The little bits and pieces

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Oct 12, 2020

You know, the ones that don't cost the price of a new multigrade cold light head, aren't made by a crazy guy in Switzerland with insane engineering, or aren't a rarity off eBay that comes up once in a blue moon?

I'm talking about the clicking tally counter I got at the office store to help me track my fixer usage and let me know when I should test.

I'm also talking about the faucet-to-garden hose adapter with a Y that allows me to keep my Kodak siphon connected at all time and still allow me to wash my hands without disconnecting everything.

Or the Sharpie markers of various colours, that help mark paper sizes on the enlarger column, the painter's tape that makes for versatile bottle labels, the thermal label printer that makes for nicer ones, the pH papers and the hydrometer that give you an idea whether you messed up a formula.

The magnets I use on the GraLab to mark the time at which I started washing up while it's still running to time the other processes.

What are your invaluables? Besides dental floss, of course.

Donald Qualls · Oct 12, 2020

More valuable when I hung my film in my office (darkroom was a bathroom that needed to be a bathroom when I wasn't developing and printing): magnet backed bull clips, which I used to hang film from the bowl of a torchiere lamp. When I get a little more organized, I may hang a steel strip on the darkroom ceiling to use them that way again. Right now, I have a shoestring (literally) stapled to the ceiling, and non-magnetic clips would work as well -- but these are what I have.

I found plain masking tape better than painter's tape when I want to load more than one roll into a single Paterson reel -- they'll hold two rolls of 120, but taping one to the other is helpful to keep them from moving enough to overlap (which is always bad). Masking tape stays on while wet, at least for 20-30 minutes to process the film. Blue painter's tape assuredly does not, and they make equally good labels -- but I can see pencil on the off-white tape, which again stays stuck better. I also use the masking tape to secure the ends of a Minolta 16 strip when I process those in my homebuilt tank (uses 55 ml of solution for a strip 16x750 mm).

bdial · Oct 12, 2020

Yellow automotive masking tape for labeling bottles. It's easier to read than the blue stuff under a safe light. Not bothered by water, and easy to peel off even after several months, and doesn't leave adhesive behind.

PhotoJim · Oct 12, 2020

Interesting thread. I think I want one of those tally clickers. Sounds better than my tick-marks-on-scrap-paper method.

I don't have too many such things other than:
- clothespins - for overflow film clips if I do a lot of film in a batch, and for hanging prints to a drying rack
- bottle opener - for opening commercial 35mm film canisters (reloadable canisters are easy to open by hand)
- oral syringes - for measuring out small amounts of developer stock solution (e.g. PMK, HC-110)
- cork bulletin boards, for pinning all sorts of things (development charts, chemistry instructions, etc.)
- red LED-illuminated audio system - so that it's more or less safe for photographic paper so you can listen to tunes while printing (I hate blue LEDs, but they seem ubiquitous now)
- bar stool - to sit on while loading film or doing film development
- anti-fatigue mat or comfortable slippers - to save your feet

removed account4 · Oct 12, 2020

windshield wiper blade ! cheapest and best squeegee you can get
and hands of course ( they are free ) for burning and dodging ..
and dollar store Tupperware containers and plastic spoons to put various stuff and mix stuff ... and
dollar store peroxide for cyanotypes and peroxide reversals and ... anywhere purchased wooden clothes pins for hanging rc prints, coated stuff, and washed sheet film ( on string hung across the sink ) ... and a big plastic storage bin
made by suncast, sort of cheepy, holes drilled in the sides and string put across to hang film in to dry...

Pentode · Oct 12, 2020

Plastic 1l seltzer bottles for just about every chemical I use (except for Rodinal and HC-110).
125ml hot sauce bottles for Rodinal and HC-110.
Big syringes (25ml) and long, non-sharp, Luer-lock tips for Rodinal and HC-110 (long enough to reach the bottom of a hot sauce bottle).
My cell phone developing timer app.

MattKing · Oct 12, 2020

I use the tally clicker for keeping track of how many postcards I've printed for the Postcard Exchange. Mine is special - it came from the disposal sale after Expo 86!.
I use these clothespins, because they work with curtain rods, rather than cords.

Digital meat thermometers that have a probe at the end off a cord - I check their calibration against a Kodak process thermometer.
Dollar store measuring graduates - again with calibration checked, in this case against Ilford Darkroom graduates.
Kitchen drying mats.
Old style wire record racks and wire shelf inserts, for drying RC prints.
An old style metal ironing board, to provide a support for a wire shelf, for trays in the bathroom tub enclosure.
And a Christmas 16 foot red LED rope light, to provide the best safelight I have ever used.

David A. Goldfarb · Oct 12, 2020

Retractable clotheslines from the hardware store over the bathtub.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Oct 12, 2020

On my enlarger head I taped printouts of tables of the f-stop time sequence, equivalent graded between my most commonly used papers and the ISO sequence in 1/3 stops to make quick calculations: I can move from a 5x7 on Kentmere VC with #2 filter to whatever the equivalent is on 11x14 Ilford Warmtone, and need maybe 1/4 stop adjustment after the first test strip.

