Darkroom alternatives advice needed.

[MattKing]

That tank comes with two reels. So you are looking to get 4 in total? You better be careful, your tank and reel collection may start looking like mine!

 

[MattKing]

Btw...what’s the best way to keep all the chemicals and water at the same 68 degree temperature?

I live in a temperate area, so I always work at whatever the ambient temperature is, as long as it is somewhere reasonably close to 20C/68 F.
There are time and temperature tools and tables that tell you how much to adjust the developing time.

 

[KerrKid]

Here, ask about which camera to use or buy and everyone will tell you their drug of choice camera.
Buy or use anything different and they will tell you that you made the worst choice of their life.

All I heard is the good cameras have a red mark on them somewhere to denote quality.

 

[KerrKid]

I live in a temperate area, so I always work at whatever the ambient temperature is, as long as it is somewhere reasonably close to 20C/68 F.
There are time and temperature tools and tables that tell you how much to adjust the developing time.

I keep the house temps around 79 degrees which is 20 cooler than outside temps this time of year. Is it best to just start cold and let the chemicals warm up to the proper temp? I’ve heard of aquarium heaters for this but haven’t looked into that.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

for film development, try the Lab-box. With it you can load and develop film in daylight. I bought one and tried it. It took me a couple of films before it really worked I wouldn't do anything else anymore. There is no easier way to load film into a reel and have it developed. It cost around $200 but then again you don't need a dark room at all.

 

[KerrKid]

for film development, try the Lab-box. With it you can load and develop film in daylight. I bought one and tried it. It took me a couple of films before it really worked I wouldn't do anything else anymore. There is no easier way to load film into a reel and have it developed. It cost around $200 but then again you don't need a dark room at all.

I‘ve seen those, but don’t know anything about them. I wonder...there are plenty of folks on here that could easily afford one and don’t use one. That I know of. Why is that?

 

[AgX]

Some are blessed; some need practice.

What I well advise is a try or at least some contemplating before self-loading bulk-film, or taking a sample cassette with you into the dark. As both, the orientation of the film to the spindle as the orientation of the spindle to the hull are most important. And some people have a lesser command at three-dimensional imagination.

Strange enough I never read about this orientation issue at this forum.

 

[VinceInMT]

I keep the house temps around 79 degrees which is 20 cooler than outside temps this time of year. Is it best to just start cold and let the chemicals warm up to the proper temp? I’ve heard of aquarium heaters for this but haven’t looked into that.

My darkroom is in a windowless, unheated room in a Montana basement. It stays between 60 and 72 all year depending on the season. I do adjust the temperature of my developer to 68 degrees by pouring it into a container and inserting a baggie with either warm water or ice depending on which way I need to go. I also have a microwave in the darkroom and have been known to give a cold developer a short zap to get it up to 68.

 

[KerrKid]

My darkroom is in a windowless, unheated room in a Montana basement. It stays between 60 and 72 all year depending on the season. I do adjust the temperature of my developer to 68 degrees by pouring it into a container and inserting a baggie with either warm water or ice depending on which way I need to go. I also have a microwave in the darkroom and have been known to give a cold developer a short zap to get it up to 68.

Interesting. Thank you!

 

[Agulliver]

Do you put some kind of framework in the bag as has been mentioned?

Ilford's Pop-Up Darkroom is impressive with a price tag to match. Probably overkill for my needs at the moment.

I hadn't thought of putting foil over the window, but that would be expedient and inexpensive.

I haven't tried any framework in my dark bag, so occasionally the material gets in the way but it's not a problem inasmuch as I can solve it in under a second.

When I do proper printing, I actually have to use the spare bedroom in my mother's house due to lack of space at mine. So I darken it by taping foil to the windows and working at night, usually in November/December when it gets dark really early here to give me six clear hours before I start feeling like it's time for bed.

Moving forward to when I have a bigger place, I intend to either have a room which can be converted into a darkroom or buy Ilford's pop up dark tent. It's not expensive for what it is, no more than a regular camping tent which doesn't keep out the light. Though in recent years there have been a small number of tents advertising "blackout bedroom pods" which may be where some bright spark at Ilford/Harman got the idea.