Building a make-shift darkroom. Any advice?

[MLSullivan]

I'm toying with the idea of building a darkroom in my sister's basement, since I don't have a basement or an extra bathroom, and I'm trying to decide how to go about it.

I have the option of building framed walls (drywall or plywood) or hanging something like light safe curtains. I'm also looking to instal a decent sink without having to purchase a true darkroom sink, so I'm trying to figure out what to make it out of.

My first concern is to make the darkroom usable. I'm making my darkroom so that I don't have to rent one, so it has to work. I'm also trying to keep as decent budget. There's a gentleman who works at a photoshop near me, whom I've known for years, and he said he could sell me all of my equipment for $300 (not including chemicals, paper, or a sink) but pretty much everything else you could think of....

I would really appreciate any and all advice because I know a ton of you have probably built your own darkrooms and have your own opinions about how it should be.

Thank you!!!!

 

[Nick Zentena]

Do you need to stop people barging in?

I use the basement. I block the windows. I close the door leading downstairs. That's it.

I lay the trays out on a long table. Wash in the laundry sink. Well a tray in the sink.

Maybe simple but it works.

 

[removed account4]

a suggestion i have is to put some sort of a drop ceiling/cloth
up if subflooring is exposed or beams are exposed.
in the basement where i live, lots of debris + dust would
find its way from up to down ( thanks gravity!) ...

good luck!

john

 

[Bill Mobbs]

I do pretty much the same as Nick... I use the gargage... Long table for the trays... Develope film in the guest bathroom, by sitting on the side of the tub with temperature control bath in plastic tub. Ice from the kitchen is the control agent. I have used this same setup in three different locations with no problems. Keep it simple!

Bill

 

[Jim Jones]

I've improvised seven darkrooms over the years. The problems encountered in each was different than in the others. I framed a wall for one. The present one and its predecessor were darkened with two layers of heavy plastic sheet from a farm and garden store. Both could be used in daylight. Three others were darkened by curtains and could only be used at night.

Water can be carried in in milk jugs, and carried out in buckets. By economizing on water usage, this is not inconvenient. A few layers of heavy plastic can protect a table or counter top on the wet side. Only my present darkroom has a long sink. There are many ways of making a sink, depending on the available materials and maker's abilities. Rather than follow specific instructions on making a sink, consider your own situation and design your own, incorporating the best ideas from all sources. I suggest making the sink seperate from its stand so the sink can be moved and adapted to other darkrooms.

 

[Nick Zentena]

lots of debris + dust would
find its way from up to down ( thanks gravity!) ...

Tray sitting underneath a heating duct :rolleyes: Worked great all summer then started dumping dust right into the fixer tray.

 

[matthewbetcher]

one thing you could do for a sink is look around at restaurant or large industrial equipment salvages - i always see things i could use in the darkroom. however, depending on the layout of the basement, if there is a bathroom already there, do you really NEED a sink? i have an 800+/- sq foot darkroom and no sink - it's a little bit of a pain in the arse shuttling the water to and fro in buckets from an adjacent bathroom, but it allows me to lay out all my different sized trays on various tables when printing my murals (which i don't think i could do with a sink). don't get me wrong, if i could add a hundred sq ft or so i'd be love to put one in, but believe me, it's not THAT bad and you get used to it. and hey, i didn't need to spend the $$$ on plumbing an old building i don't own!

the other thing to consider that i never did for the longest time until i slipped and almost killed myself is the flooring. in a basement where you probably have concrete floors, it might be good to put some sort of mats down - again, restaurant supply or extras from linoleum store.

good luck with the budget darkroom - it seems daunting at first, but with a little hunting and ingenuity, it's not that hard to put together.

_mb

 

[matti]

The cheapest sinks to get might be used darkroom sinks. I sometimes see ones up for grabs. But I agree with the others. Do you really need it? Of course it is desirable. I would like to have one myself...
/matti

 

[batesga]

I've put together a few darkrooms over the years. Most desicions hinge on permanence, how long to you plan to use the space. How permanent do you want things. The cost goes up but if you will be there for years, fixed walls are nicer than curtains. Fixed walls can hold shelves or hanging items which helps alot if space is tight. Curtains hide dust and make cleaning harder but are faster to put up and faster to rearrange if need be.

My 2bits on sinks is that having one in the darkroom is mighty handy. I've made them from plywood lined with a layer of fiberglass or just painted with epoxy paint. Advantage is custom size. I second the other suggestions offered above like restaurant supply shops. I also used a basic laundry room wash tub for some time. I built a couple small racks to fit in the tub to use the volume more effectivley.

Having a working sink sort of dictates where in the basement to build..it needs to access the household drain. An anti-backflow aparatus may be prudent depending on your city drain system/flood system.

 

[removed account4]

regarding a sink ...
if you don't mind making one
marine plywood and fiberglass resin make
a great sink.
make the legs out of 4x4s and 2x4s for braces ...
you don't need a drain, just 5 gallon buckets to bring chemicals IN with
and a trickle tank & waste hauler's bucket to drain into when you are done.
quick & easy

-- john

 

[catem]

I think the best thing about my current darkroom is the sink - a second-hand darkroom sink from Richards of Hull. Not so cheap, just under £100 but worth every penny - it's on a stand so can be moved. But as said above, you can make your own.

I know you can manage without a sink, but I'd strongly advise getting one if you can, and as big as possible. It makes everything so much easier, and you can also do your toning in it, if you do that - have lots of trays out, etc. Even washing up is easy-peasy. Also, get hot water in there too if you can. Again, though you can do without it, it's great to have for achieving the right temperatures easily and quickly. If you're doing plumbing, it's easy to fit filters which again will make your darkroom work less frustrating.

The best favour you can do yourself is find friends who are skilled at plumbing, electrics etc etc (unless you are yourself of course). I managed to do this and that freed up the cash to spend on bits and pieces. If you don't have to pay any labour costs it can all be done pretty cheaply now second-hand as everything has come down so much in price.

Good luck!

 

[greybeard]

Based on nearly fifty years in and out of a wide variety of darkrooms---from institutional to trays-on-the-washer-and-dryer---I would suggest that you think in part of the kind of work that you expect to do and in part how much time you will be spending.

At the one end of the spectrum, a blanket over every door and window to the outside, and a pair or cheap folding picnic tables will have you in operation at minimal cost. At the other end, a dedicated, well-designed space will cost at least a couple of hundred dollars (wiring, plumbing, drywall, ventilation, paint, etc.).

The tradeoffs are that in the first case you will probably spend more time setting up and putting away than you will developing and printing, and it will be hard to do anything exactly the same way in two different occasions. This if fine if you have just a few pictures in mind, or don't expect to be doing it very often anyway. At the other extreme, you should be able to walk into the darkroom, have a print in the fixer or negatives in the wash in thirty minutes or less, and be thoroughly cleaned up and done in an hour.

Being able to make good use of small amounts of time, or work comfortably for long periods, may be the difference between a hobby that lasts a lifetime or one that dies of frustration in a few months. It may also be the difference between basic proficiency and mastery.

Probably the least satisfactory will be the creation of dedicated space (whether by curtains, drywall, or whatever) that is difficult to maintain and/or work in. Trays on a table will do the job, but the first time that spilled fixer gets missed in the cleanup and reappears as fingerprints or spots on undeveloped film you will come to appreciate the notion of working in a sink that can be hosed down after every use!

There is also a very subjective quality-of-life issue: if you are doing darkroom work as only a means to an end, that is one thing, but if you genuinely enjoy the solitude and craftsmanship in in their own right, then you are likely to want to spend a lot of time in the darkroom, and it will be much more rewarding if the place is comfortable and efficient.

Good luck to you, in any event!

 

[tbm]

Five years ago, my mate and I built a darkroom in our garage with only 2x4 boards and particle boards screwed outside same. It measures 8x6 feet and since its completion I've produced over a thousand prints comfortably! There are two old kitchen tables in it, side by side, and between them and the wall across from them I am able to turn my body around 360 degrees without touching either the wall or the tables. My dichroic enlarger is placed on the left table and four trays are placed adjacent to that on the right table. My father's two old 1950s Kodak safelights with amber glass plates are situated above the tray table and I have a Kodak safelight with an amber glass plate on the wall behind the enlarger, and between the three there is outstanding light everywhere that doesn't interfere with and does not ruin my printing paper while I am making prints. On a shelf above the trays is my Bose CD player with which I play classical music generally while printing. There is a sink about five feet from the darkroom, outside of it, which is adjacent to our washer and dryer. Thus, I am totally equipped in a way that you can duplicate in your basement for successful life-long darkroom experiences, ML Sullivan.

Terry

 

[MattKing]

I'd suggest putting up walls

If I was putting together a darkroom in someone else's home, I would put priority on putting up walls and a closeable door, so as to create a well defined and dedicated space. Otherwise, there would be a real temptation for the homeowner to "re-purpose" the space.

Sinks are wonderful - but if you make sure that you can have later access to plumbing and have a door wide enough to bring larger items in, you can put them in later. In the short term, it is much more important to have a source of water nearby and:

1) a room that you can make dark;
2) electricity for enlarger, timer, safelights and regular lights;
3) space and surfaces to store things, put things on and work on; and
4) a source of reasonably fresh air.

I worked for a number of years in a very small darkroom without running water. The source of water was the laundry sink outside and 10 feet down the hall. It was very functional, however, because it was a dedicated space where I could leave my enlarger and the trays and the other equipment - all were at hand and easily set up. When you can walk into your darkroom and can count on having everything necessary set up for working in 5 minutes or less, it works much better.

The suggestion above about old kitchen tables is great, although personally I prefer something slightly higher (old bars ?).

Have fun.

