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New darkroom, old questions

Rich Ullsmith

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It appears that my Wile E. Coyote black-out scheme is working in the new darkroom (actually a plumbed bedroom with a giant window designed to bring in light. The ground rules were, no nails, screws or gorilla tape into new hardwood trim. Take the pepsi challenge sometime, for fun.)

Anyway, after 10m with a dim red light and another 5 in the dark, a few touch-ups aside, the room is black. But I noticed the dials on my Omega timer had a faint flourescent glow that I had never noticed before. My previous darkroom had a film change room. Is this an issue with opening film cannisters? Also, the 60 minute timer also has a faint glow. Do these need to be covered when working with film? Both are very faint, but one less thing to remember to do would be helpful.

Question #2: I had read several threads about LED red and amber lights, and my understanding is for the reds I'm looking for 630-635nm, is this correct?

Any comments or wisdom on these topics would be appreciated.
 
I either cover my gralab timer or work turned away from it (body between timer and film) and things are fine.

Wisdom's already shared for LEDs. They are cheap enough to get and test so you can be sure they work for you.
 
I use bags from photo paper on my timers. just cut a piece that covers the timer, tape it with gaffer tape so you have a flap over the timer. flip up to use the timer, down to cover it. I am probably a little too paranoid about those things....
 
I did some tests on this and concludedthat the lumination is too minute to harm film of ISO400 or belowif you keep a distance of 3feet minand limit exposure to 10 min or less,in other wordsunlikely to be a problem for normal film change or processing procedures.
 

Same here
I use almost exclusively ASA 400 film (HP5), and my darkroom has a few sources of light like this - the dials on a couple of timers, as well as some glow-in-the-dark stickers on light switches etc. I handle sheet film in this environment so I was concerned. I did a test where I laid a sheet of film on the counter in the dark, emulsion up, with a coin on the middle of it, and left it for 10 minutes then developed it - and saw a clear sheet of film.

Regarding temporary window darkening - I used to have a temporary darkroom not unlike yours - I made panels out of insulating foam sheet which fit tightly into the window frames. The foam has a metallic covering which I made face out so that it didn't get too hot inside, and I taped a fabric fringe around the edge. This panel could be pushed into the window opening blacking out the window, and easily removed - no nails, no tape, nothing nasty.
 
I would feel confident using nails, screws, and duct tape. That's why they sell wood filler and paint. And a lot of products will take the tape residue off w/o a trace.

My glow-in-the-dark timer has no effect on film or prints.
 
Rich Ullsmith said:
Question #2: I had read several threads about LED red and amber lights, and my understanding is for the reds I'm looking for 630-635nm, is this correct?
Click to expand...

Peak 635nm reds is what I use. You may have already run across my earlier posts and found that number mentioned.

One thing to keep in mind is that some LEDs also emit small spikes of blue and green. Mine do. These spikes are sometimes visible when the red light is reflected at the right angle from CDs or DVDs. My red LEDs are therefore also fortified with a covering sheet of Rubylith.

My pre-flashed and tested safe times for Ilford MGIV (the old version, both FB and RC) are in excess of 60 minutes.

Ken
 
Thanks, everybody. Any recommended source for said 635nm lights would be appreciated.

I have had a lot of problems with building in this room. I am closer to carpentry, plumbing and electrical than photography at this point.

This whole build out would have been easier when I was younger and didn't have any money.
 
When the crack under the door lets in too much light, or the time dial glows too bright, you can make the darkroom darker by closing your eyes. Don't laugh. I think I might be guilty of it.
 
Rich Ullsmith said:
Thanks, everybody. Any recommended source for said 635nm lights would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Here is the spec sheet for the follow-on bulbs to the ones I'm currently using. These are 2-watts, mine are 1-watt earlier versions.

OptiLED Festival H13-VF

But I'm not sure they are still in production or in the pipeline. These days product lifecycles only last 10 minutes, so it's really hard if you happen to be cursed with an attention span longer than that.

Ken
 
I managed to fog some papers by reaching for one with my (very brightly illuminated) Seiko watch on my hand. I don't know what I was thinking at the moment, but I've never kept anything but a cheap digital watch in the darkroom since then. Luckily I only had about ten papers left in that box, but still..
 
effae said:
I managed to fog some papers by reaching for one with my (very brightly illuminated) Seiko watch on my hand.
Click to expand...

I have an absolute rule in my darkroom. And that is that the definition of dark is the absolute absence of light. It's a binary condition. The room is either dark. Or it is not. There is no try...

That means no lighted watches, no glowing timer numbers, no glowing tape, no smartphones, no laptops, no TVs, no fluorescent lights with afterglow, no power strips with indicator lights, and certainly no regular light leaks anywhere. It's total visual sensory depravation.

Because of that rule, I know I can walk in, close the (perfectly sealed) door, turn off the lights, and confidently load/unload sheet film holders, roll films, photo paper, or whatever. Never need to wait for my eyes to adjust to check. Never need to worry at all. Not a single stray visible photon of light.



Ken
 

A man after my own heart. When I teach/coach darkroom, I have a mini lecture about "dark". Dark means dark!

Like you, I made sure that there are no external light leaks in my darkroom, and reevaluate periodically - foundations shift and cracks appear - who knew? When loading film, I turn off all the LEDs and throw a towel over the Gralab timer. I know it's probably not necessary, but I feel better. When printing, the timers glow, of course, or have the dim LED readouts. I've minimized this and incorporated all the glowing into my (also) periodic safelight tests.

I even use this: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006R0VWSG/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 over the controls on the heat/AC.

But I'm not AR ... just thorough.
 
In my darkroom I have a few items with small indicator lights also. Just to be sure when loading film I use a Calumet changing room with the front unzipped, me in front of the open end shielding the film loading operation form any minor illumination. I find I can work easily with an open ended front than those arm sleeve things.
 

I like that. Do it right the first time.
 
I agree with Ken, and this is the approach I am taking. If this was a matter of a utility door and window, it would be easy. This is new and nice construction, and drilling holes in wood casement windows and hammering into oak doors is not reasonable. I had the wife go around all the seams outside with a 12v marine flashlight, and I could not see anything. Indeed, dark means dark. I'll make flaps for the clock and timer.

Superbrightleds, I will check them tomorrow. Thanks much. Now to figure out what to do with all the random safelights I already own.
 
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