Darkroom plans

Hello all,

I have decided to build a darkroom. I have enough space in my house by enlarging a closet that is part of a storage room. The wife has given the go ahead....the bank account on the other hand.....

Anyway, below are the plans that I have come up with. the perimeter walls are pretty well set in stone due to things like windows and such. I could make the section with the enlarger table deeper with some more storage space lost in the existing room. But I do not see a benefit of doing that.

The drawing is pretty darn close to scale and I included metric conversions. The sink will be small but it is one that I already have. Also I plan to make the developing table water tight with a lip. Is that really all that important?

I have only been into one dark room in my life and have never used one...so any insight would be great. I can add another working table where it says "shelf" for more table room. That would be the dry area I reckon. I could make it 1.5 ft and that would give me 2 feet of working room. sound like plenty but I am a big boy.

Oh, and I certainly could make the enlarger table deeper. I would not build that until I buy the enlarger its self. I am going for something for 4x5.

thanks to all.

Hi Jason,

I couldn't get anything to open that shows your plans. Where are you located? I have a Bessler 4x5 enlarger that I'm ready to let go of for cheap but I don't want to ship it anywhere. If you're in SoCal it could work.

Thanks Tori,

Here is a link to Flicker. The image that is suppose to show up in the OP is hosted by Smugmug in an unlisted gallery. Maybe the fact it is unlisted is why it will not show up.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/15184234@N02/3498261180/

Also thanks for the deal on the enlarger...but I live in South Carolina. I guess that means we are as far apart as you can get and not get wet.

If you would rethink the shipping thing(I understand if you don't) and would take Paypal, I would be interested.

thanks

Jason

Well, first off big congrats on the DR. Now I'm just beginning and to be honest It's been a lot less expensive then I've thought. (equipment wise, not remodeling) I'm finding the most expensive item being the sink which I've still not found as of yet. (and I've not budgeted the plumbing) but everything else via craigslist was a great bargin.

So, search on youtube also, some very good vids (at least there was) on there to see. A lot regarding LightLeaks etc.... Keep checking Craigslist each day with keywords film, darkroom etc...

Best of luck to you.
t

Keep looking and you will find what you need. I've been hunting and gathering to built a darkroom for a couple of years. I bought 4 sinks, used two, sold two and had two offered to me for free along they way. Sinks will show up as, in my opinion, they are not as much in demand. Search "darkroom" for cities around you are where you would be willing to drive. I just got my water hooked up this past weekend and should be up and operating in a few weeks. Bill Barber

thanks folks,

As a matter of fact I just started to look at Craigs list for the first time last night. It is rather nice to know the stuff is with in driving distance and not across the country. I did find a set up that I think would kick butt. Here is the description

"I have a Beseler MCRX motor drive 4x5 enlarger with a Zone VI cold light head with voltage regulator. Omega digital timer, print washer's, film washer, 8x10 and 11x14 pans, variable contrast filters (2 sets), 4 or 5 neg carriers, 2 safe lights, grain magnifier, tongs, measuring cups, Film tanks and reels (35mm, 2 1/4, 4x5). Nikon 50mm lens and either a rodenstock or schinder 80mm, Saunders 11x14 4 blade easel, burning and dodging tools, a book of amberlith paper, and some bottles and beakers. This is a great Black and white set up. If you have never used a cold light head before it has 10x the tone range as a condenser head. The may be a few more things but its all packed up.$700.00"

Bad part is that I have been unemployed since January due to a layoff after 11 years of service. So no cash to be had. But thanks to digital these deals come along regular enough. Also, is the claim about a cold light vs a condeser head true?

Jason

jasonhall said:

thanks folks,

As a matter of fact I just started to look at Craigs list for the first time last night. It is rather nice to know the stuff is with in driving distance and not across the country. I did find a set up that I think would kick butt. Here is the description

"I have a Beseler MCRX motor drive 4x5 enlarger with a Zone VI cold light head with voltage regulator. Omega digital timer, print washer's, film washer, 8x10 and 11x14 pans, variable contrast filters (2 sets), 4 or 5 neg carriers, 2 safe lights, grain magnifier, tongs, measuring cups, Film tanks and reels (35mm, 2 1/4, 4x5). Nikon 50mm lens and either a rodenstock or schinder 80mm, Saunders 11x14 4 blade easel, burning and dodging tools, a book of amberlith paper, and some bottles and beakers. This is a great Black and white set up. If you have never used a cold light head before it has 10x the tone range as a condenser head. The may be a few more things but its all packed up.$700.00"

Bad part is that I have been unemployed since January due to a layoff after 11 years of service. So no cash to be had. But thanks to digital these deals come along regular enough. Also, is the claim about a cold light vs a condeser head true?

Jason

Click to expand...

That looks like a decent deal to me - the cold light units don't pop up around me at all.

If you are interested, email the seller and explain. Maybe they can work on the price, or find alternate payment. I've traded for prints a lot on Craigslist.

You are right Jeff, I have just sent him an email to see if he would be interested in working something out.

Jason

Jason, where are you located? If you put that out there, you might get some offers for stuff from APUG members. Bill Barber

nsurit said:

Jason, where are you located? If you put that out there, you might get some offers for stuff from APUG members. Bill Barber

Click to expand...

