Building a darkroom sink stand

Barry S · Jan 4, 2010

I just got a darkroom sink for a workshop/studio space I'm setting up and I'm trying to figure out how to build a support stand. It's a plastic formed sink with a lip around the edges and I wondering if I should just build a simple table or some kind of frame to support the lip. Any suggestions for the design would be great--thanks.

dpurdy · Jan 4, 2010

If it was me, I would just get a stack of 2x4s and build a simple supporting sort of box to sit the sink in with stout legs and another frame around the legs half way down to put a shelf on and cover that with ply wood.

DanielStone · Jan 4, 2010

put it on 4x4 or 4x6, with 2x4's for bracing support.

sinks can get REEEEEEAAAAAALLLLLLLYYYYYYY heavy, especially if you have a couple big trays.

6" bolts should do the trick as main fasteners.

or, you can just watch your local craigslist, and watch for a sturdy table, or deskt that you can mount this on. you might have to drill a hole for the drain though, when you hook up plumbing

just leave the thin on the TOP of the table, UNLESS ITS PERMANENT.

-Dan

jeffreyg · Jan 4, 2010

I agree with building your own stand and suggest you consider a slightly more elaborate design that would permit adjustable shelves under the sink.
you could also design it so there is some type of support that will permit removable plywood covers for the sink which will add work space when the sink is not in use. Thirty + years ago I built my own sink painted with polyester and made it with the covers I mentioned. Since space was limited that design has been great.

Rick A · Jan 4, 2010

No need to go THAT heavy duty-I have a 55gal aquarium on a stand made from 2x2 and 1x4, after all, what does a gallon of water weigh. If you design your stand properly, it doesn't use very much wood. I would use six legs, with a 1x4 top band,another band about 6"-8" above floor with a shelf on it. I really dont see you filling it with water, most likely, you'll have trays sitting in it.

Rick

Barry S · Jan 4, 2010

The sink itself is surprisingly light weight and I don't envision ever filling it up with water. It fits a maximum of four 16x20 trays, so that would be my limit. I guess the biggest weight variable is whether I'd use my 16x20 Gravity Works print washer in the sink. The washer has got to be 200 pounds when it's full. I might just keep it on a separate cart because I'm not even sure the built in ribs at the bottom of the sink would withstand the pressure. The storage on the bottom would be a good idea, since I'm short on space.

jeffreyg · Jan 4, 2010

Adding to what I mentioned , If you do construct a support make it so a tray or print washer can be outside of the sink and draining into the sink. I can't really tell what the dimensions of the sink are nor what maximum size trays you will use. For archival processing you would need room for five trays (if toning after the wash - six if before). There are "tray stackers" available if needed. I need them when going 16x20.

billdlv · Jan 4, 2010

Um yeah actually water is pretty heavy, a gallon weighs about 8 pounds. If you have a 16x20 inch tray, say the actual dimensions are 17x21, with 1 inch of water would weigh about 13 pounds.

2x4s and a frame to hold the plywood top should be adequate.

Mike Wilde · Jan 4, 2010

My sink (DIY fibregalss over 3/4" plywood, I made 24 years ago now) sits on a frame of 2x4's. There is a shelf half way up on the underneath that does not come out full depth, so you don't bang your knees. The legs are made of a length so that I don't have to bend at all to work on prints in trays if the trays are at the front of the sink. Under the sink I have racks that hold print drying screens on one side. On the non screen side, the shelf holds 4x5 tanks, and small trays, as well as my magnetic stirrer.

The floor under the sink holds gallon glass jugs, and other large liquid jugs. Otherwise, liquid solutions sit on 8" deep shelves that attach to rails affixed to the wall behind the sink.

I wish I had your luck of a sink that is capable of 16x20 trays. When I go that big I go to the tp of the washer and dryer next door in the laundry room.

Neal · Jan 4, 2010

Dear Barry,

Lumber is cheap. I would support the bottom of the sink.

Neal Wydra

Rick A · Jan 4, 2010

I think a seperate stand for your print washer is a good idea as well. A single large bottom shelf (for structural rigidity) as well as a couple of smaller adjustable shelves for all the large bottles of liquid chems and tray stowage. If possible, fasten to the wall for stability. Also, put 5/16" propeller nuts on the bottom of the legs with short bolts for leveling the unit.

Rick

TheFlyingCamera · Jan 4, 2010

Barry- I have a 6' fiberglass sink in my home darkroom. It is mounted on a square-section tube frame (from the manufacturer) where the tubes are about 1" or so on a side. This by itself is no problem when handling a few trays. However, when I had the 16x20 print washer and the 16x20 Nova slot processor in the sink, the sink started to slump toward the center drain. To compensate, I made a brace that spans the length of the sink. The brace is a pair of two-by-fours running the length of the sink, with a leg at the 1/3 and 2/3 positions, bolted between the lengths. If you want to come by sometime and see the brace, I'd be glad to show you.

Barry S · Jan 4, 2010

Thanks for all the good ideas. If I build a sturdy table with a framed bottom shelf and a rear frame to support the back of the sink--does that sound reasonable? I could screw in some wood cleats on the sides and front to prevent any shifting. Would it be better to build a shallow trough so the whole sink fits inside--sort of a sink inside a sink?

Barry S · Jan 4, 2010

Scott-- I was hoping this sink would come with one of those stands, but no such luck. I think the advice to support the full bottom of the sink is good because the plastic is a little flexible and it may see some heavy use. I may take you up on the invite to see your setup.

