Darkroom Portraits (Part 2)

Pieter12

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
7,521
Location
Magrathean's computer
Format
Super8
CMoore said:
Do you really "care" what your walls look like.?
That is ...............if you just fire-tape what you have up, and then prime and paint the walls, will it matter to you that the drywall is not "Finished".?
Click to expand...
As long as it doesn't collect dust, why not leave it just painted.
 

Kino

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,615
Location
Orange, Virginia
Format
Multi Format
Pieter12 said:
As long as it doesn't collect dust, why not leave it just painted.
Click to expand...

Don't take this the wrong way but, after 50 years of making do with crap facilities and makeshift equipment, I would like to have something nice I can take a bit of pride in owning.
 

Pieter12

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
7,521
Location
Magrathean's computer
Format
Super8
Kino said:
Don't take this the wrong way but, after 50 years of making do with crap facilities and makeshift equipment, I would like to have something nice I can take a bit of pride in owning.
Click to expand...
Don't take this the wrong way either, but most of my darkroom time is spent in the dark, so it doesn't matter much to me. Darkroom time with lights on is for inspection, mixing chemicals, processing film and of course cleaning.
 

Kino

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,615
Location
Orange, Virginia
Format
Multi Format
This will be a multi function room, so it needs to be more presentable if to no one but me.
 

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
51,972
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format
After building and finishing it, you will probably want to just sit in it and smile with happiness....
So it may as well be nice looking!
 

CMoore

Subscriber
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
6,191
Location
USA CA
Format
35mm
Kino said:
This will be a multi function room, so it needs to be more presentable if to no one but me.
Click to expand...
Keeping in mind, that of all the drywall finishes, smooth-wall requires the most skill...........
.......... just go ahead and sand it. and sweep/vacuum the dust.
"Wet-Sanding" was never meant to be a replacement for "normal sanding".
It is fine for a small areas, or something up high.....places you will not see too easily.
But if you want this to look nice, just go ahead and sand or...............do you have a compressor.?
You do not need to sand. Tape and Top, Knife it down if needed...Rent or buy a hopper and just splatter texture the walls...no sanding necessary.
Good Luck
 

gordrob

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 29, 2005
Messages
989
Location
Western Cana
Format
Multi Format
When I drywalled my darkroom 35 years ago after the drywall was up I put inexpensive paneling up so i wouldn't have to go through the taping and sanding. With the mount of cabinets, sinks and shelves in the room there is not a lot of exposed wall. When we did a reno to the main floor 2 years ago I asked the guy that was mudding and taping about the amount of dust I was going to have to clean up in the basement after he was done. His answer was if you do it right there won't be a lot of sanding to do. He was right and I didn't get any sanding dust in the darkroom at all. So the best option is to get an experienced taper to handle that end of things and it is not that expensive and cleanup should be minimal. I know when I do the mudding I am sure that more is better and then I spend a lot of time sanding and trying to fix things up.
 

MurrayMinchin

Membership Council
Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
5,455
Location
North Coast BC Canada
Format
Hybrid
We built an addition onto our house which freed up the old master bedroom for a darkroom. It backs onto the laundry room, so water will be easy. It's main use will be for alternative printing/exploration, but silver gelatin prints will also be doable.

Been chipping away at it for a while...putting photos here is an official firming up of the commitment factor. Must be sure to maintain forward progress now!!!!



Basic layout



Enlarger will be in corner, sink will be about 4' to right of print washers



UV light source & contact printing frame is going between cabinets under books. Will use 16x20 max paper size.



Looking into sink area which was the old bedroom closet.

Now all I need is a cheap plywood source for the cabinet tops...
 
Last edited:

MattKing

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Apr 24, 2005
Messages
51,972
Location
Delta, BC Canada
Format
Medium Format

MurrayMinchin

Membership Council
Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
5,455
Location
North Coast BC Canada
Format
Hybrid
Good to hear from you Matt, and you have a very good memory!!!!

(Matt is talking about a thread I started *back in the day* about using waterproof and thermostatically controlled baby pig warming blankets under print trays for keeping solutions at the right temperature).
 
Last edited:

MattiS

Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2016
Messages
218
Location
Germany
Format
Multi Format
Update:

- extra shelves here and there, warm air outlet for AC, walls painted in the enlarger area




- separation of dry and wet area with a piece of PVC tarpaulin cut and glued to shape

 

fiddle

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
371
Location
NYC
Format
Multi Format
Im currently, very slowly, working on what might be the smallest, maybe not smallest, but tiny darkroom.
Ive been working out of my unfinished basement for a few years, not ideal, dusty, very low ceilings, and really didnt work the second I decided to venture into 4x5. I would have to print on my knees to fit any 4x5 enlarger, Beseler 23 squeezed in there with a drop table.

It is sort of an L shape, took a small portion of my garage, could not give up the whole thing, and built this in there.

I have to remember to not gain weight or else I cant get behind that sink,.

A little more space in the dry side, can fit this free 45 a generous Photrio member donated, and a bit more space on the table top for other stuff. I can probably fir the 23c side by side, but will fill the counter top completely.

Was lucky to find a craigslist sink for a phew bucks that was small enough for the space, will build some counter space next to the sink, I should have space for the trays, Ill think of something..

The garage is not plumbed. I will be running my water hose from the house to garage, attatch it to a spiget outside the darkroom. add a filter, I know have water. Im thinking for waste water I can fit a 55 gallon drum under the sink, have the sink let out to that. Empty it out in my basement sink whenever i feel the need. Only wash water, I take fixer to town recycling place.

Hopefully the plumbing situation wont be too much of a pain, I did have water in my basement. but at least I have the height, and a clean room which I figure will be more important than the hassle of carrying a few buckets of water every once in a while.
 

argentic

Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2002
Messages
316
Location
Echandelys,
Format
4x5 Format
Before I had a permanent darkroom I've used buckets for years. Of course it's a bit of a hassle, but it's doable.
 

distributed

Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2020
Messages
127
Location
Switzerland
Format
Multi Format
@fiddle: I think this will be a nice setup and you're making do with very little space. Cool! And hey, at least you can stand up and hey, at least you've got something like water!
 

VinceInMT

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Messages
1,877
Location
Montana, USA
Format
Multi Format
Get one of those submersible pumps with a float on it like is used in a basement sump, put it in the barrel and route the output to some drain. It’s almost be like the real thing.
 

fiddle

Subscriber
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
371
Location
NYC
Format
Multi Format
Yep, no drain. I figure if I can empty the drum every few uses, it won't be a hassle every time..
I've thought of running a hose through my yard, into my basement window, into my drain with a pump... Might be a bit much tho.
Also this will obviously be a darkroom only used for non freezing cold days, since the water is above ground hose. Still better than what I had me thinks.
 

Pieter12

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2017
Messages
7,521
Location
Magrathean's computer
Format
Super8
I have been using a darkroom with no plumbing for years. I bring in water in 1-gallon jugs, used chemicals are put in jugs that I then send for hazardous waste disposal when I have a dozen gallons or so. I hold fixed prints in a large water bath tray until I am ready to wash them. Film and print washing is done outside near a hose & drains into the ground.
 

Kino

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,615
Location
Orange, Virginia
Format
Multi Format
Taking far too long, but at least I have a temporary sink, running water and a functional drain in the room. I had several adventures with faulty check valves, burst connectors and other plumbing fun. Thought I was nuts putting so many shut off valves in the mix, but am glad I did because the PVC connectors on my mixing valve had cracked during installation unbeknownst to me and I was able to isolate it and shut it off instantly when the water started flying.

Now I just have to replace these PVC connectors to be fully functional (I hope). Very sorry I couldn't run the Jobo through it's cleaning routine, but that should happen within the next week.

Tons more to do; cabinets, shelving, enlarger stand, and so on, but just having the ability to process a roll or two very soon is encouraging...

 

Kino

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,615
Location
Orange, Virginia
Format
Multi Format
More progress. Gave up on making it "nice", going for functional. Got my enlarging bench constructed and the first coat of paint on it and the sink top. Waiting on the return of my Intellfaucet from Hass. Had to send it back twice for leaks; hope they fix it this time. Shouldn't happen with a new valve...

 

mshchem

Subscriber
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
14,262
Location
Iowa City, Iowa USA
Format
Medium Format
Looks great. Slot processors are genius! Intellifaucet once right will be amazing. Nice Jobo!
 

Kino

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,615
Location
Orange, Virginia
Format
Multi Format
OK, final update for this weekend; fabricated a mount for my foot-pedal water valve that will dispense tempered water to the sink and cut/installed and put the first coat of paint on the bottom shelves for both the sink and the enlarger table. Talk about over-engineered; 18mm (23/32 in.) plywood and a bucket full of drywall screws. I could park a tank on the enlarger bench and it wouldn't blink! As long as I don't have Earth tremors, I should have a stable enlarging platform...

 

MurrayMinchin

Membership Council
Subscriber
Joined
Jan 9, 2005
Messages
5,455
Location
North Coast BC Canada
Format
Hybrid
In total agreement on the functional over nice concept, which explains the three tier cascading into one drain Franken-Sink. It meshes my Wabi-Sabi-ish nature with garage sale finds and left over materials from other projects. Water panel yet to come.

While the first application of drywall compound was drying, I just had to cobble things into place a bit. It'll look much nicer once everything has somewhere to go.

The gap between enlarging bench cabinets is where the UV light source will be going, with a heavy sheet of glass on a slide out shelf for contact printing.









 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…