Which diluitions for PT/PD solution?

[photo8x10]

Hi,
I've been reading on Jeffrey Mathias's site about the soluzion diluition, and I tried his formula calculator. First I calculated my 27% ferric oxalate solution, and after I calculated platinum and palladium soluzions. I read that the platinum solution is usually at 20%, with the calculator became 23% with a sensibilizer at 27%, so I tried palladium and this became at 18% with 27%FeOx and I know it usually at 15%.I don't understand those differences :confused: , What happen if I use this stronger pt/pd diluitions on my print?

Best

Stefano
Italy

 

[Kerik]

Hello Stefano,

You're obsessing on what amount to minor details. I mix my ferric oxate at 27%. I use this formula when mixing my palladium:

9.1 gm PdCl
6.4 gm NaCl
water to make 100 ml of final solution

These have worked well for me for many years. Resist the urge to make this process more complicated than it needs to be. (Sorry, I don't have a formula for my platinum solution on hand - I rarely use platinum, but I'm pretty sure it is 20%).

Ciao.

 

[photo8x10]

Hello Kerik,
Thanks for your reply, you are right about my obssessing, but it's a my habit to try to find out all the informations that I can find and try to understand them, and also in this case, I usually do my sensibilizer at 27% but I never have done my PT or PD solutions(I'll try to do them early) and my BS solutions are 20% and 15%, is these difference with Jeffrey's calulator(little) that I would like to understand (it's a little difference of chemical amount)why, and in what way pictures would change.

Best
CIAO

Stefano

 

[Kerik]

Stefano,

Based on my experience, you will see no appreciable difference in your prints with Jeffrey's calculations or the B&S solutions (which are the concentrations that I use). Jeffrey is a fine printer and much more of a chemist than I, but I think he's taking the process to a level of precision that is mostly theoretical and beyond what is necessary to get really fine results with this process. I don't know how much platinum printing you've done, but if you're starting out the best thing to do is not sweat the details and just make prints. Once you have the basic skills, nothing will teach you more about this process than just doing it. Yes, be willing to experiment, but you don't need a calculator (or a densitometer for that matter) to get really top quality results.

Best of Luck!