Wet side table/sink - single or double bowl sink?

jay moussy · Feb 12, 2020

I am sketching out a basic beginner wet side wood table-sink combo, overall length of 72 inches (180 cm)

I have secured freebie stainless sinks, a single bowl (w= 25"), and a double bowl (w= 33")

Pros and cons of either style sinks?
Note the "'beginner" level, as in, not a very large operation.
I vaguely recall reading an argument for the double, but lost the reference.

MattKing · Feb 12, 2020

For each sink, what are the dimensions of each bowl?

jay moussy · Feb 12, 2020

Bowls:
- on single: 16 D x 21 W
- on double, each: 16 D x 14 W

They are the traditional surface-mount.

Brian Legge · Feb 12, 2020

I'm trying to figure out what sort of sink to use as well. I'm curious what people can do in a 33 inch bowl that they can't do in a 25 inch.

I'm curious where you land. I have a total of 8 feet for both 'wet and dry side' that I'll be setting up within the next year. I'll likely end up with a basin sink, tray stack on a counter and 36 inches for enlarger. I don't see trying to print larger than 11x14 given the space.

MattKing · Feb 12, 2020

With a double sink you can use one side for filling and draining and use the other side for rinsing and cleaning.
If you are working with trays that are small enough to fit into the sink bowl, one side can be used for print washing or a small print washer, while the other can be used for rinsing and otherwise accessing the water - really useful when toning, because you do a lot of rinsing with some toning workflows.
I use a double bowl sink when developing film. During the development stage my tank is in the right bowl, while I prepare the measured graduate of stop bath in the right bowl - with my workflow I wait to finalize preparation of each solution until the film is in the previous solution - no problems with mixing up the order here!
After the development stage, the right bowl is used for pouring chemicals in and out of the development tank and, where applicable, adding between stage rinses, while the left bowl is used for preparation of the rest of the measured graduates of chemicals.
Larger single bowl sinks give you the option of using larger trauys or prknt washers in them and make it easier to clean larger trays and other items.
Whatever you do, be sure to have a mixing valve and a hand wand sprayer.

mshchem · Feb 12, 2020

Free is good! I would make sure you have plenty of bench space.

voceumana · Feb 12, 2020

I do not recommend standard kitchen stainless steel sinks as they are not stainless when it comes to photographic chemicals. Molded synthetic sinks are a better material; porcelain on cast iron is fine but heavy.

Brian Legge · Feb 12, 2020

Can you expand on what mean by molded synthetic? It looks like that term may be applied to a bunch of different materials.

Doremus Scudder · Feb 12, 2020

My darkroom sink is a 10-foot-long x 32-inch wide tub, ~8--inches deep overall, with a drain in the middle. I need to lay out lots of trays, etc., so having a bowl sink took up to much tray space. I've gotten along just fine without a bowl sink for over years. If I need to soak something in a separate space, I just use a deep tray or a washtub placed in the sink.

Doremus

AgX · Feb 12, 2020

voceumana said:
I do not recommend standard kitchen stainless steel sinks as they are not stainless when it comes to photographic chemicals. Molded synthetic sinks are a better material; porcelain on cast iron is fine but heavy.

What is wrong with stainless steel, even if the respective alloy is not of the best grade and would be slightly corroded by some chemical?
Such likely can be polished off easily in contrast to some stains on some resin sinks.

I see the bigger disadvantage of kitchen sinks, of whatever material, in their limited sizes, compared to typical lab sinks.

jay moussy · Feb 12, 2020

AgX said:
I see the bigger disadvantage of kitchen sinks, of whatever material, in their limited sizes, compared to typical lab sinks.

Ah.
In my beginner's mind, I see the kitchen style sink only used for the rinse and wash steps, and the adjoining table, somewhat protected from incidental splashes, is my prior tray process staging and operation. Did I get that wrong?

AgX · Feb 12, 2020

Concerning that partition:
What about a compromise in form a high, parting sheet that can be inserted into a big lab sink (guided at the wall and the outer front of the sink) ?

jay moussy · Feb 12, 2020

Maybe I should clarify my simplistic planned setup:

A panel of 3/4" plywood, 72 " x 23" (what I happen have on hand), cut out at one end to receive the surface-mount sink, either single of double.
The plywood surface, a work surface, more than a "sink", with a protective coating, plus small backsplash, is where trays would go, and then wash-rinse happens in the sink.
Doable?

I do have the space, so I may bump my plywood to the full standard 8 ft (96")?

Vaughn · Feb 12, 2020

It should would be nice to be able to run water into a 16x20 tray sitting in the sink...especially to wash them out (rather than have to hold them on end all the time and rotate them to wash/rinse them...or 12x16...whatever would be the largest size tray you might use during the lifespan of the sink-setup.

Wet side table/sink - single or double bowl sink?

jay moussy

MattKing

Moderator

jay moussy

Brian Legge

MattKing

Moderator

mshchem

voceumana

Brian Legge

Doremus Scudder

AgX

jay moussy

AgX

jay moussy

Vaughn

Wet side table/sink - single or double bowl sink?

Moderator

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency