washing recommendation for 'dry' workspace

[Murray@uptowngallery]

I know plenty of (ok, some) people have unplumbed darkrooms.

I'm thinking initial washing can be done with a vessel of water & a bucket (multiple fill/empty/refill for reels) and maybe multiple trays to be dumped into a bucket.

This seems workable temporarily, but the last two people I asked do a 20-30 minute under-faucet rinse, which doesn't work with the bucket brigade method.

Once fixed and initially rinsed, I guess then a tray or reel/tank could be moved in the light to a bathroom sink or tub, which couldn't be dedicated long enough to convert to a daily-convertable darkroom.

This is the best scenario I can think of. Any concurrence or suggestions?

I'm also looking at putting a laundry sink on wheels with a changing bag-style curtain around it. (I ran into a description of someone's portable darkroom like this that also had an IR camera in the top cover!). Still have to figure out a drainage method for the sink.

Thanks

 

[Martin Aislabie]

Murray, I too don't have running water in my Darkroom but have never found it a hastle.
For film washing, I take either the Jobo Daylight Tank (for 35mm) or the CombiPlan Film Holder (5x4 Sheet) to the Bathroom and wash in the Bathroom sink with running water.
By the time I have either developed another batch of film, the film in the wash has had about 30mins and so is ready for the drying cabinet.
For FB prints, I have 3 water trays after the fixing bath, into the first tray for about 60sec - it does nothing but wash off the surface fix, into the second tray for a couple of mins with agitation and then into the 3rd tray where the prints just sit. When I have 5 prints I take them up to the Bathroom once again, where I rig up my achival washer in the Bath and plumb it into the mains water.
I then leave my prints to wash while I go back to the darkroom, where I repeat the whole process again - with fresh water in the post fixing trays.
Making 5 semi decent prints takes me at least a couple of hours, so by the time I have more prints to go in the washer, these have had a couple of hours and are ready to be dried.

It does mean I take over the bathroom from time to time but it works for us

Martin

 

[Steve Smith]

Before I had running water in my darkroom I used to take fixed prints into the bathroom for washing. Now I have running water I still do it the same way!

My darkroom is in the roof space of my house so I don't have enough room for a proper sized darkroom sink, I just have a kitchen sink unit.

The bath is quite good for washing prints. Sometimes I use my archival print washer which my wife insists on calling 'the shower'.



Steve.

 

[matti]

Get a big tray that is easy to carry. Like those big buckets for mixing mortar. They are big, cheap and easy to carry around the house without spilling water. Then you can use it as a storage for prints in the darkroom to be carried to the bathroom for washing during or after the session.
/matti

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

thank you

 

[nworth]

In general, pretend you are a Jobo machine. The procedure will vary a bit depending on whether you are washing film or paper, but you can usually get good results with about eight thorough rinses, rather than a continuous flow. For film, keep the film in the tank. Give it a quick rinse after fixing, then treat the film with HCA. After the HCA, give the film seven or more one minute rinses, with agitation. For fiber based paper, you can stack prints in a tray of water. For RC prints, it is probably better to give them a quick water rinse and stack them in a dry tray. They will be OK as long as they remain damp. The wash procedure is the same, except you use a tray instead of a tank. Agitate the prints in the rinses by shuffling through them, so that each print gets fully exposed to the water. You can rinse up to four or five prints at a time. The rinses may take longer to do this right - a couple of minutes - but the number of rinses will be about the same - 8 to 10. You should probably check the effectiveness of your technique with a hypo test after washing your first batch. If it fails, increase the number of rinses until it works.

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

Had to think a minute...HCB was a photographer...HCA is not his assistant...hypo clearing agent?

 

[david b]

Home Depot sells giant black trays for under $10 in the cement section.

Super heavy duty and plenty big to do 16x20 prints.

 

[Martin Aislabie]

I don't recomend carrying trays, buckets, tanks, anything round the house with water in them.
Sooner or later they spill - particularly trays.
I always move stuff in the wetted buy empty of water state.
Commanding the bathroom for hours on end is one thing, leaving a trail of wet flooring and soggy carpets is probably stretching the good will a little far
Martin

 

[Murray@uptowngallery]

Yep. >squish< >squish< >squish< >squish< >flush<