Found Darkroom supplies for 8x10 contact printing

[blee1996]

Hi, I'm looking for essentials to start contact printing at home. I'm based in SF Bay Area.

1) 8x10 contact printing frame
2) Paper safe
3) Ilford Multi-Grade filter set
4) Development trays, tongs, and squeegees
5) Print washer
6) Print dryer

 

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[glbeas]

When I first started developing I used whatever I had and it worked. A vegetable bin for developer tray, an old pane of glass for contact prints, rinse in the sink. I cut a red lens from a car taillight to fit an old military flashlight. Contact printing is about as low tech as photographic darkroom work gets.
Enjoy!

 

[Rick A]

Go to a Dollar store and buy a one gallon plastic pitcher, 5 matching four cup measuring cups, three or four flat bottom plastic bins of at least 11x14 inches, and a box of nitrile gloves. This is your processing gear for prints and negatives. Buy a couple of cheap picture frames, toss the frames and use the glass for contact printing. Use RC paper so you don't need print a washer or dryer, and you really don't need a paper safe. Window squeegee from the dollar store. You don't say what you're using for a light source, so what do you really need for MG filters? Plan on spending about $30-$40 at the dollar store, the rest can be had on eBay or CraigsList.

 

[blee1996]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes I did my homework and will start simple and gradually build up.

 

[MattKing]

@Rick A 's suggestions are great, but I'll put in a vote for a paper safe as a really good, as soon as practical investment.
All you need to do is ruin one package of paper due to not closing it when you should, and you will understand!

I use LP record storage racks from the thrift store to dry my RC prints.
These sort:

 

[Shaps]

For contact printing I have always gone to a glass shop and bought a thick piece of window glass cut to 11x14 inches AND had them smooth all sides so I would not cut myself handling it.

 

[gbroadbridge]

For the printing frame I spent a couple of hours in the workshop and about $15 and made a DIY version.

 

[Rick A]

I should have added thrift stores and charity shops are your friends.

 

[blee1996]

I got everything sorted by a combination of DIY, re-use existing stuff, and buy a few essentials.

Here is the light source made from a clamp desk light fixture, 7.5w incandescent bulb, Lee filter holder. It worked very well and give me control over grades as well as exposure time of about 20s range. And if the negative is too thin, I add 0.3 ND filter for 1 stop. So far the prints look good.

Assemble the material:

And the final product:

 

[thinkbrown]

https://www.harborfreight.com/4800-weatherproof-protective-case-x-large-black-64250.html this is what I've been using as a paper safe. Little more expensive but I chuck a pack of dessicant in there and it can go right in the chest freezer.

 

[AnselMortensen]

Very clever, repurposing the desk lamp for contact printing by adding the filter holder!

 

[blee1996]

I found a 8 layer 8x10 paper stationary organizer quite good for drying RC prints