Darkroom sink height

Mike Bates · Feb 11, 2017

How tall are you? How high is the (inside) bottom of your darkroom sink from the floor? How high is the reach over the front? Are you happy with the height?

I'm building a sink like this (from my sketchup drawing):

The sink will be 8' long and the front panel height will be 6".

I'm 6'1" tall and I'm considering placing the sink bottom 36" high, which will put the top of the lip in front 42" high. When I mark the wall at those dimensions, it seems a bit low, however when I stand next to a table that's 32" high, it doesn't seem so low.

ac12 · Feb 11, 2017

When I made my darkroom at my parents home, I stood on the floor, bent my elbow 90 degrees, so my forearm was level. The bottom of my forearm was the height of the front edge that I wanted.

Bill Burk · Feb 11, 2017

You should make the lip 44 3/4 inches high. I'm 5 foot 9 and my sink is 41 3/4 inches... I've always felt it was perfect.

When you are standing, and resting your forearm on the lip, your arm will be slightly downhill, so water won't run up to your elbows.

jeffreyg · Feb 11, 2017

Mike,

I am 5'11". The bottom of the sink is 28in from the floor. The front and sides are 10in (depth). The back is also 10in with an additional back splash of 14in. It is 30in wide and 6ft long. I use tray stackers when doing 16x20 prints. That configuration provides a support (along with being the same as the front) for three removable panels that give me additional dry counter-top when I am not using the sink. It was made from marine plywood coated with polyester boat resin. the seams were re-enforced with fiberglass cloth. it has been in use for forty years with no leaks.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

John Koehrer · Feb 11, 2017

If you use an archival type washer you might think of putting a deep sink at one end. Another consideration is a slight angle to direct liquid to drain to the low end.

Alan9940 · Feb 11, 2017

I am 5'11". I have an Arkay stainless steel sink that is 30" deep (front to back inside) and 8' long. The bottom of the sink is 30" from the floor and it's 7" deep. It has a steel frame about 10" off the floor where I custom fitted 3/4" plywood to serve as storage. It has served me well for nearly 40 years and I use it to this day.

rthollenbeck · Feb 11, 2017

Bill Burk said:
You should make the lip 44 3/4 inches high. I'm 5 foot 9 and my sink is 41 3/4 inches... I've always felt it was perfect.

When you are standing, and resting your forearm on the lip, your arm will be slightly downhill, so water won't run up to your elbows.

I agree with Bill. I like my sink about bar height and the base enlargers go about ten inches less.

However. A freind of mine had his darkroom all set up very very low. He would sit in a rolling office chair and work around the room that way. I always thought he had a good set up and it worked for the people he had visit and use darkroom on occasion (just adjust the chair). It also had the added advantage leaving him a lot more wall space for storage.

Jim Noel · Feb 11, 2017

ac12 said:
When I made my darkroom at my parents home, I stood on the floor, bent my elbow 90 degrees, so my forearm was level. The bottom of my forearm was the height of the front edge that I wanted.

Ditto!

Mike Bates · Feb 11, 2017

I appreciate the advice. I'm leaning toward 43" lip height which puts the inside sink bottom between 37 3/4" and 38 1/2". I'm planning a 3/4" drain slope across the length of the 8' bottom, which isn't much, but should keep the puddles to a minimum.

About that deep well for a print washer. I like the idea. I've seen them in other sinks. I'm not sure my woodworking tools and skills are up to that many additional waterproof joints. I have a Versalab 11x14 print washer for most prints and a Rosy Products 16x20 washer for the rare 16x20s. I plan to set the Versalab on a counter next to the sink with the drain hose into the sink and just set the 16x20 washer in the end of the sink.

dpurdy · Feb 11, 2017

The front edge of my 14 foot sink is 43 inches off the floor and it is the 2 inch side of a 1x2. That allows me to rest my elbows while standing up straight. The working surface of my sink is 5 inches lower than the front edge. The sink height lowers 2 inches in those 14 feet. I have always thought my sink was perfect in that way. I had to move it from it's original spot about 20 years ago and when I re plumbed it I put the faucet up on the wall above the sink so the faucet didn't take up so much space in the sink.
My counter height in the dry area of my darkroom is 37 inches. Also to save my lower back from bending.

winger · Feb 11, 2017

I'm a bit shorter than you (5'6") and the bottom of my sink is 33" from the floor and the front edge is 39" from the floor. It works well, but sometimes feels a little low to me. It's also just 6' long and I really wish I had room for a longer one. Good luck with yours!

AgX · Feb 11, 2017

Make the sink height adjustable...

Randalcav · Feb 11, 2017

I'm (5'9") and my 6 foot sink is 34" from floor and 39" to the lip. One thing I like about having it slightly lower is when I put my Jobo processor on it, I like the height it operates at. I have a deep well sink, which you should strongly consider, it comes in handyf or mixing raw chemicals. Good Luck If you have the space, a good darkroom sink seems to greatly improve your darkroom experience.

MattKing · Feb 11, 2017

I like having my trays on wire racks that raise them off the bottom of the sink. This allows some flexibility if you come to the conclusion your sink bottom is too low.

Mike Bates · Feb 11, 2017

Here's a little more sketchup work with some of the base cabinet drawn in. Still need to draw in doors and shelves, but it's coming together. Thanks for the input from everyone.

