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BW Wet Printing Darkroom - Running water necessary?

ryca

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Sep 11, 2009
Messages
30
Location
Perth, West
Format
35mm RF
hi guys

fairly new to the darkroom.. well not that new i've been doing it at uni for the past 2 semesters but all the printing there is done easily via an Ilfolab 2150rc machine.

just set up my own darkroom at home and getting ready to jump in feet first this weekend doing my first wet printing. i do have a question tho.... :

my lightproof darkroom w/ enlarger is in a spare bedroom in the house with no running water... is this going to pose a problem?? i figured i may be able to get away printing in the bedroom with 4 trays to start (developer -> stop -> fixer -> water) then once in water leave the room and wash properly in our laundry - which obviously won't be lightproof but i should be safe right?
 
You'll do fine like that. I also do not have running water in the darkroom and it works out fine, if a little inconvenient. I'd suggest that you get a one or two gallon container with a spigot and a bucket to catch the water. This way you could at least rinse your hands.
 
thanks Nick.. when you say dont leave in water you mean the 4th tray or the running water? i figured after the fixer i'd drop it in the water for 30secs then take the print over to a running tap/shower and wash for 2mins. sound ok?

& thanks fschifano... glad to hear someone else is also doing it similarly & successfully!
 
Both/either. But I meant much longer times then you were thinking of.
 
I had a darkroom once that had no running water. I used tongs, didn't like them, but I got used to it, for up to 11x14. I was using fiber paper, collected them all in a tray of water, then washed all of them at the end of the session. My archival washer was set up next to my tub, so it drained into the tub.
 
regarding wet time, RC prints will definitely get a warp that won't come out if you leave them in water. However I have no problem leaving fiber prints in clean water. I often leave prints in my plugged archival washer all night after having them in water all day long. Then wash in the morning. No problem whatsoever.
Dennis
 
RC papers shouldn't be left wet for too long. But from what I've observed, the maximum wet times quoted by the manufacturers are VERY conservative. Often, they'll quote a maximum wet time, from developer to wash, of under 10 minutes. I've had them sitting in water for upwards of two hours in some cases, and there were no adverse effects that I could see from that treatment. Some of the prints are pretty old now, and they're still fine. I have in-advertantly left RC prints in a tray of water overnight. These did suffer from some warping, so there is something to the maximum wet time story. Fiber based papers seem to be almost completely insensitive to wet time. An overnight soak in clean water will certainly do no harm.
 
I have no running water in my darkroom. I use a tray of water and put my prints in there after fixing. Sometimes they are in there for over an hour before I get around to leaving the dark and washing them, and I have had zero problems with warping, separation, or anything else. This is with Adox, Illford, Foma, and old Mitsubishi RC papers.
 
My first dark room had no running water and I got along fine with it. The set up was basically the same as you describe. I filled old gallon milk cartons with water and left them in the dark room so I always had room temperature water to dilute the developer and fix with and to change the wash water tray regularly. I also had a 5 gallon bucket to dump the old wash water and chemicals into. It is easy to carry a bucket full of water to another room. It is not so easy to carry a tray very far with out spilling.
 
I still have no running water in my darkroom - after nearly 20 years! I do have a small sink that I fill from a bucket, and I put the fixed prints into this. From here, I transfer to the laundry area and use my archival print washer (prior to purchasing this it was a large 16x20 tray) and then wash thoroughly for about 10mins for RC.

At a pinch, I've also filled the bathtub to wash my rare foray into 12x16 prints - use a 4th tray in the darkroom to rinse quickly before transferring to the tub to wash properly.
 
My currant darkroom doesnt have running water, I have a large storage tub that I fill about half full with water. Prints go from fix to water tub until the end of my session. BTW if I filled the tub full, I wouldnt be able to carry it. It holds about 5-6 gallons.
Rick
 
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