Enlarger in bedroom help needed

[Jim17x]

Hello everyone! Im setting up an enlarger in the only space i have and that happens to be my bedroom. I will build a table that will had 3 12x16 trays on the right side in front of the window but will need to enclose the area and make it light tight. Of course i will be sealing the 2 windows of light and want to hopefully enclose the area with a light tight cloth of some kind that can attach with Velcro or zippers. Has anyone experienced a situation like this before?

 

[M.A.Longmore]

.
Welcome Home Jim !

Ron
.

 

[Jim17x]

Thank you Ron! I feel welcomed already.

 

[MattKing]

Hello Jim, and welcome to APUG.

Your very bright looking bedroom looks like a bit of a challenge, but it can be done.

You may find some assistance in this thread as well: (there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Lopaka]

This stuff works pretty well:
http://www.porters.com/film-darkroo...out-opaque-plastic-cloth-48-x-16-ft-roll.html

 

[andrew.roos]

The Nova darkroom tent may be a simple solution. You can google it for more info.

 

[wildbill]

I thought this thread was about something else. I keep getting spam about this same thing and they're trying to sell me some kinda pills

 

[lightwisps]

I use jet black felt. Works great and is cheap at discount fabric stores.

Don

 

[Brian C. Miller]

You can set up a "grow tent" made for hydroponics. These are supposed to be light-tight, although the inside is usually white or reflective.

 

[perkeleellinen]

My first darkroom was in my bedroom. I got some thick black plastic sheets, cut them to the size of my windows and attached them with velcro. Worked perfectly most of the time. In high summer I found the heat from the sun could melt the glue on the velcro and the blackout would fall down. I used to fold up the plastic sheets when not in use and after a few years they developed pinholes at the folds. I also once left some chemistry in an open tray and went to bed - I had a rotten headache the next day.

 

[ChristopherCoy]

OOH! What model enlarger is that? It looks like the model I used in high school in 94!

 

[Sirius Glass]

I put velco strips on the wall around the window. When I need the darkroom the blackout curtains have matching velco strips.

Medical Question: Have you talked to your urologist about needing an enlarger in the bedroom?

Steve

 

[Chan Tran]

I used to have the darkroom in one of my bedroom and I used the large plastic bag that came with the printing plate material. They are light proof and I attached them to the windows with velco. The curtain would cover them up so from the inside the room look fine. From outside of the house people often wonder what the heck I was doing. I do RA-4 drum processing so it's purely dry darkroom. I would take the loaded drum to the bathroom and process the print.

 

[tkamiya]

I've been using two layers of "Contractor's cleaning bag" purchased from Home Depot. Cheap and durable.

 

[onepuff]

I've done just this in a few rooms! The cheapest product to use for windows is blackout cloth for curtains which you should be able to buy from just about any good cloth shop. They can also sell you white velcro - white will help it blend in with your widow frame though it will yellow with time and need replacing. Curtain blackout cloth works just fine with the velcro. You tend to find that if a product is targeted at the photographic market the price increases by a factor of 3-4.

 

[paul_c5x4]

Like Sirius Glass and onepuff, I too use a blackout cloth to mask the window - I also use one over the door. A couple of points about velcro. Use the self adhesive type and make sure the paint is sound around the window/door frames. Also, don't sew the stuff to the dark cloth - You'll end up with a long line of pinholes that may let light through.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I also used velco to attach a blackout cloth over the door by putting the velco on the top of the door frame where it cannot be seen.

 

[jm94]

Being in a shared house, my darkroom which was formerly under the stairs at my old house is now in my bedroom. I have to black out the door cracks and window. Mine is a master bedroom though so I am better off, but it is full to bursting point! I have my trays in a walk in wardrobe all my gear is at ground level. +1 to not leaving chemistry in the trays, I have done that with developer once, felt like I was hungover but it quickly subsided. Ensure you are careful not to spill, especially as RA4 developer and also fixer can stain and RA4 developer is nearly impossible to remove. I have old carpet placed over areas where I work, saved my neck when I used to have my trays on the wardrobe shelf which collapsed, fixer and developer everywhere! Not the odourless kind of fixer either.

Also I advise you pour chemicals back into ther bottles and don't carry full trays to and from the room, mind you I do have two floors to go down to my kitchen, so I carry the water bath tray down with the prints in it from a session, ready for a full wash. But it is doable! All the best,
Jacob

P.s if your room isn't fully blacked out there is a high chance of fogging paper and film and you should ensure that you let your eyes adjust before making judgment on weather it is sealed or not. Also if you are working at night light leaking in from Orange street lights I find doesn't fog ortho materials as quickly, so it could go unnoticed. But a high ASA film it would spell disaster or fog other films or panchromatic materials.
I dd the street light experiment not long ago on ortho materials.

 

[MattPC]

200 micron builders film. You might be able to make a frame from tomato stakes or similar material you can buy cheap from the same hardware store. Make the frame a tight fit inside your window frame then wrap the builders film over/around it and staple it on. simply push the blackout frame into your window frame. If it leaks a little light, work at night and expose negatives during daylight hours instead.

This approach has the benefit of being very cheap, easily replaceable and not requiring repairs to the property when you want your rental bond back...

Good luck,

MattC

 

[wilfbiffherb]

to lightproof my room i hit homebase/b&q who sell black rubble sacks. basically a lot thicker than a black bin bag. tape them over your window in double layers and theyre fully lightproof. willl cost you about £4 in total!

 

[Jim17x]

Thank you everyone for all the great advice! my original plan was to enclose the enlarger area with two walls and a door but now i have decided that it would be easier to just make the windows and the door in the room light tight. I will have more room to move around in..

 

[Jim17x]

Its not much but i finally finished it.. I use heavy duty contractor bags to seal off the windows and they are light tight now. I decided to frame two walls and put a door in instead of some temporary hanging light tight material. I have no running water in there but i will get use to that. This took a big chunk of my bedroom but it was worth it..

 

[wiltw]

Remember that light travels in straight line. So if it doesn't have an opportunity to 'reflect' off glossy or semi glossy surfaces, a 'light trap' works very effectively to keep light from entering a space.

So I would shield the glass area to mask out most of the light during the day, but also use a secondary shield over the window opening on the inside wall as a 'trap' to catch any light that would sneak in past the mask. over the glass.
Same principle (two layers, one inside the room and one outside the room, separated by the space of the door frame) would allow me to enter and exit the room yet sufficiently block the light to use my enlarger for color printing.

 

[ic-racer]

Another option would be to replace those blinds you currently have with ones that are light tight:

 

[paul ron]

My son did someting similar when he was in a college dorm room only he used his large alcove closet as his darkspace. Using foam boards (construction pink type sold at Home Depot) as blackout curtains ducktaped to the window jambs and a towel at the door sill did the trick.

.