Roger Thoms · Jan 4, 2010

This is a quick sketch of the cabinet based sink stand that I built for my last darkroom. It is modular, with "sink cabinet" that rests on two base cabinets. On one side I had drying screens and on the other side a few dividers for storing trays. Shelves would certainly be another option. This can be as basic or a fancy as you want. It could be build out of AC plywood and painted. For mine I used shop grade maple plywood with maple edge banding for the base cabinets, AC plywood with Formica laminate for the sink cabinet. The lower cabinets received 3 good coats of polyurethane. The space between the lower cabinets was for the water supply, drain, and water filters.

None of this is hard to build and can be done with a Skilsaw if you are willing to clamp a straight edge to the plywood when making your cuts. If you have a table saw that's even better.

Roger

Roger Thoms · Jan 4, 2010

One other note. When I installed the sink in the cabinet I bedded the bottom of the sink in some mortar so that it would be fully supported. So that it would be easy to remove the sink (I was in a rented space) I put down a layer of plastic in the cabinet then the mortar then another layer of plastic. The thin painters plastic works well. Once the mortar set I then caulked around the edge of the sink with silicon sealant.

Roger

vdoak · Jan 4, 2010

sink

My stand for my sink is 1.5" by 2" lumber. This may be a little on the light side but it was built to go into a tight space. I did drill holes into the bottom of the legs to accept stainless steel nuts and bolts. The hole for the nut is just big enough for it and a smaller hole continues deeper for the bolt. This give me the ability to individually adjust the legs so the sink is stable and drains in the right direction. The bracing is plywood and there are slats at about 30 cm intervals under the sink.

Good luck on yours!

topridge99 · Jan 4, 2010

It looks like a CPM sink. I know they sell metal stands for these sinks for a couple hundred bucks.

Try Dead Link Removed

Keith Pitman · Jan 4, 2010

I had two of these sinks and made stands from a sheet of 3/4" plywood. There are five parts: 1 & 2: The sides are cut to the height you want to the the lip of the sink at the front, and then angling upward at the angle of the sink sides to the back; 3 & 4: Cross pieces about eight inches wide for the front and back; and, 5: a shelf across the bottom. Glue and screw together and paint with a good enamel paint. The sink will drop in.

Terrence Brennan · Jan 6, 2010

Neal said:
Lumber is cheap. I would support the bottom of the sink.

I second that idea!

I made the support for a 8-1/2-foot stainless steel sink from 2x4's, using six legs. It has a leg in each corner, and two in the centre, one front and one back. The corner legs are made from two pieces of 2x4, and the centre ones are a single piece. There are three horizontal supports between the front and back members, equally spaced from left to right.

For hardware, I used the corner brackets designed for deck building, and they are fastened with #8 and #10 Robertson wood screws. I'm not sure if Robertson screws are available outside of Canada; I believe that they are known as "scrulox" in the U.S. Anyway, avoid slot head screws; use Phillips if you must.

Support the sink from under the sink bed, NOT the lip!

PeterAM · Jan 6, 2010

I have a sink like that; was purchased with the manufactured supplied stand. The stand supports the sink by the lip, which is fine as long as the max load is trays. I would not put a print washer in the sink unless the bottom is supported. Mine was set up with the washer (Kostiner) on a stand next to the sink (and higher so that drainage into the sink was not an issue). I built the washer stand from 2X4's, with an epoxy painted plywood top and shelves underneath to provide bracing and space for supplies.

MarkL · Jan 10, 2010

I have this sink. PM me if you'd like me to take and send some pics of it in it's homemade stand.

Mark

Barry S · Jan 10, 2010

Here's the progress so far. I used 2x4's for the legs and 1x4 stock for the framing--all attached with 1/4" bolts. I need to complete the bottom framing and add some bracing on the top plywood sheet to prevent the sink from shifting around. Then I'll add storage space for trays on one side and drying screens on the other side. Scott (The Flying Camera) stopped by to chat and help and probably prevented me from making a few mistakes. I hope to be finish tomorrow night and start in on the plumbing next.

MarkL · Jan 13, 2010

Barry, here are a couple of pictures of my sink base for the same sink. The sink is supported by the recessed edge along its perimeter, which is plenty strong enough to support it. In one picture I propped the sink up with a tape measure so you can see the underlying plywood, which is supported by a 2x4 frame. If I did it over I would build in shelves and tray racks underneath. In the sink is a sheet of plexiglass because I didn't care for the large ridges built into the sink.

I will email you several more detailed pictures.

Mark

Barry S · Jan 25, 2010

More progress on the sink stand. I painted it tonight, although I'm still going to add some drying screen storage. The long 2x6 supports the front lip and there are also supports at the rear of the sink.

Building a darkroom sink stand

Barry S

dpurdy

DanielStone

jeffreyg

Rick A

Barry S

jeffreyg

billdlv

Mike Wilde

Neal

Rick A

TheFlyingCamera

Membership Council

Barry S

Barry S

Roger Thoms

Attachments

Roger Thoms

vdoak

Attachments

topridge99

Keith Pitman

Terrence Brennan

PeterAM

MarkL

Barry S

MarkL

Attachments

Barry S

Building a darkroom sink stand

Membership Council

Attachments

Attachments

Attachments

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency