My Last Darkroom, Ever

[sdotkling]

Every place I've ever lived since I was 19, I've built a darkroom. I started out in a bathroom, plywood on top of the tub. Then I moved into the kitchen, horrifying my landlady by painting the kitchen black, and fitting black roofing paper into the windows. