Wetplate Collodion Supplies Note: Some supplies on this detailed list are not needed to begin wetplate collodion

photography. Consult specific formulas to determine which chemicals need to be purchased. Some equipment is also optional (e.g., certain container sizes or types).

Chemistry: 500ml plain Collodion USP [4-8% nitrocellulose CAS #9004-70-0] dissolved in diethyl ether and grain alcohol (do not buy Flexible Collodion containing castor oil and camphor) 500ml diethyl ether [CAS #60-29-7] (this chemical becomes extremely hazardous [explosive peroxides form] upon exposure to light and air so dont store it if possible and buy only small quantities that will be used quickly) 1 liter 95% Ethanol/190 proof grain alcohol [CAS #64-17-5] (Not sold in Michigan but available in neighboring Indiana and other states, as well as the internet. Everclear 95% ethyl alcohol or similar brands are commonly used , but do not purchase the lower proof alcohol as it contains a lot of water which ruins the collodion. Absolute alcohol could also be used but it has benzene added to it to reach 99% and this must then have additional water added to it to bring it back to 95%. Benzene is carcinogenic, denatures the alcohol and makes it undrinkable. Other denatured alcohols contain methanol and may be used but the fumes are toxic.)

500ml denatured alcohol (contains ethanol and methanol [CAS # 67-56-1]) (to clean glassware) 25gm cadmium bromide [CAS #7789-42-6] (optional - cadmium is carcinogenic other salts can be used instead but cadmium salts render the collodion mixture more stable over time) cadmium iodide [CAS #10102-68-8] (optional - cadmium is carcinogenic other salts can be used instead but cadmium salts render the collodion mixture more stable over time) potassium bromide [CAS #7758-02-3] and/or ammonium bromide [CAS #12124-97-9] and/or sodium bromide [CAS #7647-15-6] (ammonium salts give off irritating fumes but make for a collodion which can be used overnight potassium salts are insoluble in alcohol so

25gm

25gm

water must be added to dissolve potassium salts and this requires the collodion to clear for about a week before use clearing is essentially the precipitation of potassium bromide from solution bromides add spectral sensitivity to collodions while iodides add speed and contrast) 25gm potassium iodide [CAS #7681-11-0] and/or ammonium iodide [CAS #12027-06-4] and/or sodium iodide [CAS #7681-82-5] (see notes on the bromide salts any collodion containing potassium iodide and a bromide salt will react to precipitate potassium bromide and require subsequent clearing)

100gm Silver Nitrate [CAS #7761-88-8] (to make a 9% sensitizing bath add 90gm AgNO3 to 1000ml distilled water exact quantity required depends on the size of the sensitizing tank the bath gets depleted with use so extra AgNO3 must be added periodically to bring the specific gravity back to ~ 1.07) 500gm Ferrous sulfate [CAS #7720-78-7] (an inexpensive developer for wetplate) 25gm Potassium nitrate [CAS #7757-79-1] (optional developer additive that brightens plate and imparts a more neutral color)

250ml glacial acetic acid 99.9% pure [CAS #64-19-7] (caution: freezes at 62F/16.7C used as a chemical restrainer for developers and to adjust pH of solutions) 2kg sodium thiosulfate pentahydrate [CAS #10102-17-7] (hypo fixer- can be used in place of deadly potassium cyanide to fix plates ammonium thiosulfate rapid fixer w/o hardener has also been used successfully to fix wetplates)

500gm Gum Sandarac [CAS #9000-57-1] (for plate varnish) 100ml Oil of Lavender [CAS #8000-28-0] (for plate varnish) 500gm white sugar [CAS #57-50-1] (organic restrainer for developers) 500gm Rottenstone or Whiting (calcium carbonate [CAS # 471-34-1]) (for cleaning glass)

100 gm Cupric Sulfate [CAS #7758-98-7] (used as a bleach for negative intensification not needed for positives) 25ml nitric acid [CAS # 7697-37-2] (optional used to adjust pH of silver bath although acetic acid may also be used nitric acid is also used in some intensification solutions) 2% tincture of iodine solution [CAS not applicable] (optional-used to season the silver nitrate sensitizing bath) vermiculite [CAS #1318-00-9] or dry sand (vermiculite, dry sand or other inert nonflammable media should be available to absorb accidental spills of ether or collodion)

30ml

1 kg

500ml smokeless lamp oil/liquid paraffin [CAS # 8012-95-1] 1 egg (egg white is used for albumen subbing of plates and albumen printing)

10 liter distilled water (distilled water is used in compounding the silver sensitizing bath and recommended for many other solutions and final washing) 100gm Kaolin/China Clay [CAS# 1332-58-7] (optional-used to filter contaminated silver nitrate solutions) 1 can Polyurethane spray varnish (used to coat reverse of aluminum plates not needed for ambrotypes or glass plate negatives and genuine ferrotypes)

