegar would be far too dilute to be practical. Isn't the case not the same in the US?

Cheers from Moscow,
Zhenya

nworth · Feb 12, 2006

Usually, the hazarous material shipping charge is applied to each order, not each chemical. So you can save by putting several hazarous chemicals in a single order. It's still expensive. Most major metropolitan areas have at least one laboratory chemical supply house. You can often deal with them. They may not carry purely photograhic chemicals (e.g. glycin, CD-4) but the common laboratory chemicals (e.g.acetic acid, ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, etc.) and those commonly used in laboratories and schools (e.g. thymol, hydrogen peroxide, many fine chemical reagents) will be available at reasonable prices.

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