Changing Up My Darkroom and Home Studio

[Nokton48]

I'm renovating my home basement darkroom. Up until now, I used this space for general storage, film loading, and long ago, color enlarging. I still have a 16" Kreonite CPT16 EP2 Color processor hooked up, but I'm getting rid of that. Want to set this up for B&W darkroom work. Washing and water in another room right now.

Been buying shelving, floor mats, and a LOT of cleaning and organizing. Mind the clutter, it's not done yet. Just wanted to show you guys my progress. What do you think so far?

Darkroom renovation 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Darkroom renovation 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Darkroom renovation 3 by Nokton48, on Flickr

 

[AgX]

In a similar situation of an Apug-fellow there was critique on the open cealing, with danger of dust coming through or from withing the ceiling.
Hard for me to evaluate.

What are those black tubes in wooden holder in the tanks rack?

 

[Nokton48]

Homemade BZTS 4x5/9x12 film tubes in a wooden rack.

Will be putting in a ceiling cover. Not done yet. Good suggestion!

 

[Pieter12]

What clutter?

 

[Nokton48]

The Kreonite works, it's just outside on the other side of the darkroom front wall, next to the door. I used to feed prints in where the black plastic shelving is now, with all the tanks. I've just covered that up, see the black plastic stapled to the wall? I'm in Ohio, but I'm not ready to sell it yet.

Kreonite CPT16 EP2 Color Processor by Nokton48, on Flickr

And this is the Kreonite Plate Washing Sink I want to restore and install.

Kreonite Plate Washing Sink by Nokton48, on Flickr

Kreonite Water Mixing Valve Unit by Nokton48, on Flickr

And this Kreonite Water Mixing Unit will be removed and put over the sinks after I build and install them. The hot and cold lines will be easy to extend as they are already there as you can see.

 

[slackercrurster]

Nice! Is that a copy stand in one of your photos? I need one, but they are pretty pricey. I like your water filtering setup. Tap water is very filthy for most of the sample I've tested across the US.

How does doing the wet processing in a different room work for you? I don't think I'd like it. Doing lots of test strips and having to walk into another room. I'd have to try it.

Keep sending in progress. Looks to be an impressive setup.

 

[Nokton48]

That is the largest BENCHER copy stand I set up with Lowell Tota Lights with Polarizing Gels. I raised it up slightly using some concrete blocks I had outside. I've had a few photog friends try to buy it from me, it's not for sale. It's worth some dough. I bought it at an outside auction at the local Rockwell plant, they auctioned everything outside. Open only to Rockwell employees and family (I'm family). I paid $30 for that Bencher stand, nobody else was interested. And I bought a LOT of METRO shelving which have in my studio (we won't go here yet) and also out in my workshop garage.

Not having plumbing yet kind of sucks, but I've always just lived with it. I develop film in the laundry room also downstairs. Believe me, things will be changing radically during phase II renovation (electrical plumbing and carpentry). Stay tuned.

 

[slackercrurster]

Wow, anything any good with copy stands cost lots of $$ now. When I was a kid I worked all summer to save up $700 and bought a new Beseler 45MCRX back in the early 70's. I see the top of the line Beseler copy stand sells for for a little over that price now. It is non-motorized, just a column and base. (The base is particle board and has issues holding the column per a BH review.)

 

[AgX]

Some system enlargers are designed to be converted into a copy stand (e.g. Kaiser, Dunco).

 

[Nokton48]

Kreonite Color Processor Exhaust Fan by Nokton48, on Flickr

This Exhaust Fan Setup will be re-run into the darkroom area. And move some extra outlets in there as well. Right now I will just run heavy duty extension cords.


Plug In Radiant Heater by Nokton48, on Flickr

I have a couple of these radiant heaters that plug in. It is cold in there. Maybe I should have a heating duct run into there: It's VERY cold right now.
There's the Kreonite Drain Pipe I just took out. We also made that grey table to hold the Kreonite. I could maybe repurpose that; My Wife wants to use it as a laundry table

LOTS TO DO

 

[Nokton48]

Back Side of Kreonite Plate Washing Sink by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here is the bottom side of the Kreonite plate washing sink, you can see how easy it would be to put a table with storage under it. I will build something out of 2x4's.

 

[Nokton48]

New Overhead LEDs installed by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here I have installed two LED 4' overhead strip lights, and relocated the large round kitchen fixture overhead. I also changed the tungsten bulbs to LEDs. I think the lighting is brighter, more pleasant, will be cheaper to power, and runs cooler. Next I will rerun the safelights, and clean and move the copy stand(and junk) in the far corner out and around.
I want to run some dry plates in here this weekend. Need one more Patterson safelight, already have three.

Also, I bought more of the white shelving at Lowes, I'm not happy about losing half of my formica work table, with the shelving sitting on top of it. So for now, I am running the white shelving floor to ceiling, and pulling the formica table out to accomodate the work table. Additional shelving will go underneath the table, to store trays and other stuff. Tray sets (four of each) arrived from Freestyle yesterday, in 5x7, 8x10, and 11x14. I'll order 16x20 but that's more for future. 16x20s I had been processing in a Unicolor Print Drum.

