Thoughts, Comments, Suggests, Etc On Building A Darkroom?

So, now that I have the space and now an enlarger what other things should I be thinking about when it comes to building a darkroom?
My space is about 5'x6', so space will be a premimum.
I know I need a dry side and a wet side. Water coming in shouldn't be a problem, but water going out will be. All drains in the main part of this area in my home are on the opposite side of the room.
The space I will be doing this in is on in on an outside wall of my home. I will have to build one wall and will probably use a pocket door for the enterance.

I will be doing this all very slowly. It may even be a few years before I do my first prints, so I want to do it as right as I can the first time.

Thanks!
Brian

Brian -

My first darkroom was actually smaller that the space you are looking at - more like 3x5 ft. I was able to easily make 8x10 prints, and eventually made 11x14 prints in that space.

My suggestion is that you visit a few darkroom before you commit to anything. The objective is to get ideas of what you want your darkroom to offer.

Careful planning will be important. Your first decision should be on the size print that you expect to make. Get the dimensions of the trays that you will need, and from them, determine how much wet side space you will need to lay out four trays (developer, stop, fix and rinse). And don't forget that the trays don't have to be laid out in a neat row - there is nothing wrong with stacking trays as long as you leave enough space between them to work. Years ago, there was a product called a "Richard Tray Ladder" that allowed three trays to be stacked in a footprint slightly larger than required by a single tray. Alternatively, you could plan your entire process around using a processing tube instead of trays - not as convenient, but requires even less footprint.

Also, decide on the enlarge you plan to use. If you are going to be working with a big enlarger (eg, an Omega D, Beseler, or other 4x5 machine), think about how you can mount it. What kind of ceiling clearance does your space provide - is that enough for the enlarger, or will you need to arrange some kind of dropped shelf arrangement to hold the easel below the enlarger? What about bracing - if your enlarger is subject to vibration (Omega Ds), you will need to brace the top of the column to the wall.

Think about the what actually needs to go in the darkroom, and what can be in another room. Print and negative drying, for example, don't require darkness.

Water is an issue - and provision for drainage may be more important than water supply. Again - think about what you absolutely must do in the darkroom, and what can be done elsewhere. Is it possible to wash negatives and prints somewhere else? If so, you may be able to siimplify your water concerns.

Pocket doors tend to fit rather loosely in their frames, so you may have some challenges in making your darkroom light-tight. Not insurmountable - just things that will require some creativity.

Brian

5x6 is a bit small, but it should be doable - figure a sink along one 5' wall which about 20" wide - this will have room for four 11x14 trays.

The opposite wall have a table top, I used a kitchen counter top from the local home center in my darkroom, and you can use kitchen cabinets below for storage. Enlarger can sit on the counter top.

Don't forget about ventilation - best is to draw fresh air in from outside, which you filter, and then the airflow will be out of the darkroom which will help keep dust down. If the door goes into living area, be aware that this might lead to darkroom smells getting into the rest of the house (mine vents into the basement, next to the cat boxes, so no problems, I just blame the cats)

A pocket door may work, you may end up wanting to hang a dark curtain over the inside of the door to give a bit more light protection.

The above posts give good information. It's easy to make a hinged door light-tight, so there's little advantage except elegance in using a pocket door. Minimizing water consumption can simplify the disposal of waste water. Washing negatives or prints in several changes of water in tanks or trays is more efficient than a running water system. As for water supply, storing jugs of film wash water along with the chemicals and tanks in the darkroom, and keeping the darkroom temperature at a practical working level, avoids most temperature control problems. Most of my darkrooms, instead of running water, had walking water. I walked in with milk jugs of water, and walked out with buckets of waste. Install two or three times the number of electrical outlets that you imagine you'll ever use. If practical, have at least two seperate electrical lines run into the darkroom so you'll have a source of light if one circuit fails. Outlets with proper grounds and protected by ground fault interrupters may be required by your local codes. They should be used, code or not. I've never had to rely on a house furnace or air conditioner in a darkroom. It's easier that way to keep the darkroom dust free.

There are many plans for darkrooms online and in books. It's better to understand exactly what you need to do, the equipment you will use, and the space you have. Then you can design a better darkroom for your needs than you can copy from other sources. A sink is nice, but might take up too much of your limited space. I have a sink in my small darkroom, and cover it with pieces of plywood for trimming and mounting prints, and cutting window mats. Provide plenty of shelf space. This can be both above and below the work bench. Some items can be stored outside the darkroom. There have been other discussions on building darkrooms on APUG and other forums. The better you know them, the fewer mistakes you'll make in your darkroom.

My darkroom is quite compact - about 8 feet by 5 feet. I have a De Vere 504 enlarger and can make prints up to 12" x 16". The secret for me was a Nova processor. I'm on my second one. There wasn't anything wrong with the old one, but I managed to get a secondhand FB processor for a good price.
Don't skimp on power outlets. You will never have enough!