Equipment and Supplies: 100pr 1pr 1+ 1 nitrile or latex exam gloves safety goggles (or faceshield) respirator or dust mask laboratory scale or balance (accurate to 0.1gm) cotton balls (for filtering solutions and wiping plates) Q-tips cotton swabs or equivalent (for albumen-subbing of glass plate edges) coffee filters (for filtering solutions) glass funnel (for silver bath) large plastic funnels (for fixers, developers, rinse water, etc.) Glass plates (for ambrotypes and glass negatives black smooth cathedral glass or other dark smooth glass may be employed for Ruby Ambrotypes) 1 glass cutter (handle type recommended)

1 pkg

1 pkg

1 pkg

2+

100ml glass cutting oil 1 metal straightedge (cork-backed ruler, etc.) 12 18 square or 90 triangle (for dimensioning glass) glass pliers china marker or xylene pen (for marking glass during cutting operation)

1 1

1 sh 1

corrugated cardboard or specialized glass cutting surface whetstone (coarse sandpaper may also be used to dull the edges of cut glass sheets) PEC Pads (great for cleaning glass plates) Black enameled 0.025 Trophy Aluminum sheet (available from Main Trophy Supply in Chicago used to make modern tintypes)

1 pkg

10ml graduated cylinder (note: ether & collodion will react with some plastics so glass is preferred) 100ml graduated cylinder (see above) 100ml graduated glass beaker 250ml graduated glass beaker 1000ml graduated glass beaker shotglass (for pouring developer onto plate) 500ml, 1000ml, and larger plastic chemical storage bottles as needed

1+

1+ 1+ 1+ 1+

4+ 2+

plastic print trays sized as needed 125ml Erlenmeyer flask with rubber stopper (for pouring and draining working solution of collodion or varnish) 250ml Corning Pyrex laboratory bottles with orange Teflon gasket cap as needed (for storage of ether, varnish, collodion, etc.) 500ml Corning Pyrex laboratory bottle with orange Teflon gasket cap as needed (for storage of ether, varnish, collodion, etc.) glass stirring rod

2+

1+

1 roll 1

pH testing paper hydrometer (inexpensive wine or aquarium hydrometers are sufficiently accurate and of the correct scale for measuring silver sensitizing bath specific gravity) oil lamp (used to dry plates and in varnishing) fire extinguisher egg separator 3-minute egg timer (or digital timer, stopwatch, wristwatch, etc.) plate drying rack storage/washing tank (paper safes may also be useful for transporting plates while wet) 1 4 soft brush (for dusting plate surfaces immediately before pouring collodion canned air may be substituted) hand siphon (optional useful for decanting silver nitrate solution after kaolin settling treatment)

1 1 1

1+ 1+

1+ roll paper towels 1-2 empty plastic milk jugs (for saving spent developer and rinse water on location) kitchen garbage bags butane cigarette lighter or matches (for oil lamp) camera (adapted for wetplate use or capable of using modified film holders note that silver nitrate is staining and corrosive and will eventually destroy wood and metal surfaces) lens(es)

1+ 1

1+

1 1 1 1

wetplate holder or modified film holder tripod camera darkcloth as needed shutter (an opaque hat or lenscap may be used as a shutter for long exposures needed for wetplate photography) darkroom or portable darkbox acrylic plate tanks & dipper (angled ~20 off vertical) (for silver nitrate sensitizing bath, fixer solution, washing, etc.) wooden or fabric opaque enclosure for silver nitrate sensitizing tank (sensitizing and processing may be done in trays though tanks are) acrylic development helper tray sized slightly larger than plate (optional) drying rack (similar to kitchen dish rack) for air-drying plates cleaning brush for silver nitrate sensitizing tank

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1+

1 1

Resources:

Getting Started in Wetplate Collodion Photography by Joseph Smigiel http://unblinkingeye.com/Articles/WPC/wpc.html

Recommended Texts: The Doers Guide To Wet-Plate Photography by John Coffer John now has a DVD-set to accompany his manual more info at: www.johncoffer.com The Silver Sunbeam by John Towler, MD, 1864 available online at: http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/sunbeam/index.html A Manual of Photography by Matthew Carey Lea 1868 available online at: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=moa;idno=AEL5141.0001.001 Coming Into Focus ed. John Barnier Has a good chapter on wetplate written by France and Mark Osterman: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811818942/unblinkingeye The Wet-Plate Process, A Working Guide by France and Mark Osterman http://www.collodion.org/pubs.html The Contemporary Wetplate Collodion Experience by Quinn Jacobson http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1427602735/unblinkingeye Wet Collodion Photography, A Short Manual, by George Berkhofer http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1430315318/unblinkingeye A Popular Treatise on Photography, by Dsir van Monckhoven available online at: http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/monckh/ The Albumen and Salted Paper Book, by James M. Reilly available online at: http://albumen.stanford.edu/library/monographs/reilly/toc.html