Also, I am cleaning the Bencher copy stand and moving it around, and clearing out the storage junk in the far corner. That will give me some additional work space. In the future the copy stand may go out into the studio area. A friend sent me an article from Darkroom Photography about building darkroom sinks from sheet PVC. I think I like that idea and may roll with that.

 

[mshchem]

Back Side of Kreonite Plate Washing Sink by Nokton48, on Flickr

Here is the bottom side of the Kreonite plate washing sink, you can see how easy it would be to put a table with storage under it. I will build something out of 2x4's.

My last and best design for my Kreonite sink, I built the outside frame with 3/4 " plywood. The OEM frames were square metal tubing. Fits perfectly 8 to 12 inches gives plenty of room for cross members. I've gotten my entire 6'1" 270lbs on that sink without so much as a squeak. Best sinks money can buy. Kreonite is still around.

 

[Nokton48]

My last and best design for my Kreonite sink, I built the outside frame with 3/4 " plywood. The OEM frames were square metal tubing. Fits perfectly 8 to 12 inches gives plenty of room for cross members. I've gotten my entire 6'1" 270lbs on that sink without so much as a squeak. Best sinks money can buy. Kreonite is still around.



Sounds great! Any chance I could see a picture of how you finished your Plate Washing Sink?

 

[Nokton48]

Idea for darkroom sink by Nokton48, on Flickr

I am envisioning something like this in my new darkroom. That will come in phase II -- Electrical, Plumbing, and Construction.

Phase I is simply getting it up and running again!

 

[MattKing]

Do you play the guitar during pauses in the process?

 

[Nokton48]

Do you play the guitar during pauses in the process?

That's not my darkroom . I like this sink setup, though. I envison something like that, as I said ^^^. I particularly like the ventilation duct right above the trays. I can do the same thing!

 

[Nokton48]

Latest Darkroom Renovation 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr
Here you can see I have added a lot of storage for all of my stuff (and room to grow).
See below the table; Storage for new trays (up to 16x20) from Ebay and Freestyle

Latest Darkroom Renovation 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

Another view of some of my film processing stuff. Also room to grow in terms of storage.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

That's what's missing in my darkroom. A comfy chair.

 

[Nokton48]

modern enlarging systems model 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

I did just pull the trigger on this Modern Enlarging Systems Model II LED head for my Omega D2. It uses Cree XP-G LEDs which are the most efficent on the market. Printing speed about like a 150W bulb so very bright blue LED. Although the Model II was intended for graded paper printing, I can put 6x6" Multigrade Gels in it's path if I want to VC print with it (which I eventually will when I run out of graded paper). The price on this was really great so I grabbed it. A wondeful upgrade to my trusty ole D2.

Next week I'll go after a big fiberglass darkroom sink practically right next door, and I have my eye on a 16x20 Calumet Archival Print Washer for a good price at a local used photo shop

Most pressing projects are the drop ceiling, and installing a heat vent in the ductwork running through the darkroom. I'm waiting for the special order duct to come in.

 

[Nokton48]

Calumet Archival Print Washer 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

This is the Calumet Archival Print Washer I just bought for $250. Weighs a ton when empty, takes seventeen gallons to fill. Mine needs a bit of work but appears OK, 30 day return at the store where I purchased it. I will replace all the clear tubing, and the top right overflow "T" appears bent, maybe it dosen't leak?? We will see soon. This unit will archivally wash twelve 16x20 fiber prints, or 24 8x10s in one go. This was a $650 print wash in it's last years in the Calumet catalog. I think it was made by Gravity Works? A Thing of Beauty in my opinion............

The compartments are sealed so you be almost done washing a set of prints, and then drop in another print freshly loaded with fixer, it won't contaminate the other washing prints. Very cool

 

[MattKing]

I did just pull the trigger on this Modern Enlarging Systems Model II LED head for my Omega D2.

Did you buy it new from the "source"?
It has been showing as "not currently available" on his website for a bit.

 

[AgX]

I did just pull the trigger on this Modern Enlarging Systems Model II LED head for my Omega D2. It uses Cree XP-G LEDs which are the most efficent on the market.

Interesting to see a contemporary item that still got a crincle lacquer coating.

 

[Nokton48]

Did you buy it new from the "source"?
It has been showing as "not currently available" on his website for a bit.

I found this one on Ebay, new in box never opened. I googled Modern Enlarging Systems, and found a few threads to read. In one the owner piped in, these units were a "labor of love" not a money maker for him. And he stated he would not be making any more in the future. So after some diligent research, I decided to pull the trigger on this one. The price was great at $135 and it will really modernize my D2. I already have the condenser head, the dichro color head, and the Omegalite (the latter is my favorite for B&W). But this LED head is just so super cool

 

[Nokton48]

Modern Enlarging Systems Model 2 on DII 1 by Nokton48, on Flickr

LED Printing Baby Yeah!
Modern Enlarging Systems Model 2 LED Enlarging Head on my venerable 4x5 DII

Modern Enlarging Systems Model 2 on DII 2 by Nokton48, on Flickr

LED Printing Baby Yeah!
Modern Enlarging Systems Model 2 LED Enlarging Head on my venerable 4x5 DII