Kodak Brownie darkroom lamp kit

[soberg]

Hi, so for a few years now I've had this Brownie lamp kit (model B, with yellow and green cups) and I've never known how to use it! I know it's a pretty silly question, but it has finally started bugging me enough to try and figure out what's what. I have the directions, but I guess I'm just not getting (and here's the silly part) what you're supposed to plug it into.

Thank you, I appreciate any help
Steph

 

[MattKing]

These have the same screw thread as a standard light bulb. You need to find a free standing lamp that it will fit in comfortably (no conflict with the reflector or any shade) and just screw it in and turn it on.

In days past, it wasn't unusual to have light fixtures in a ceiling that were just a simple socket pointing down. These Brownie lamps were perfect for those.

By the way, it is the amber cup that you will use for most B & W papers.

EDIT: here is a picture of one of those ceiling fixtures

 

[Mike Wilde]

Pick up spare bulbs for it around Christmas time; they are hard to find at other times of the year, I find, here in Canada.

Matt is using his rig the same way I used my first such Brownie - screwed into a screw shell holder.

Mine had an extension cord butchered and attached to the screw shell wiring terminals and then covered with copious amounts of insulating tape. It them was used hung from a hook that went over the shower head in my first at home temporay darkroom in my parents house second bathroom.

 

[fschifano]

If you don't have the amber filter for it, don't even bother. The yellow filter is not safe for variable contrast papers, nor is the green filter.

 

[mklw1954]

fschifano is correct. I had one of those Kodak kits from 40 years (yellow and green cups). Neither worked with RC variable contrast paper recently. A small red Delta Bright Lab Jr. safelight ($15) works and screws into a convention light socket.

I recently found a red cup for the Kodak and plan to try it when I can get a bulb around the holidays.

 

[fschifano]

I recently found a red cup for the Kodak and plan to try it when I can get a bulb around the holidays.

You don't need to wait until the holidays. The 7.5 watt lamps used for nightlights are fine. But, as I think about it, these may be hard to find too. Most nightlights these days use LEDs instead of small incandescent bulbs. Same thing for Christmas lights. You can find them, but you might have to look around a bit for them.

 

[padraigm]

I just found out during use that I got horrible fogging. I was going to use the green cup for development inspection. Hopefully that will work.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Only for a very brief time for more than 4' away from the lamp, and then only after more than half of the time tot al development time has elapsed, and only for a few seconds.

Then you need to judge the development of the non-cleared film. It is a learned skill.

It helps if you stand in the absolute darkness agitating, and then turn the green lamp on for those few seconds.

I use a tiny bit of luminescent glow tape on the switch that controls my green safelight, so I can find it in the dark

You eyes will be much more attuned to seeing the state of the film in the dim light if you have had 4-5 minutes to acclimatise first.