MattKing · Oct 12, 2020

Printed and on my wall.
Test Strip Time Progression (1/2 stop increments - rounded)
To end up with this total time: 4 6 8 11 16 22 32 45 64
Add a next step with this time: 4 2 2 3 5 6 10 13 19

eli griggs · Oct 22, 2020

Swiss knife with small pliers, #1, everywhere.

Kodak work period clock, which has a easy on/off lever switch on top, so while you're working on say, developing a roll of film by stand method, and you want to time how long the entire process takes, from preparing the darkroom, to a dried roll of film being slide into whatever protected sleeve you might use, and the last entry is made into your darkroom log.

Timing how long each individual process, allows you to better manage your time, if you develop, etc in fits and starts, or on your kid's schedule.

Music.

Andrew O'Neill · Oct 22, 2020

Rubber floor mats from the dollar store. That's all I've got. Sorry folks...

Peter Schrager · Oct 22, 2020

Oversized sponge that I push the water out of darkroom sink into a bucket....portable sink that fits in the bathroom using the sink for water
Have a great gizmo attached to the shower head which let's me either take a shower or run a large open zone vi washer (not a typical print washer) that
I use to wash 11x14 prints etc...in emergencies can be a footpath!

samcomet · Oct 22, 2020

My darkroom is really slightly larger than a broom closet with not very much bench space. Therefore, I use those stackable trays that hold "in boxes" in offices of old to hold my trays freeing up a modicum of real estate. I also use stainless steel rod mats with silicon ends that are commonly used to dry dishes over the tops of sinks to support trays as well. The stainless rods/slats offer enough space to slide prints through into the wash sink below. When in a hurry to dry FB prints I use a vegetable/herb dehydrator set to a moderate temp and I get prints ready to flatten in less than an hour. But I think my favourite addition is a small bluetooth speaker that I stream old time radio detective series through to keep me entertained......

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Oct 23, 2020

While any good notebook works well, I've been quite pleased with the series of Analogbooks, which helps me keep clean records of printing (the ones designed to record exposure in the field, I think they would make sense with large format, but in 35mm/120, I find that making developing notes directly on the roll is enough info).

Concerning tally clickers, I found out that you can have units with multiple clickers. I'm terribly tempted by a 3-piece set (dev/stop/fix)... or a 4-piece one (dev/stop/fix/hca)
https://tallycounterstore.com/multiple-tally-counter/

TmRn · Nov 19, 2020

Surprised this hasn't already been covered. All the old bath and dish towels have a second life in my darkroom.

MattKing · Nov 19, 2020

TmRn said:
Surprised this hasn't already been covered. All the old bath and dish towels have a second life in my darkroom.

Linen ones work best - once washed a few times they are essentially lint free.
I find the souvenir towels that people used to bring back from places like Scotland to be the easiest to find at thrift stores.
I'm particularly fond of one I have that shows wine regions in France.

ic-racer · Nov 19, 2020

Turkey baster.

To remove the last water from the Jobo water bath. There is about 250ml that remains after drainage. The water bath would collect mildew until I figured to totally empty it. Now the water bath is as clean as new for 5 years now when I put it into storage with a totally dry water bath.

madNbad · Nov 20, 2020

I bought several 250 ml glass bottles to split a liter of HC-110 and Ilfotec HC. The local drugstore had 10 ml syringes with a plug that fits in the neck of the bottle making it easy to draw just the right amount of concentrated developer. The bottles were cheap and the syringes are free.

relistan · Nov 30, 2020

10 Gallon "medium mixing tub" for mortar or concrete. They are about $5-6 at Home Depot or Lowe's in the US and probably something equivalent elsewhere.

My darkroom is a bathroom/laundry room and there is no tub or shower, so this holds prints in a fair bit of water while they wait for a proper wash. It balances firmly on top of a toilet seat.

cerber0s · Nov 30, 2020

Old Sodastream bottle for mixed developer, PET bottlws for stop and fix. Madking tape for labrlling them and a marker to keep track of how many films I developed so I know when to increase the time.

Two IKEA stools to put the enlarger on in the tiny bathroom (when the developer gets here), I haven't used the enlarger in 12 years. Cloth pins to hang the film to dry in the shower.

Photrio for asking dumb questions.

Maris · Nov 30, 2020

Count-down talking timer. The soothing electronic voice enables me to time sheet film tray development to the nearest second in absolute darkness. And it's sort of "chirpy" company that punctuates some long dark hours.

Michael Firstlight · Dec 1, 2020

SUN-STAR Kadomaru Pro Corner Cutter - easily round the corners of film for easier loading onto plastic reels so it doesn't bind.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 1, 2020

Michael Firstlight said:
SUN-STAR Kadomaru Pro Corner Cutter - easily round the corners of film for easier loading onto plastic reels so it doesn't bind.

That is amazing! I usually cut a round end to my 35mm film using scissors, but this is next level.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Dec 1, 2020

My latest gadget is a magnetic board from the office store. I don't have a scanner at home, so when I want to post my prints on Photrio or elsewhere, I rephotograph them with my digicam.

Using magnets in the corner, this will allow me to reproduce any size up to 11x14.

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