Where do you buy your chemicals

Shan · Feb 11, 2006

Do you buy online or locally? Perhaps someone near Seattle has some suggestions for where I can get darkroom supplies and chemicals for a decent price. I have been ordering almost everything online so far it seems like most camera stores don't sell darkroom chemicals, or I have just been looking in the wrong places.

Thanks!

DeanC · Feb 11, 2006

I've bought from The Chemistry Store and Artcraft Chemicals in the past. Now that they're an APUG sponsor, I'll probably try Digital Truth the next time I need something.

removed account4 · Feb 11, 2006

hi shannon

i'm on the other side of the country -- i buy developer-chemicals from the formulary + artcraft ... and fixer, perma wash locally. here in ri we still have 1 or 2 places left that sell chemistry, and some of it is made down the road at sprint systems in good ol' pawtucket, so when the last place stops selling, i'll go to the factory outlet!

if you are near a school with a photo department, find out where they get their chemistry. a lot of schools tend to use sprint chemistry cause it is good stuff, and easy to mix ( all liquid ) ...

good luck!

-john

Dug · Feb 11, 2006

Shannon,

Rainier Photo on Rainier Ave S just north of Henderson is the place to go in Seattle. They are nice folks with good prices and are open late on Thursday nites.

www.rainierphoto.com

I buy most everything but bulk chemicals from them. For that I mailorder for Artcraft in New York.

-Doug

Shan · Feb 11, 2006

Awesome Dug, thanks! I work in south Seattle so I may venture over there on thursday.

vet173 · Feb 11, 2006

I second Dougs' recomendation. I've been buting there for years.

srs5694 · Feb 12, 2006

Are you looking for packaged photochemicals (XTOL, Rodinal, Ilfosol-S, etc.) or "raw" chemicals (phenidone, sodium sulfite, etc.)? Although there's some overlap, sources for these two categories differ.

For packaged photochemicals, I buy about 50% from B&H and the remaining 50% from Dead Link Removed and Freestyle. The first two are based in New York, which is good for me (in Rhode Island), since I usually get ground shipments in about two days. Freestyle's in California, which would probably work better for you in terms of shipping time, but Freestyle's prices are slightly higher except for their house-brand products.

For raw chemistry, Photographer's Formulary has, overall, the best selection but the highest prices. B&H will special order most PF items, often at slightly lower prices. Note that PF also sells its own line of pre-mixed chemistry (developers, fixers, etc.). Art Craft has a somewhat lesser selection overall but better prices. Digital Truth and Dead Link Removed (I suspect they're related, but I don't know the details) have somewhat more restricted, but still good, selections and good prices. They're also the only two sources I know of for small quantities of Dimezone S, FWIW. Dead Link Removed is Canadian and has a good selection and prices, but I've not yet ordered from them myself. The Chemistry Store has a few photographic items at very good prices, but they mainly cater to home soap and candle makers and so lack a lot of photography items. Finally, an assortment of local stores (supermarkets, drug stores, pool supply stores, etc.) sell certain products that can be used in photochemistry, such as lye, sodium carbonate, vinegar, etc. Note that the non-photochemistry sources might not sell products that are photo grade. Most people report no problems using such products, but there's a risk that you'll get something unsuitable and have problems as a result.

Chazzy · Feb 12, 2006

I wonder how people obtain some of the really dangerous stuff. For instance, I was amazed to learn in a recent _View Camera_ article that tintypes require the use of potassium cyanide! Good grief, how do ordinary people get their hands on that? If I owned a chemical dealership, I would be scared to death that people would say they were making tintypes when what they really wanted the stuff for was doing in themselves or someone else, and that I might wind up sharing the blame.

Lachlan Young · Feb 12, 2006

Chazzy said:
I wonder how people obtain some of the really dangerous stuff. For instance, I was amazed to learn in a recent _View Camera_ article that tintypes require the us of potassium cyanide! Good grief, how do ordinary people get their hands on that? If I owned a chemical dealership, I would be scared to death that people would say they were making tintypes when what they really wanted the stuff for was doing in themselves or someone else, and that I might wind up sharing the blame.

Here

(Apparently Potassium Cyanide is used, IIRC, along with Nitric Acid to recondition expensive files in the watchmaking industry)

Lachlan

seadrive · Feb 12, 2006

I buy almost all of my photo chemicals from B&H. The local camera store long ago stopped stocking chemicals.