Matt

 

[Removed Account]

I am currently using my bedroom as a makeshift darkroom in a house with 6 people. Got some blackout cloth from a local fabric shop, put it up over the window, a plastic folding table (which serves double duty), and my enlarger on a dresser which was relocated to my closet. When I print I just clear off the table, set up the trays, chemicals, put a towel to block the light at the bottom of the door and off I go! It helps that there is a laundry sink right outside my room. Plus, since the table also holds normal stuff, I am careful to clean it well when I am finished. The only really bad thing is ventilation, but frequent breaks with the door wide open for 10 minutes or so seems to take care of the fumes (and about a half-hour or more after cleanup to make sure)

- Justin

 

[MLSullivan]

You guys are awesome!!!! Thank you so much. I'm building the darkroom in my sster's basement, and we have a friend who can do a bit of plumbing and my brothr is a genius at electrical. My college might also have to get rid of some old darkroom equipment before the building is torn down this summer so they can build a new one.

I plan on spending a lot of time down there, so I think I'm going to try to build walls so that it will be as sturdy and comfortable as possible. I love the idea of making a sink, and I'm looking forward to the channlenge of making this damn thing work!!!

Thank you all for your advice, and if there's any more, I'm all ears.

Mary

 

[Allen Friday]

I am currently on my third darkroom in my house and second alt process darkroom at my office. One thing I have learned is to make things as flexible as possible. I use restaurant style tables and carts and work benches, all of which I get at Sam's Club or home depot. That way. when I redesign, I don't have to tear anything down, just move things around. My darkroom design has changed as my needs have changed. Yours will likewise probably change. What if your sister moves or you get another space for your darkroom? It's much easier to move free standing tables and workspaces than built ins.

 

[Mayfair710]

hmm i thought my darkroom was as makeshift as they come but now i see i am not alone! i load my film in a tiny windowless bathroom and then develop it in another. my actual darkroom is in a corner of the basement and it consists of an old countertop with drawers underneath (saved from our kitchen remodel...then another long counter for trays etc...MY water source is upstairs. i carry water down in 2 litter jugs to mix chemicals and dump the spent fixer in 5 gallon gas cans and the other stuff in 5 gallon buckets which i then haul upstairs when they get full. THAT is the only pain and if i time it right, someone is around to do it for me!! i have been doing it this way for 2 years and am happier than my previous set up which is too complicated to explain. my only problem is in the winter cuz it tends to be rather cold and keeping chemicals in trays a consistent temp is a pain...~~marianne

 

[JLP]

Mine is a makeshift darkroom made in a bedroom. The room is not used for anything else but can be taken down leaving no trace.
I have my printwasher set-up in the bathroom next door so i pendle between the two everytime i have a fixed print. It works for me, not any high output darkroom but happy that i can make prints in my own house.

jan

 

[Harrigan]

I would also suggest fiberglassing plywood to make a sink becasue it works great. You could research how wood boats and are made and coated with fiberglass and do a similar treatment.

I wish I had done that but I made my sink in about an hour using a sheet of melamine. Melamine is just particle board lamianted with a very thin plastic coating and its not ideal. In fact most people know that I am nuts using this material! This was intended to be temporary and I used what I had onhand but it has lasted for some time. I have dropped things on the surface and created chips that needed coating with epoxy. If the particle board gets wet you are done and its probably not the best sink made. A fiberglassed plywood sink would be a much better option but my sink is big and drains and thats all I care about for now.

 

[geoff chaplin]

Dust, lightproofing and sinks.

I've just built a permanent darkroom in a basement. I had the ceilings made dusproof then painted every surface inside the basement to make it stable and stop it being a source of dust. Painting black helps. In my experience it is relatively easy to make a space light tight to a sufficiently high standard for both film and paper.

I built my own 2.5m x 70cm sink from wood - marine ply with a separate stand. The sink is simply painted with wood glue and acrylic paint. I've used it for 6 months now and its perfect. Wood makes a great, easy and cheap sink.

My experience is sinks are never big enough and dry surfaces are never big enough ...

 

[MLSullivan]

Is there any sink surface I should try to avoid? I've really been warming up to the idea of making my sink, but I'm not sure how to seal it. You guys have suggested quite a few things, boat epoxy, fiberglass, acrylic. Are there advantages or disadvantages to any of these?

 

[matti]

I would use plywood (not fir plywood) and epoxy like this:
- Saw up the plywood as you like it, if you use dividers or whatever.
- Tape it together with duck tape, or use nails or whatever. This is not permanent.
- Mix epoxy with silica to get a peanut butter like mix.
- Apply a filet on each inside corner of the sink. Look at www.westsystems.com on how to do it.
- When the filet is at least partly cured, paint the inside with clear epoxy.
- Let it cure until the next day.
- Take away the nails or duck tape.
- Sand the inside slightly.
- Paint both the inside and the outside with epoxy.
- Attatch legs, drains or whatever.
That's it!
/matti