Leesville South Carolina, 30 miles west of Columbia.

Jason

The wet bench should let you get three 12x16" trays to the left of the sink, and one on the right. Do you have plumbed water, or will the space to the right of the sink hold a water supply (a 2-3 gallon cooler with tap on a raised shelf works)?

You may find you get in the way of your safelight when using the enlarger and developing. Closer to the walls - maybe the corner by the shelf? - might be better.

thanks grahamp,

I will infact be pluming a water supply myself. I am wondering if I need to worry about plumbing hot water. It will be much easier if I only run cold water. Seems there should be enought room for the trays you mentioned. I certainly keep it in mind.

After thinking about it, you are right on about the safe light. I will have to rethink that as well. I want to have as much detail hammered out as I can before "breaking" ground". So all this feed back is just awsome.

I admit, the amount response is a bit lower than I expected, but the info its self is just great and a major help.

Thank

Congrats.
Build a mock-up of the darkroom using sheets for walls and cardboard to make counters, sink, Etc and use the actual gear if you can. I.E. enlarger, timer, trays, safelight Etc. Then roll play out developing and printing to find out if anything needs to be changed. I have built or designed several darkrooms for public schools, University of Utah, U.S. Navy, myself and other photographers. The last one I built has to last a long time because I don't want to move again. I spent many hours at the drafting board working out the design until I had what I wanted on paper. When we built the mock up we found the door would be in a bad place, I moved it to a different wall. It looked so good on paper but the mock-up saved me from wasting time and money or living with the problem.

For the safelight, paint the ceiling white and bounce the safelight off the ceiling so you get an even, directionless light and that way you are not always standing in your shadow. Two safelights, one on each end of the room, might work best.

You definitely want hot water in the darkroom. Even in South Carolina the winter water temp is probably a bit cold for washing. Also, you could bring in hot water from the kitchen for mixing chemicals but I think it is good practice to keep darkroom and kitchen completely separate.

Paint the alcove around the enlarger table black. The ceiling in that area black also. Use black electrical tape to seal light leaks in the enlarger. Use semi-gloss paint which is much easier to clean and keep dust free than flat wall paint. Until you get a chance to paint, you could use blue tack and stick up some pieces of cheap black foam board from Staples.

Rig up a retractable vinyl covered clothesline above the sink and another across the room so you have room to dry prints.

Get some relatively inexpensive anti-fatigue floor mats.

Make some sort of water resistant backsplash for the sink, e.g. a 7' x 18" piece of stainless steel adhered to the wall. Above that put some shelves for chemicals, etc. If you have room put some vertical storage slots under the sink so that trays can dry vertically. Consider single tray processing which will allow you to do more with less sink space. In a small darkroom, use one shot chemicals at first so that you don't have to use up space storing a lot of bottles.

A two foot door is pretty small. If possible, make it a 36 inch door, perhaps a pocket door. Use vinyl flooring which is easy to clean.

Since you are doing the work, install numerous electrical outlets, twice what you think you need. Include some above and below counter spaces and a couple in the ceiling. Use GFI circuits.

Some random thoughts.

jasonhall said:

If you have never used a cold light head before it has 10x the tone range as a condenser head.
<snip> <snip>
Also, is the claim about a cold light vs a condeser head true?
Jason

Click to expand...

No - it may print differently, but it simply does not have "10x" the tonal range of a condenser. Fred Picker, the soul behind Zone VI, was prone to exaggeration :rolleyes:

Oh man, great stuff. I am going to print this all out or copy and paste into a word doc so I can be sure to have all the ideas from you folks. Only comment I will make right now is on the 2 foot door. It is a little small but that is what is currently there for the closet that I am adding onto and I intend to reuse it. If funds are more abundant by the time I go to do the construction, I will rethink it. I was wondering if I should black out any thing with paint so that tells me what I need to know. I figured around the door jam also to aid in traping the light.

Glaiben,

thanks for answering the question on the cold light vs condenser. I was doing some research on the subject and what you said is exactly what I have found out. I think I am settleing on a Color head.

Thanks again

Jason

Around the door, you can use thin felt/foam on the interior of the jam which will make the door a tight fit. On the outside of the door, use a plastic/rubber flange like you use around the perimeter of a garage door. Use brads to drive it into the door frame. On the bottom of the door you can use th same material as a door sweep to keep the light out.

The best money you can spend is for a good enlarging lens and a good alignment tool (Versalab is the best). The only things I would buy new (if you can) are an f-stop timer (Darkroom Automation is the best deal) and the Versalab alignment tool. If you have the money, an RH Designs process timer is nice to have also.

For the door Go to Lowes or Home Depot and find a pre-hung exterior entry door with a threshold and a good seal, and most important a good sized dent or scratch. Offer the manager a ridiculous price and see if he will take it. I worked for Lowes and we threw damaged doors out all the time. I got mine from Depot for $30.00 because of a small dent. No light leaks and no dust gets in. Just don't get one with a window. Don't laugh I have seen it. He got it free and used contact adhesive to glue aluminum foil over the glass.