This puts the lip height at 43" and the inside base at about 38" (sloped right to left).

AgX · Feb 11, 2017

You still could adjust height by varying height of the the whole console.
I assume the armature is fixed to the cabinet. If you got flexible tubes for fresh water, a telescopic or better flexible tube for the waste water, that all should not be a problem.

KenS · Feb 11, 2017

The height of the bottom of the sink should be no lower than when your hands, without 'bending over' can be placed
'flat' on the bottom of the sink. The muscles in you back will thank you after 'about' an half hour.

Ken

Mike Bates · Feb 11, 2017

I found a bench top in my garage 38" tall. It passes the "hands flat on the bench without bending over test." The 43" lip is a couple of inches shorter than my elbows with my forearms parallel to the ground. I'm pretty comfortable with my planned dimensions now.

I didn't want to seem obsessed over an inch here or there, but I appreciate the input from people who have built and worked at their own sinks.

ac12 · Feb 12, 2017

I've worked at counters that were not quite the right height for me, and after a while it literally became a PAIN, in the arm or the back.
And round off the edge of the lip, so that you can lean on the lip of the sink.

Important, measure the height while you wear what you would normally wear on your feet, as that affects your height.
Also, consider putting a rubber comfort/cushion mat on the floor. Makes standing for long periods more comfortable, especially if the floor is tile or concrete. I have a set in the kitchen and it makes a BIG difference. But that also adds height.

Arklatexian · Feb 12, 2017

MattKing said:
I like having my trays on wire racks that raise them off the bottom of the sink. This allows some flexibility if you come to the conclusion your sink bottom is too low.

I am a great believer that darkroom sinks should have some sort of rack that keeps the trays off of the bottom of the sink and allows water and other fluids to flow underneath. The rack does not need to be made of wood. I now have a plastic mat in the bottom of my sink that drains water faster than the old redwood racks that were in there before. The top of that mat is about 36 inches from the floor. I am 5'9"........Make sure everything is comfortable for YOU!.......Regards!

darkroommike · Feb 12, 2017

oldtimermetoo said:
I am a great believer that darkroom sinks should have some sort of rack that keeps the trays off of the bottom of the sink and allows water and other fluids to flow underneath. The rack does not need to be made of wood. I now have a plastic mat in the bottom of my sink that drains water faster than the old redwood racks that were in there before. The top of that mat is about 36 inches from the floor. I am 5'9"........Make sure everything is comfortable for YOU!.......Regards!

My next sink will use interlocking rubber tiles from the builder supply store that are made for wet rooms like kitchens and garages. The tiles have drain channels on the bottom. We use the same tiles in the sinks at school.

Arklatexian · Feb 12, 2017

darkroommike said:
My next sink will use interlocking rubber tiles from the builder supply store that are made for wet rooms like kitchens and garages. The tiles have drain channels on the bottom. We use the same tiles in the sinks at school.

That is what I now have in my sink and I repeat it seems to drain faster than the wooden racks that were in there before. You can get those tiles in different colors also.....Regards!

silveror0 · Feb 13, 2017

Several thoughts come to mind:
1. The print washers I have, especially the 16x20 Calumet, can be very heavy when full, so make sure the sink support structure can handle the weight if it's placed in the sink.
2. Install a height adjuster under each of the four corners posts of the sink support structure; these can also serve to create the desired slope of the sink - both end-to-end and front-to-back. That allows you to build the sink without thinking about what slope might be best.
3. My sinks (end to end placement) are placed on a stand that has a shelf incorporated that is several inches off the floor to facilitate mopping up spills underneath (they can/do happen). In fact ALL darkroom "furniture" should have such a space underneath for this reason.
4. Think about where/how to store all the developing trays as well. I built a plywood enclosure (box with one side open) with vertical slots to slide in nested trays up to 20x24" after rinsing them during cleanup. I coated them with water sealant to prevent formation of mold. The enclosure was placed on the shelf under the sink and secured to the shelf with standard slide bolt hardware so it'd be easy to remove if necessary.
5. If it ever becomes necessary to move to another location, think about getting everything through the darkroom door, so you don't have to re-build stuff again later.

Gerald C Koch · Feb 13, 2017

Whatever height you determine should enable you to work without bending over. So no stooping which causes back pain and tiredness. Your darkroom should be comfortable for you. As a starting point the standard counter height is 36 inches. Are you comfortable working in the kitchen? Another consideration would be will there be a thick mat or duckboards in front of the sink. This would have a part in determining the correct height.

Mike Bates · Feb 13, 2017

There have been some very helpful suggestion here. I've redesigned it so the base cabinet is 36" high and the sink portion is attached above that. It puts the sink bottom about 38" high depending on the slope.

The two major pieces will fit through regular doors when disassembled.

I like the idea of some vertical shelves for tray storage. I haven't designed the shelves yet, but I'll make one of the cabinet bay shelves vertical.

The sink sides will have a groove routed 3/4" by 1/4" deep for the sink bottom. This will add considerable strength but I'll have to create the slope at the time of the routing. I can't reasonably add slope later since I want to mount the base cabinet level.

Here's another look with some of the doors and side panels hidden. It should be plenty strong to hold the heaviest of print washers.

Darkroom sink height

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