Darkroom country sayings, platitudes and homemaker's golden rules

[Aurum]

#17: Music in the darkroom is mandatory. Avoid annoying radio stations with lots of commercials and the Beatles song "Here Comes the Sun".

Just make sure your Iplod / beatbox / radio doesn't have any light up things on it like LED's or illuminated tuning dials. Not a good thing for fog free paper

...
don't put camera in fixer....

I have to ask how you found that one out

 

[cmacd123]

...until the point breaks!

That;'s why they invented mechanical pencils. I buy them by the dozen from Lee Valley tools, and scatter them all over the darkroom and workshop. (my wife does not understand that the scattering is deliberate.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=57204&cat=1,42936

 

[Laurent]

I too write the abbreviated processing details on the edge of the negative files, and I always use pencil, never pen.

This is what I did (using pencil)... until I bought a batch of Kenro files, which have a plastic 'thingie' (sorry, I reached my English competency level ! Let's say it's the part that the rings go through to keep the neg.file in the binder) instead of the plain paper one on the Panodia ones... Now I'm using a permanent pen.

OTOH, I'm writing the same details in a notebook (quite disorganized, but everything is in it, in chronological order) so there's no urgency to write the details on the file at the minute I put the negs in it.

 

[Steve Smith]

Just make sure your Iplod / beatbox / radio doesn't have any light up things on it like LED's or illuminated tuning dials. Not a good thing for fog free paper

Or luminous wrist watch dials.



Steve.

 

[alexmacphee]

This is what I did (using pencil)... until I bought a batch of Kenro files, which have a plastic 'thingie'

Ah, me too, I also use the Kenro sheets. What I use for them is one of those plastic tape labeller devices. I make a small tape label like 'D76/1+1/12m' which tells me I used D76 at 1+1 dilution for 12 minutes, and so on.

 

[mrmekon]

* Don't forget your phone that glows like the freaking sun when it rings in your pocket!

 

[Reinhold]

Waterproof adhesive tape (Band-Aid medical type) makes a sooper durable label for darkroom bottles.

A Sharpie pen on that tape survives slop & slosh without bleeding.

Use 1" wide tape to write the mix/formula on each bottle. No need to look up the recipe each time.

Reinhold

www.classicBWphoto.com

 

[pgomena]

My main rule is: No beer in the darkroom until the prints are in the wash.

Peter Gomena

 

[naugastyle]

And now I'm saddened because I LIKE "Here Comes the Sun." I may have to call in a request to the radio station next time.

 

[clayne]

For people wondering about different labeling options, such as erasable or reusable labels, check this place out: http://www.labelonce.com/

 

[jp80874]

I develop film in Pyro. Wal-Mart sells Nitile gloves, one size fit all. Sometimes they are tight. Sometimes they are really tight. Autozone in Ohio sells three sizes of Nitrile gloves. “Medium” are comfortable for me and “Large” slide off easily if they are in good enough condition to use again. They are also great for working on cars/tractor. My mechanic says gasoline goes from the hands right to the liver. He does not work for the Cleveland Clinic so I am not sure, but do respect the thought.

B&H sells white Kodak cotton gloves that I use for sheet film and matching paper to film for contact printing. Wash often to avoid chemicals, dirt and dust.

I prefer paper towels, used once and thrown away to washable towels. The operator never seems to remember to wash the towels. He can barely remember to wash the cotton gloves every now and then.

I hate spotting prints. I am of the shaky hands age. I vacuum often before large printing jobs. Every two weeks I have to show ten new prints that are as close to show quality as I can make them. I wear fresh clothes and make sure my shoes are clean. When you have two Labradors, dog hair follows you everywhere.

There is a First Aid kit and a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall by the darkroom door. In four years I have not used either, but I am more comfortable knowing they are there.

John Powers

 

[jp80874]

#16: Get a steel soap and your hands don't smell like your lab.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stainless_steel_soap

(Yes, a spoon or something else made of stainless steel works fine, too.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hate the smell of fixer on my hands when I am eating. Wash in soap and the fixer smell is still there. I just tried it with a spoon and hand soap. No smell. Thank you.

John Powers

 

[greybeard]

There is a First Aid kit and a fire extinguisher hanging on the wall by the darkroom door. In four years I have not used either, but I am more comfortable knowing they are there.

Ah, yes---and an ordinary flashlight hanging from a cup hook under the wall cabinet, over in the corner. Ever been in a darkroom and had the power go out? It's a bit disorienting when the lights won't come on. (I suppose the smart thing would be to put a safelight filter in it, but basically I just have it there for the odd earthquake.)

 

[Jeff Searust]

My sig line is something I discovered once-- shut eyes -- load film -- open eyes to discover lights are all on...

 

[cmo]

I just looked at this thread and thought: oh, my god, what a nice list we have in the meanwhile, seven pages with hints. This will become a nice "sticky" and will help generations of darkroom alchemists.

Thanks to all!

 

[cmo]

#18: Your shower cubicle is a film drying cabin.

Ever asked yourself how to dry films in a dust-free environment to reduce boring dust spotting work? You have no money for an electrical drying cabin and enough time?

- Use your shower cabin and a clothesline (made of plastic).
- Before you "peg out washing" spray-wash the tiling etc. with HOT water, let off steam
- The result is a totally dust-free cabin.
- Hang up your films, close the doors, leave them alone for several hours. It might take long until they are really dry, especially if your shower cabin is completely closed. If that is the case just leave the door ajar. As long as the air in your bathroom is calm your films will be dust-free.

This works fine with distilled water as a final rinse for the films. Photo Flo etc. is not necessary any more.

Disclaimer:
Your family might complain.

 

[Laurent]

#18: Your shower cubicle is a film drying cabin.
...

Disclaimer:
Your family might complain.

My family does not complain as long as I develop in the evening and am the first to wake up and get the film out of the way before my wife wants to use the shower ;-)

I agree on the dust-free aspect, no longer have specks on my film using this.

I made a specific hanger that I'll attach to the door's top using clamps.

I still use photo-flo (Mirasol more exactly in my case) and so drying is much faster.

 

[cmo]

I made a specific hanger that I'll attach to the door's top using clamps.

That's a good one, never thought about that. A rigid hanger has one big advantage: it does not move at all when you hang up films. I will use a simple steel pole. Thanks!

 

[Steve Smith]

#18: Your shower cubicle is a film drying cabin.

Also makes a good print washer.


Steve.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

on[/I]. (I suppose the smart thing would be to put a safelight filter in it, but basically I just have it there for the odd earthquake.)

I have one of these - http://www.rhdesigns.co.uk/darkroom/html/safetorch.html

Saves endless groping around in the dark for all those things I drop and then hear them roll away :rolleyes:

May be you still want a powerful regular torch (flashlight) if your house is hit by an earthquake

Martin

 

[GraemeMitchell]

That's a good one, never thought about that. A rigid hanger has one big advantage: it does not move at all when you hang up films. I will use a simple steel pole. Thanks!

I dry film in the shower also. After some experimenting I ended up buying a flat section of the white wire shelving at a home+bath store. It's the modular shelving system stuff, referred to as "profile wire shelving" if you want to look it up. Basically bought a 1.5x4ft peace of that and set up a way to hang it from a hook and cable in the bathroom. Then I use clothes pins and viola, can easily hang 20-30 rolls of film w/o worrying about them bumbping into each other me knocking them off.

 

[jp80874]

Bed Bath and Beyond used to make a roll away canvas closet, casters on the bottom, hanger bar, a 6' x 2' x 4' box with canvas walls-top and bottom. I put what Office Max calls Binder Clips on wire hangers to hold the film, two to a hanger. You never know when one clip will slip. I hang everything from 120, 4x5, 8x10 to 7"x17" in there. The water drips off and evaporates through the canvas. I put paper towels in the bottom to absorb excess water. Dust can't get in. The closet has a zipper front that folds out of the way for access. The closet can dry in the darkroom after I am done or it can roll out into the rest of the basement near the furnace to dry out of the way if I want to do something else in the darkroom. When not in use it stays out of the way. I cover it with an old sheet to gather the dust when not in use. This sheet is easier to throw in the wash than taking apart the closet.

Along with the First Aid kit and Fire Extinguisher on the wall by the darkroom door I also have a two D Cell flashlight hanging on a hook. There is a larger 6 Volt flashlight if I really need lights and the power goes off. It happens often here on what used to be a farm. We have seven of the six volt flashlights stashed in known spots around the house. Living in the country is a mixed blessing.

Great thread. Thank you.

John Powers

 

[Laurent]

#19 Do NOT (and I repeat, DO NOT) intend to pour the used developer (or whatever) directly in the tank that will be used to drop at at the recycling facility <That is, unless you are 150% SURE that there is enough room in said tank>... Guess how I decided on this one ? ;-)

Yesterday was a developing session, and a rather awkward one... Spilled stop bath while opening the bottle, spilled developer when I decided about #19 above, fixed the film and, only to be sure, decided to run a clip test only to discover the fix was exhausted... So fix again, and I have to plan on refixing the films from last week, just in case...

So #20 Regularly run a clip-test of fixer, even if you keep track of the number of films you developed (I was in the ballpark for this fixer batch...)

 

[clayne]

So #20 Regularly run a clip-test of fixer, even if you keep track of the number of films you developed (I was in the ballpark for this fixer batch...)

I've found the following to be a much faster check: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/69800-Arista-Premium-Hypo-Check-.75-oz.?cat_id=305

 

[cmacd123]

I've found the following to be a much faster check: http://www.freestylephoto.biz/69800-Arista-Premium-Hypo-Check-.75-oz.?cat_id=305

I have always used the "Edwal" version. drip a couple of drops into a sample of the used fixer, and if you get a lasting precipitate, time for a change, otherwise you can put the sample back in the fixer bottle for next time.

If the hypo check goes bad, it itself turns yellow.