I got images......

[cepwin]

I got a proper safelight so I decided to give it a spin and tried to make prints. Well, success! I got images! They're not great but they're there. They're a bit soft and I still have to tweak the exposure but I was thrilled to get something. I also need to get a darkroom timer as while my watch works fine for developing film it's useless for printing. Thanks again for the help people gave me over the weekend!

 

[tkamiya]

WoooHooo!

 

[MattKing]

Congratulations!

 

[Gerald C Koch]

Rather than a darkroom timer I use a wall clock with a second hand. It has a white dial so it is easy to read with the safelight. With a timer you are always setting and starting it and I find this a bother.

 

[zsas]

Outstanding to hear!! Post pictures or it didn't happen....

 

[cepwin]

Thanks guys...OK...here's the proof.(it's not very good....like I said..I still have to work on stuff but is is an image)

 

[Leigh B]

That's wonderful. Congratulations!

As to being satisfied with the results... you will never be.
That's one problem with this addiction. You can always figure out ways to improve any image.

Enjoy.

- Leigh

 

[Leigh B]

With a timer you are always setting and starting it and I find this a bother.

Sorry to disagree, but...

With any modern timer you just hit one button.
It turns the enlarger lamp on for the proper time, then turns it off and the timer resets itself to whatever value you had set.

It's actually easier than controlling the enlarger directly because there's only one action required, i.e. starting the timer.
If you control the enlarger directly you must also turn it off at the end of the exposure.

I prefer the little Time-O-Lite because of its compact size, but the larger Gralab works the same way.

- Leigh

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

It's a personal thing, but you may consider using a metronome as well. To me it's an invaluable darkroom tool that makes the printing flow with ease.
You basically just count seconds. Even half seconds are done with some precision. I have a darkroom timer, but never use it anymore.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

I should add that a foot switch in combination with the metronome is another great thing to use.

 

[cepwin]

Thanks again!.....we'll hopefully they'll converge on vaguely satisfactory as I get practice . I managed to pick up a Gralab timer for $22 off the bay...very lucky on this one...a lot of time they gave some competition for these things. It did shock me how expensive they can be (same thing with safelights.) I can see where a metronome would work real well, especially for someone who is already musically inclined.

 

[Leigh B]

A metronome is very convenient for dodging and burning, particularly if you take time to become accustomed to that method.

- Leigh

 

[MattKing]

A timer which also has an audible metronome function is the best of both worlds.