For pics of my darkroom, follow this link...Dead Link Removed

HTH

Regards

I just bought an enlarger, a Besler 45M, see (there was a url link here which no longer exists), so I plan on printing 11x14 with some 16x20.
I don't want to bother with film processing.
I am thinking I should need to set up space somewhere to dry prints, using window screens.
The one wall that is on the exterior, is bare and showing concrete, should I put up a sheetrock wall with insulation or a vapor barrier?
I have other space available for all of the final presentation steps.
Cats! We have two and their box will be near by!
Thanks for the pics Mark! Very helpful!
My thoughts on using a pocket door are space.
Brian

Just about any configuration you could think of is bound to be in this thread.
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

mtbbrian said:

I don't want to bother with film processing.

Click to expand...

Film processing takes up very little space if you are using something like a Patterson tank for b&w. I just use the small wetside of my darkroom which consists of a laundry sink and the laundry machine where I place all the chemicals.

My darkroom is in the laundry room which is a decent size, but the actual usable space is only about 5x5 and I don't find it cramped (!!) although bigger is better. You only need two places to stand, a place at the enlarger and one at the wet side. I don't really do much walking around.

For space saving, I think single tray processing works great. The biggest tray I use (12x16) fits comfortably on the top of the laundry machine and then I pour off into bottles in the laundry sink. It takes a bit of practice to pour chemicals out of their trays for every step but I even do it for 8x10s just for the convenience of space and only having 1 tray to mess around with.

You can never spend too much time planning your darkroom, and even then you'll probably find yourself making further alterations.Also I second 100% the previous advice about seeing as many darkrooms as possible, and if possible working in them as well. Enjoy your own " dimly lit space of hope and discovery " (Paul Caponigro).

Small Dark Room for Large Format.

My Darkroom is 5' x 6' and I develop 4 x5 film in roller drums and trays and Print up to 16 x 20.

One side is dry. I put the Omega D2 on top of an old trunk. I even have an old LPL for 35 mm work.

The wet side is a home made counter top and a 24" x 24" laundry sink.

The best thing about this small dark room is everything is in easy reach. It is definately niot built for large volume work. I take an evening, even a day to produce one or two prints.

Yes, I store my Cameras, Chemicals and Paper in various shelves in the dark room.

I have thought about having a larger room, but after two years in this small space, I would not trade it.

Who says you have to dry your prints in the darkroom? An old professor of mine had a set of those bakers racks that they put large trays of bread and stuff to do the yeast rising thing. Instead of trays he used screens made for it. There is an auxillary plastic wrapper that can go around the whole thing. Three sides covers, and a loosely tied front flap. It is not airtight, but it is suffiecent to keep cats, and their hair out of the drying space. It held over 20 screens in a vertical configurations that would hold up to a 20x24 print on each one. Used kitchen/bakery supply places would have those racks. Home depot will have the stuff you need to make screens. This will free up space in your darkroom for other things.

Aggie said:

Who says you have to dry your prints in the darkroom? .

Click to expand...

My wife for one...
As supportive as she is of this, she would like to see this whole thing be as self contained as possible.
Thanks for the ideas, I will certainly consider them.
Brian

"just bought an enlarger, a Besler 45M, see "THIS THREAD", so I plan on printing 11x14 with some 16x20."

OK - 5x6 feet will be tight for 16x20 prints, but if you plan ahead for that dimension, it's possible.

"I don't want to bother with film processing."

Film processing actually requires a much smaller footprint than printing, and a printing space can be reconfigured for film processing very easily.

"I am thinking I should need to set up space somewhere to dry prints, using window screens."

Yes - I have a rack under my sink that holds my print drying screens. My darkroom is configured for 11x14 prints, and each screen holds up to four prints. If you are printing larger, you will either need larger screens, more screens, or the discipline to stop before you make more prints than you have screents. On the other hand, depending on where you darkroom is in your house, you may be able to have your screen rack outside the darkroom. Actually, that's better because you avoid the risk of splashing chemicals on finished prints.

"The one wall that is on the exterior, is bare and showing concrete, should I put up a sheetrock wall with insulation or a vapor barrier?"

Very good question! Both my current darkroom, and the previous darkroom in our former home, are the basement with concrete walls. I opted to frame out over the concrete, and install a sheetrock inner wall. Actually, here in NY, building codes for new construction require that basement walls be framed out and insulated to prevent energy loss. Provides better humidity control, but more importantly, provides better light and dust control. By the way - in the former darkroom, I was space-constrained, and to avoid having the walls become too thick, I used 2x3" framing lumber, and installed them on the 2" dimension. The walls aren't structural, so you don't have to conform to the usual building codes.

"I have other space available for all of the final presentation steps."

Good

"Cats! We have two and their box will be near by!"

Bummer. I hate cats.

mtbbrian said:

I don't want to bother with film processing.

Click to expand...

Why ever not? You are in complete control of the results if you do (I'm assuming you'll be doing B&W?)

mtbbrian said:

Cats! We have two and their box will be near by!

