Using GrowTent as Darkroom

Hi,
I was just wondering if anyone has experience of using one of the Growing-Tents(e.g Secret-Jardin) as a darkroom. they are supposed to be light tight with access for water and Mains electricity supply, and are considerably cheeper than the NOVA Darkroom tent.
Sorry if its a stupid Idea, but it would enable me to set up a darkroom in my garage, instead of using the Bathroom.

Cheers

Steve

Hi, you could make a darkroom tent out of pvc pipe and black-out cloth. Could hook up a bathroom fan for ventilation.

Jon

Haha, hilarious. I doubt those would hide your "darkroom" from helicopters with infrared cameras, but still amusing.

I guess if its really light-tight it'd work great as a darkroom. Probably priced to the, err, "green thumbs", to which they are marketed though.

Jon Shiu said:

Hi, you could make a darkroom tent out of pvc pipe and black-out cloth. Could hook up a bathroom fan for ventilation.

Jon

Click to expand...

I've made a couple darktents using those materials and others. Here's one made from 3 layers of aluminized nylon, red acrylic windows, and PVC pipe frame:







I used curtain blackout material on the prototype, but that fabric was very heavy and more prone to damage than the nylon.

Believe me, the cost of the grow tents make them very favorable by comparison, if they are indeed lightproof. I have yet to find the definitive answer to that question.

Other wetplate photographers have used the grow tents as portable darkrooms, but not out in direct sunlight. But, they may work well under suitable conditions of subdued light interiors.

Joe

Why would you want a growing tent? It would keep getting larger!




Steve

many thanks for replies, it would be set-up in the garage as I have a water supply and mains connected up there, so no direct sunlight. should be good and if it doesn't work could always grow stuff in it.

steve

That would be a terrible waste of a 'grow tent'. Photography is wonderful but. . . a grow tent is for growing - - -?

What exactly is the purpose of a grow tent? I get that they are for growing pot, but why do you need a tent? I imagine the tent doesn't go outside, and inside who is going to see it? They do look nice for a portable darkroom though. Maybe good for wet plate photos.

Ironically my dad wanted to use my darkroom for growing hydroponic strawberries after I moved out.
And he seriously meant strawberries too.

My better-half has got into growing all sorts of fruit and veg suddenly so knowing my luck I'd lose out on the growing tent and end up having to setup my darkroom in the bathroom when I can, which in a house with one toilet and three people isn't very often. Hence my initial enquiry. I wonder if the police keep tabs on people buying the tents as it does seem that they have ONE main use, (Strawberries?).

Rather than post a new thread to ask the same question, since it has been years without a straight answer and no new threads present themselves... has anyone tried one of these Jardin grow tents yet? I don't have room for a permanent darkroom in my house so I'm looking at setting one of these up when I need a darkroom.