USPS Priority Mail from Brooklyn (I guess that's where their warehouse is) to Greenport is basically overnight mail; can't beat the service and the prices. Only bad thing is that I have to pay sales tax.

Jim Chinn · Feb 12, 2006

I order from both Artcraft and Photographers Formulary and have never had a problem with quality of materials or ordering.

craigclu · Feb 12, 2006

srs5694 said:
Digital Truth and Dead Link Removed (I suspect they're related, but I don't know the details) have somewhat more restricted, but still good, selections and good prices. They're also the only two sources I know of for small quantities of Dimezone S, FWIW. Dead Link Removed is Canadian and has a good selection and prices, but I've not yet ordered from them myself. The Chemistry Store has a few photographic items at very good prices, but they mainly cater to home soap and candle makers and so lack a lot of photography items.

I have purchased from all of the listed sources and can add that JD Photochem has been prompt and reliable, too. I stumbled into Tech Chem while looking for a Dimezone-S source and since then have been using them for many things. They seem to produce things for rebranding and also have their own line of general duty developers, stop baths, fixers, etc. besides raw chemicals. They're nice folks, helpful, prompt and have very fair pricing.

Phillip P. Dimor · Feb 12, 2006

OT, sorry...
I believe that Pot. Cyanide is also used for either nickel or chrome plating..
There was an article somewhere from a few years back, a young girl had killed herself by ingesting a concoction of pot. cyanide and pepsi. She purchased the cyanide through a metal plating company at the recommendation of an online pro suicide help forum and there was a big fuss over all of this.

Gerald Koch · Feb 13, 2006

Lachlan Young said:
(Apparently Potassium Cyanide is used, IIRC, along with Nitric Acid to recondition expensive files in the watchmaking industry)
Lachlan

Hopefully not at the same time!

Chazzy · Feb 13, 2006

Phillip P. Dimor said:
OT, sorry...
I believe that Pot. Cyanide is also used for either nickel or chrome plating..
There was an article somewhere from a few years back, a young girl had killed herself by ingesting a concoction of pot. cyanide and pepsi. She purchased the cyanide through a metal plating company at the recommendation of an online pro suicide help forum and there was a big fuss over all of this.

I don't think it's far off the topic of obtaining photographic chemicals.

I've noticed that Photographer's Formulary wants people to fill out a form when ordering certain chemicals, but I'm not sure whether that has to do with those items being dangerous in general, or whether those things are used in the production of illicit drugs.

Personally, I feel cautious even around glacial acetic acid.

Lee Shively · Feb 13, 2006

I have bought most of my chemicals locally for the past 30-odd years. Unfortunately, darkroom supplies are slowly disappearing from their shelves in favor of more digital junk. I've bought a few things from B&H, Freestyle, Calumet and The Chemistry Store. I'll probably buy more stuff online as time goes by.

Gerald Koch · Feb 13, 2006

The Wine Lab www.thewinelab.com (now Gusmer Enterprises, Inc) for potassium metabisulfite, potassium carbonate, tartaric acid, potassium bitartrate. www.suttonbayspices.com for the cheapest source of sodium erythorbate (sodium isoascorbate) $6.33/lb look under sausage supplies.

Peter Schrager · Feb 13, 2006

City Chemical

I get most of the bulk chems I use right here in Connecticut from City Chemical.(west haven) I'm out of town right now but will post the address and 800 number when I get back. Stock over 10,000 chemicals. Just the most convenient for me. I just go and pick up most of my stuff so no shipping
Best, Peter

Kino · Feb 13, 2006

Like Peter, professionally, we purchase MOST bulk chemistry a local supplier, Univar Chemicals in Cincinnati, Ohio and mix our own developers, fix and clearing bath from scratch (kodak standard D96 and D97). Bisufite, Bisulfide, Hexametaphosphate, sodium hydroxide and so on in 50 lb bags. The active developers we get directly from Kodak; ever seen a 55 gal. drum of Hydroquinone or a 35 lb drum of Elon? EXPENSIVE! About $1100 for the Elon! A 55 galon drum of perchlorethylene is 98 cents a pound, but a drum weighs 700 lbs!

Edwardv · Feb 14, 2006

I order my TF-4 Fixer from Photographers Formulary, Zone VI BW paper developer from Calumet and the others chemicals from Service Photo in Baltimore, MD.

Where do you buy your chemicals

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