Click to expand...

Hmmm could be dusty. Get a small room deioniser - they really help to keep dust down. I rarely have problems with dusty negatives, even with two Samoyeds generating all sorts of mess

mtbbrian said:

Thanks for the pics Mark! Very helpful!

Click to expand...

You're welcome. Glad they were useful.

mtbbrian said:

My thoughts on using a pocket door are space.

Click to expand...

My darkroom door opens outwards, so it doesn't encroach into the darkroom itself.

Mark Pope said:

Why ever not? My darkroom door opens outwards, so it doesn't encroach into the darkroom itself.

Click to expand...

Good point, Mark. Also safer in the event of fire.

And further on the subject of safety - you should plan on ground fault circuit interruptors on the receptacle circuits in the darkroom.

Mark Pope said:

Why ever not? You are in complete control of the results if you do (I'm assuming you'll be doing B&W?)


Hmmm could be dusty. Get a small room deioniser - they really help to keep dust down. I rarely have problems with dusty negatives, even with two Samoyeds generating all sorts of mess

You're welcome. Glad they were useful.

My darkroom door opens outwards, so it doesn't encroach into the darkroom itself.

Click to expand...

I just don't want to. I have a good thing with a local lab, I don't mind exchanging my money for his services. I do both color and b&w, but I will start out in my DRTB(darkroom to be) by just doing b&w.
I never thought of an outward opening door before!
HHHMMMMMMM...
Brian

Monophoto said:

"
"Cats! We have two and their box will be near by!"

Bummer. I hate cats.

Click to expand...

I (actually, my wife) also have cats. One of them likes to chew on negatives and lick prints. Grrr. I find that if I squirt them with the canned air when they come into the darkroom, they tend to keep away.

Mark

Pocket doors are a real pain in a darkroom. The best are pre-hung entry doors. About $120.00 but light tight and almost air tight. Just hang it to open outwards. If you dont finish the concrete wall paint it with an exterior paint that contains a filler/sealer.

You haven't said whether you have a window but if you have, I'd fit a blackout screen which you can raise or lower. I have converted a bedroom and covered ithe window with blackout material fitted with velcro but in hot sunny weather it needs pressing down every time I use the room. I have had to fit black painted polystyrene on the windows as well to prevent a heat transfer throught the glass which means that I can't ever have any daylight for say toning or open the windows and still have the room blacked out.

It's my one regret about my darkroom.

pentaxuser

you can use canvas for a door. attached at the top and weighted at the bottom. i have one like this, and there is no problem -- and it cost less than twenty dollars

waste water disposal option

high efficiency (also known as condensing) nautural gas furnaces cool the exhaust flue gasses to the point that the water vapour suspended in the incoming gas line and combustion air comes out as a liquid.

As these furnaces become more popular, and also as more people install air conditioning in older homes that were without a drain near the furnace, a demand for a low cost a low volume, reasonable head pump system came into being.

I am not sure what the pump system vendors names are, but they are found at home depot and the like. Theses systems have a reservoir about 3-5" deep, with a self contained float switch, pump, and about a 1/2" dia outlet. The outlet tubing, usually poly or clear vinyl tubing, can be run up to the ceiling, and along in the joist space until there is a drain point to drop the water into.

It would not drain a full flowing tap, but it would likely deal with the water output from an archival washer as it swishes prints back and forth.

If you are building your own fibregalss sink, condsider building a reservior in the bottom of it to store drain water until the pump can catch up. A ridge that will hold slatted duck boards above a deep sink cavity could work well.

The other low tech option that I have heard of is putting a plastic garbage can on a wheeled trolley, and place it under the drain of the sink. A high backup level alarm, like found on a sump pump would be a good idea.

When the garbage can gets full, or at the end of a session, wheel it to a drain point, and pour it out. Check to see how your house has been built; the basement floor drain might go into a separate storm sewer system, and dumping into that sewer stream likely doesn't see any treatment before the outfall

If you are pouring down a drain, and the can is mostly spent developer, stop, etc, then it would be a good idea to rinse the drain and can with a good degree of water. You don't want the residue to dry, and then have minute specks of chemical dust floating around your hose, in general, or your darkroom specifically.

Spent fixer most would recommend taking to a household hazardous waste facility. I collect mine, with 2-3 pads of steel wool stuffed into old windsheild washer jugs with their labels removed. If the season is right, I evaporate it in a stainless steel tray outside in a location out of the rain, and high enough little (and big) people won't likely get into it. The sludge remaining after a few weeks gets scraped back into the jug, the tray rinsed sparingly with water, and all rinse back into the jug. The relabelled jug goeus off to the treatment facility when I go to the dump, and hit the HHW place on the way in.

pentaxuser said:

You haven't said whether you have a window

Click to expand...

No window, but I was thinking I could put in the wall I will have to build. Outside of what will be my darkroom is an outside door that seems to have some nice light.
Interesting thought..
Thanks!
Brian