Darkroom Sinks

tony lockerbie · Jul 26, 2014

A question for Aussie Apuggers. Does anyone know where I can get a darkroom sink, either plastic or Stainless in Australia? I have googled them with no luck...anyone have a spare?
Cheers,
tony

jeffreyg · Jul 26, 2014

Tony,

Why not make your own? A couple of sheets of plywood, fiberglass cloth to re-enforce the seams, polyester boat resin and a drain and faucet and you can have one to your exact specs. Mine has been functioning for thirty-eight years. I just gave it a fresh coat of resin.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

http://www.sculptureandphotography.com/

RalphLambrecht · Jul 26, 2014

tony lockerbie said:
A question for Aussie Apuggers. Does anyone know where I can get a darkroom sink, either plastic or Stainless in Australia? I have googled them with no luck...anyone have a spare?
Cheers,
tony

I can sell you a choice of two, because ,I have a 4 and an 6-foot Delta sink ,made of poly carbonate,looking like newand come with a sturdymetal standfor you to assemble.I don't know the cost of shipping;they are big but light.I can check with UPSand FEDEX on Monday.if interested send an email to rlambrec@ymail.I psrt with it for 50% of newcom

dasBlute · Jul 26, 2014

I got mine at a used restaurant supply house...

pbromaghin · Jul 26, 2014

dasBlute said:
I got mine at a used restaurant supply house...

What a great idea.

tony lockerbie · Jul 26, 2014

Thanks for the replies everyone. Ralph, thanks for that offer, but I would imagine that post to Australia would be horrendous! The used restaurant sink sounds promising, or I may go down the route of building my own. Trouble is that I'm out in the sticks, so things are hard to get. There were so many for sale a few years back, but the supply seems to have dried up.

MartinP · Jul 27, 2014

The most convenient way might indeed be to make your own, using boat-technology (for want of a better phrase) as described above in post #2. Boats keep water out, while you would want to keep it in, otherwise the principal is rather similar.

fotch · Jul 27, 2014

Hopefully there is a lumber company or a store that sells plywood, everything else, such as fiberglass cloth & epoxy can be purchase mail order. You can make a great sink. Good luck.

Johnkpap · Jul 28, 2014

Hi Tony

My sink was made by this company :-I got it after it had been removed from a closed school darkroom.

http://www.pmedarkrooms.com/

I think he can still supply them NEW

The other option is Vabar Imaging

http://www.vanbar.com.au/catalogue/index.php?item1=DARKROOM&item2=DEVELOPING&item3=SINK

The sink was the hardest darkroom item for me to find used and in good condition. It took a long time to find :- you just have to ask every one who might know.
They some times also show up on "Gumtree" and Tafe Auctions. Find out which company re-fits schools and UNI labs in your area and ask them to let know
If they are going to refit one (It may only cost a carton or two of Beer) or a some $$$

Johnkpap

polyglot · Jul 28, 2014

I was going to do the boat-sink thing but decided that actually, one doesn't need a big sink at all. One needs a Jobo instead; it costs about as much as a sink and does so very much more. You just need a small laundry tub (set into your benchtop that holds up the Jobo) for it to discharge into.

tony lockerbie · Jul 28, 2014

Polyglot, thanks for that suggestion. I do have a Jobo but am really an open tray type of guy. I even process my sheet film in a tray.
John, really interesting that Peter Michaels is still going, and I remember having a tour of his factory when I was training with Kodak way back in the seventies! I have checked the link, thanks for that, and will give them a call.
Tony

resummerfield · Jul 28, 2014

I've had fiberglass and stainless steel sinks, but if I ever make a new darkroom I will build one from plywood, formica, and epoxy sealer. That way I can get the exact size I want, in the exact location, with the drains placed where I want them. Build your own!

SMBooth · Jul 28, 2014

Tony i built mine 700mm x 2400mm from 16mm structure ply and 125mm x 16mm tas oak for the sides. Glued and screwed together with 3 coats of marine 2 pot epoxy. The epoxy cost more than the rest of the materials together. Biggest problem is that it stains very easily so you got to wipe up pretty quickly (mine is stained, i'm not that quick). Any sheet metal worker should be able to build a sink, but i hate to think of the cost.

Kevin Caulfield · Jul 29, 2014

I searched for about eight months, and then I got two quotes from local companies to fabricate a stainless steel sink, and both were around $500. I then found one at Bunnings, made by Clark for around $550. About a week after I saw the Clark one at Bunnings, I found the same one on eBay from Perth, brand new. $50 for the sink and $50 for postage. It wasn't quite as large as the one I got quoted but it does the job nicely.

Nige · Jul 29, 2014

I had mine made from plastic sheet. The plastic is about 3-5mm thick with 150mm high sides and it sits on kitchen cabientry (made by the people doing our kitchen at the time). I had one end include a 'well' which keeps running water confined to that end. If I was to make another one, I'd consider making the walls of the sink minimal. I also have more of the plastic sheet running along the back of the sink (about 500mm high) and on the end near the well area.

Kilgallb · Jul 29, 2014

bathtub refinish

I made a sink from 3/4" plywood and 1x8 fir. I applied three coats of that epoxy base paint used to refurbish bathtubs. I bought the paint at Home Depot for about $35.00. It does not stain and makes a nice shines easy to clean surface.

jeffreyg · Jul 29, 2014

Just a followup on my previous thread page 1. I designed my sink to be 10 inches deep to avoid accidental splashes getting out and with three removable panels covering the top. That way when not used as a sink I have six feet of additional counter top. The faucets are on the opposite end from the drain. The resin I used came with some type of liquid wax to be added in the mix for the last coat. It dried to a shiny surface.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/
Dead Link Removed photography.com/

resummerfield · Jul 29, 2014

Nige said:
I had mine made from plastic sheet. The plastic is about 3-5mm thick with 150mm high sides and it sits on kitchen cabientry (made by the people doing our kitchen at the time). I had one end include a 'well' which keeps running water confined to that end. If I was to make another one, I'd consider making the walls of the sink minimal. I also have more of the plastic sheet running along the back of the sink (about 500mm high) and on the end near the well area.

Great idea!

jscott · Jul 29, 2014

Another vote for plastic. I had a local TAP plastic shop cut up a sheet of black ABS for me. The sink is 8' long, 2' wide. Glued it together using ABS solvent in convenient tubes and syringes. No leaks and quite strong. Easy to fit a drain into as well, just drill a round hole. Easy to add accessories like faucets. The sink sits on an old office table, with slats giving a slight tilt downstream. Works great and fairly cheap, less than $200. Designing a drain/vent system was probably more complicated than making the sink.

DREW WILEY · Jul 29, 2014

ABS is easy to fabricate. I had the good fortune of knowing a profession lead sheet welder who specialized in nuclear reactor liners. So he had
the proper skills and gear to heat-weld me a polypropylene sink, which is a highly chemical resistant plastic which can't be glued like ABS.

RDWestPR · Jul 29, 2014

Yep. I ran into the same problem here in Puerto Rico. So I'm in the process of building my own.

MartinP · Jul 29, 2014

I did suggest the wooden-boat option, but as Polyglot mentioned, a sink is not actually that essential for most printing - just a (very) nice-to-have. My darkroom (a.k.a. spare bedroom) has no water inlets or outlets or sinks of any sort or size. I just have to carry trays over to the bathroom for washing prints, or the trays themselves.

On the 'wet' side I use a Novatech processor plus developing trays of various sizes with occasionally a frame shape of 30mm square wood taped at the edges of the desk, covered by a sheet of builders-polythene, taped down around the edge of the frame. A very temporary solution, and I rarely do it because any small splashes are absorbed by a newspaper covering of the desk (that is binned before it dries). Now I have jinxed myself and will drop a 20" tray . . .

tony lockerbie · Aug 1, 2014

Thanks once again for all the comprehensive replies...these forums are a treasure! Martin, I am moving house and finally have a big space that we just be a darkroom...hooray! For years I have struggled with a laundry sink so this time I want a proper wet bench and will probably go down the build my own route.
Shame, because a few years ago the plastic and stainless sinks were everywhere as people disposed of their darkrooms...I suppose they all went to the tip ):

RalphLambrecht · Aug 1, 2014

tony lockerbie said:
Thanks for the replies everyone. Ralph, thanks for that offer, but I would imagine that post to Australia would be horrendous! The used restaurant sink sounds promising, or I may go down the route of building my own. Trouble is that I'm out in the sticks, so things are hard to get. There were so many for sale a few years back, but the supply seems to have dried up.

Toobad.it's headed for the dumpster now.

tony lockerbie · Aug 2, 2014

Update. I saw a fellow down the street yesterday, he owned a photo lab here many years ago, so on the off chance I asked if he still had a darkroom sink. Guess what, he still has it under his house...going there on Monday...result!

Darkroom Sinks

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