WOW. AMAZED :-)

[mr rusty]

I'm in the middle of building a darkroom. I bought some S/H gear including some old paper and chems.

Tonight, even though I haven't built my sink yet, I thought I'd have a quick play and see if there was any life left in the chems. Mixed it up, not too accurately as I wasn't expecting great things. Set up a neg (lab developed), and set a time using the sensor on the philips timer I inherited with the enlarger. No test strips or anything, as I didn't expect much of a result.

I have NEVER made a print before in my life and........... it came out. First time. And it's decent! Will it last? I don't know as I don't really know how good the fixer is.

But, WOW. Its a great feeling. First print ever! I'll put it in the gallery when its dry.

 

[Vaughn]

Sounds like how I made my first prints 34 years ago in the employee darkroom in Grand Canyon National Park.

Did those first prints last? Some did, some did not.

But congrats!

Vaughn

 

[pentaxuser]

Well done. If it's a Phillips timer/analyser with a probe and was set up for the paper you are using then I find it generally gives me a decent print first time. Not up to the standards of the RH Designs analyser but well worth using

pentaxuser

 

[Ian Grant]

You'll find that the fun of darkroom printing remains even after many years. I made my first prints in the early 1960's and stil prefer darkroom work to watching ink dry

I've had 2 Phillips meter/timers and they are excellent they can certainly get you to a reasonable print quickly.

Ian

 

[Alan W]

It's a tingly feeling I hope you won't ever lose,well done!

 

[Roger Cole]

You'll find that the fun of darkroom printing remains even after many years. I made my first prints in the early 1960's and stil prefer darkroom work to watching ink dry

I've had 2 Phillips meter/timers and they are excellent they can certainly get you to a reasonable print quickly.

Ian

+1 to the fun not fading. I made my first ones in the mid 70s, at age 12 or so, with the bathroom blacked out and my supportive but bewildered and bemused parents wonder who this alien made scientist was that seemed to have been born into their family. I still love printing and it's still magical to me.

No experience with B&W analyzers though. I do have an Ilford EM10 exposure meter I use occasionally for changing print sizes.

 

[mr rusty]

Thnks all. I have kinda been putting off this moment intending to try and do everything right firts time when my darkroom is finished, but I couldn't resist having a quick play. Darkroom is still half a building site. I have never had any lessons except what I have read here!! When I bought the enlarger, it came with some chems in self-labelled bottles, but I didn't even know if the developer labeled "1:9" was stock solution or not. I assumed not, and mixed it 1:9. The fixer is a part used jessops rapid fixer. I didn't bother with an acid stop. Just a water stop. I've been reading all the developing posts for a long while ready for "the big day". Its just I am blown away how well it came out, using unknown chems, and just taking exposure from the sensor on the timer that I had never used and had no idea if it worked or not. The only way now is up!!

 

[zsas]

Woooooooooooo hooooooo! Another DR goes into production! Congrats! This dry run (or I guess wet run ) will be the driving force to get it all finished up. You have quickly learned how easy it really is. I made some prints sitting on the cement floor in my basement with a few trays at my side before getting it all set up; nothing fancy is needed for great prints! Congrats!