Black Out A Bathroom

wjlapier · Jan 25, 2021

I'm thinking about using my downstair bathroom for some simple darkroom work. Mainly slitting film. I do all my developing from a changing bag to scanning upstairs in the kitchen, so no problem there. Slitting in the bag is a problem. I have a downstairs bathroom that has one small window I could somehow cover. And the door has light leaking around it so I would have to cover that as well. Then I guess I would have to see what I'm doing. I've never worked in a darkroom so I have no idea if I can use a special light ( red? ) to slit the film. Sealing the room needs to be reversible. Any suggestions on how to go about doing this?

Thanks.

Hilo · Jan 25, 2021

You mean by slitting film to remove it from the spool?

If it is something like that, I do not see why you could not do that in the bag?

A pair of small scissors . . .

VinceInMT · Jan 25, 2021

While my current basement darkroom is windowless, I have used windowed rooms over the years and had to seal out the light. In my previous couple of rooms, I tacked 1/2 of the Velcro strip to the window frame and the the other half I sewed to a piece of marine vinyl (black). I could quickly put up the vinyl to black out the room and remove it to restore daylight.

In one darkroom I really couldn’t modify the window outside of putting up a piece of cardboard but, since I only used it after sunset, that was good enough. That said, an after sunset solution might be your best bet,

No, no safe light if you are working with film unless the film is orthochromatic.

Whatever method you choose, practice your maneuvers in the light, then with your eyes closed, before attempting them in complete darkness. I just had to slit a roll of found 116 film down to fit on my 120 reel and made a simple jig for doing so but practice, practice, practice made perfect.

Good luck.

sterioma · Jan 25, 2021

Due to covid restrictions I cannot access the darkroom at my camera club so I am using my south facing bathroom for some 35mm printing with my old enlarger, not without some difficulties.

I have a big piece of cardboard that roughly matches the shape of the big window, plus some old towels trying to cover some light spills from the bottom; but it's only really usable after sunset... which is snow starting to be later and later in the Northern emisphere so I need to find a better solution.

juan · Jan 25, 2021

Go to a fabric store such as Joann’s in the US and get a few yards of the material that’s used to back drapes. Some call it blackout cloth. It is lightproof. You can cover your window - I made a cloth covered frame that I jammed into the frame. You could make a curtain that completely covers the door.

bdial · Jan 25, 2021

My darkroom is converted from a bathroom. I used weather sealing strips on the door to make it light-tight. You may need to add a sweep on the bottom. This is reversible with some effort, but doesn’t impact the use of the door or the room for its other functions and is easier to deal with than hanging cloth over it.
For the window, i covered it with plywood, but light proof cloth would work too, especially if you want to take it down between sessions.

jeffreyg · Jan 25, 2021

Blackout fabric or garden vinyl attached top and bottom to dowel sticks. Overlap the size of the openings. Two "L" hooks on the top of the openings. just slide themover the hooks and unroll. When not in use you can roll them up like a scroll. I've used them for forty-four years. Takes a minute to install and very little space to store when not needed.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

http://www.sculptureandphotography.com/

glbeas · Jan 25, 2021

wjlapier said:
I'm thinking about using my downstair bathroom for some simple darkroom work. Mainly slitting film. I do all my developing from a changing bag to scanning upstairs in the kitchen, so no problem there. Slitting in the bag is a problem. I have a downstairs bathroom that has one small window I could somehow cover. And the door has light leaking around it so I would have to cover that as well. Then I guess I would have to see what I'm doing. I've never worked in a darkroom so I have no idea if I can use a special light ( red? ) to slit the film. Sealing the room needs to be reversible. Any suggestions on how to go about doing this?

Thanks.

You are slitting panchromatic film for your camera? You cant do that under any kind of light. Ortho film can be handled under a dim red light. Read up on the requirements of the particular film you are working with, the information should be on the manufacturers website.

Donald Qualls · Jan 25, 2021

My last two darkroom setups I've made a plywood cover for the window, with a frame that fits inside the window frame. The current one is glued and screwed in place (this darkroom is a permanent setup); the previous one slipped in and out in seconds. Quarter inch (6mm) ply works fine, if you paint it flat black on at least one side. For the door, weatherstripping can make it light tight, except (usually) the bottom; I stuff a towel into the crack at the bottom and the room is plenty dark for changing or handling film.

wjlapier · Jan 25, 2021

glbeas said:
You are slitting panchromatic film for your camera? You cant do that under any kind of light. Ortho film can be handled under a dim red light. Read up on the requirements of the particular film you are working with, the information should be on the manufacturers website.

Doing some reading after posting this question I guess I am talking about panchromatic film. Basically, slitting from 120 to 127, or cutting 100ft of 127 to fit recycled 127 paper and spooling it. Rarely slitting 120 to 828 and then to 16mm.

The biggest problem I have with slitting 120 to 127 in the changing bag is pulling the film through the slitter. I could do this in total darkness if I had a jig of some sort and more room.

Thanks for the ideas on blocking out the light.

Christopher Walrath · Jan 25, 2021

And, if you decide on a non-permanent solution, do not overlook the usefulness of duct tape to hold whatever material to walls and other surfaces. Should just about block out everything.

Donald Qualls · Jan 25, 2021

Whenever I've cut 120 to either 127 (plus a 16mm strip) or 828 (and a 16mm strip) I've done the cutting in the light, with the film still on the spool, and only the respooling in the dark.

The fogging that occurs at the cut line is negligible, even on a 16mm strip for Minolta 16, as long as the backing paper stays rolled tight (some wide masking tape helps here).

MattKing · Jan 25, 2021

Christopher Walrath said:
And, if you decide on a non-permanent solution, do not overlook the usefulness of duct tape to hold whatever material to walls and other surfaces. Should just about block out everything.

Gaffers tape would be even better!

Christopher Walrath · Jan 25, 2021

MattKing said:
Gaffers tape would be even better!

Been a while, Matt. You are right.

wjlapier · Jan 25, 2021

Donald Qualls said:
Whenever I've cut 120 to either 127 (plus a 16mm strip) or 828 (and a 16mm strip) I've done the cutting in the light, with the film still on the spool, and only the respooling in the dark.

The fogging that occurs at the cut line is negligible, even on a 16mm strip for Minolta 16, as long as the backing paper stays rolled tight (some wide masking tape helps here).

This is my slitter:

How are you slitting in the light?

Donald Qualls · Jan 25, 2021

wjlapier said:
How are you slitting in the light?

Utility knife.

Seriously. When I had my lathe set up, I'd chuck one spool flange, support the other with the dead center, spin the roll, and rest the knife on the compound.

Tel · Jan 25, 2021

I black out my bathroom regularly. I have a "curtain" for the one window that I made out of rubberized ripstop nylon. (I forget where I got it--maybe Fargo Industries.) I got a long roll of velcro and cut a number of 3-inch pieces that I stapled to the sides of the window casing. These match to strips sewn on the edge of the cloth. There was a slight leak at the top of the window so I made a header that attaches in the same way to the top of the window casing and that fixed it. Then I did the same to the door. The pieces of cloth roll up neatly and sit in a corner of a closet. I do all my 127 rolling in there--it takes five minutes to set up the curtains and less than that to take it apart.

Black Out A Bathroom

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency