Good size table for enlarger bay. + design considerations?

PTO · Aug 26, 2018

Hi all. What do you think would be an ideal size for an enlarger table/desk in a communal dark room? I'll be building individual tables rather than a long bench style. Mixed enlargers, but nothing bigger than 6x6 (just for a rough idea of baseboard size).

There will be a lower shelf on each for paper storage, and I'm aiming to make a mini red(safe) lightbox built-in for looking at negatives.

Any other things you think I could incorporate into the design?

Best,

Pat

alentine · Aug 26, 2018

PTO said:
Any other things you think I could incorporate into the design?

Do you plan to print bigger the standard sizes which limited by board size?
If so, how?
Inverting enlarger head? Or, tilting head 90 degrees for on wall printing?
If you invert enlarger head, for maximum possible print size, take in consideration the initial height of the table to accommodate another mobile lower height table, or just project image on the ground. Paper safe is better to keep the edge of the table surface as thin as possible while strong enough to accommodate enlarger weight plus similar weight to support enlarger while it's head is inverted.

AgX · Aug 26, 2018

The neccessary table area also depents on whether there is further stowing space under the table, for negative files, for paper, focusing aid etc. And whether this stowing space is ergomically sufficient. It is always easier to have a file lying next to the enlarger than having to grasp it from down-under.

Sirius Glass · Aug 26, 2018

I use two large steel tables with a composite wood top for the enlarger and drum print dryer. One needs a sturdy non-vibrateable table to do enlarging.

dpurdy · Aug 26, 2018

I have mine built into my 12 foot counter top but you don't want to do that. I personally would be irritated if there was not room for a timer and small paper cutter. I guess you could put the paper cutter on an island in the middle. I also always keep my paper safe right next to the enlarger so it is effortless to get another sheet, but I suppose you could expect people to put the paper safe on a shelf below the counter top.

Bill Burk · Aug 26, 2018

The timer should be on a small side table so when you jab the button it doesn't vibrate the enlarger. Or you could use foot switches.

tedr1 · Aug 27, 2018

My preference is for a table with these qualities

1. it is at about 30 - 36 inches height from the floor
2. the enlarger base sits in the middle
3. to the left side and the right side are flat surfaces approximately square, here are placed paper packets, paper contrast filters, negatives, notebook, focus magnifier, prints made earlier, that are dry, for comparison and study, the enlarger timer, the switch for the safelight, those seem to be the items used frequently and are required to be within reach.

At my home-improvement-store are sold cabinets for making kitchen furniture, they are the right height, they include a drawer and a cupboard and are inexpensive. I use two and add to them the thick top piece that combines them to make the table. Below In the middle between the left and right cabinets is an open space where your toes go, and where items such as paper easels and large paper packets can be stored.

MattKing · Aug 27, 2018

Don't forget to take into account ceilings and other vertical restrictions.
I would suggest determining first the most convenient height for the enlarger head when it is raised almost to full height. That determines the standard height for the baseboard, which may with some columns end up being quite low. Then incorporate some sort of raised support to bring your easel up higher (1 meter or more from the floor) for those many times when smaller prints are being made.
I prefer to have my easel by itself on its support, with all the other things I need - focus magnifier, dodging and burning tools, timer controls, etc. off to the side.
Remember to have a space to dust off negatives and load them into carriers.
When you are deciding on a support for the easel, remember to take into account the fact that sometimes you want the negative to be rotated to portrait orientation (if your enlarger permits that) so build in enough front and back room for your largest weasels when they are oriented that way.
In the perfect darkroom that is in my dreams, the enlarging furniture area would be like the semi-circular tables that editors used back in my newspaper days.
EDIT: "weasels" ought to be "easels"

Pentode · Aug 27, 2018

MattKing said:
Don't forget to take into account ceilings and other vertical restrictions.
I would suggest determining first the most convenient height for the enlarger head when it is raised almost to full height. That determines the standard height for the baseboard, which may with some columns end up being quite low. Then incorporate some sort of raised support to bring your easel up higher (1 meter or more from the floor) for those many times when smaller prints are being made.
I prefer to have my easel by itself on its support, with all the other things I need - focus magnifier, dodging and burning tools, timer controls, etc. off to the side.
Remember to have a space to dust off negatives and load them into carriers.
When you are deciding on a support for the easel, remember to take into account the fact that sometimes you want the negative to be rotated to portrait orientation (if your enlarger permits that) so build in enough front and back room for your largest weasels when they are oriented that way.
In the perfect darkroom that is in my dreams, the enlarging furniture area would be like the semi-circular tables that editors used back in my newspaper days.

Largest weasels?!?

MattKing · Aug 27, 2018

Pentode said:
Largest weasels?!?

Having a good weasel to help you with paper handling really speeds things up!
Thanks - I'll fix the original post.

mgb74 · Aug 27, 2018

I have a table/cubicle that came from a photo school darkroom many years ago. It was designed to provide a fixed base for the enlarger mount at 36" and a movable shelf for the easel with a max height of 36". Width is 32" and depth is also 32". The height of the sides is 72" to provide a light baffle. It was built for Omega D5s, so perhaps a bit large for a 6x6 enlarger.

Doc W · Aug 27, 2018

The height of the easel is very important for people with even minor back problems. Look into the optimum ergonomic height.

Pentode · Aug 28, 2018

MattKing said:
Having a good weasel to help you with paper handling really speeds things up!
Thanks - I'll fix the original post.

Of course! Naturally you’d want your largest weasels on the 16x20 prints. Any average weasel can handle an 8x10!

I’ve watched this thread with some interest as I gear up to build a counter for my 23C. Sadly, my darkroom is so tiny I won’t be able to build anything as luxurious as what’s been suggested. I’ll have just a few inches on either side of the enlarger base so I’ll have to make do with storage underneath and shallow shelves and hooks above. Far less than ideal but I’ll find a way to make it work out of necessity.

tedr1 · Aug 28, 2018

I know from personal experience that good work can be done in unfavorable conditions by those with dedication and patience.

Kino · Aug 28, 2018

I once had a darkroom that had a low ceiling, so to accommodate this, I raised the enlarger to it's maximum height and bolted it to the wall with a wall mount. That caused it me to have to make an adjustable easel board on wall brackets that could be lowered if larger prints were required. It was a real pain to move it up or down and then level it, but it worked.

Frankly, I will built my next room with an enlarger on a solid table for prints no larger than 11x14 and MAYBE build one for larger prints with a lowered easel, but with a non-adjustable easel board and a swivel head to do projection printing.

AgX · Aug 28, 2018

MattKing said:
Don't forget to take into account ceilings and other vertical restrictions.

He got heigh ceilings with some obstructions:
https://www.photrio.com/forum/attachments/screen-shot-2018-04-13-at-21-18-24-png.198767/

David Brown · Aug 29, 2018

Ideal size is a bit subjective. I would say as big as you have room for - within reason. What I would suggest if you have not considered it (Others have mentioned this) are partitions between the enlarger stations. Light spilling from one enlarger onto an adjacent print can happen. Where I teach, we learned this the hard way. We had intended to build partitions from the beginning, but gave a couple of workshops before construction was completed. I've attached pictures of my teaching lab "before and after", and a better picture of a typical university darkroom (the red one).

Cheers,

Kilgallb · Sep 10, 2018

Bill Burk said:
The timer should be on a small side table so when you jab the button it doesn't vibrate the enlarger. Or you could use foot switches.

I mounted the timer on the wall, this eliminates the bounce form pressing buttons.

M Carter · Sep 12, 2018

Regarding paper safes - if you have a cupboard with a regular drawer, it's fantastic to make a light-tight paper drawer - you can stack various size papers in it, and i find it easier to deal with than a safe.

Also, I will never go back to a timer without a footswitch! You can adapt many timers to use a $15 musician's footswitch - they have 1/4" guitar-style plugs at the end of the cord, easy to wire a 1/4" TS (mono) jack into many timers, or hang a pigtail out of the case.

Mainecoonmaniac · Sep 12, 2018

Since you'll be working on the table for many hours, I would consider ergonomics the most important. The second is the stability of the table. I built mine years ago and it's about 30" from the floor. I'm 5'9" tall.

Michael Firstlight · Sep 12, 2018

This was very nice - I was going to buy all three parts for $100 from a local college, but they destroyed them by accident during removal :-(

AgX · Sep 13, 2018

I like the idea of those padded corners.
Though one just could have rounded them instead...

Good size table for enlarger bay. + design considerations?

PTO

alentine

AgX

Sirius Glass

dpurdy

Bill Burk

tedr1

MattKing

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Pentode

MattKing

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mgb74

Doc W

Pentode

tedr1

Kino

AgX

David Brown

Kilgallb

M Carter

Mainecoonmaniac

Michael Firstlight

AgX

Good size table for enlarger bay. + design considerations?

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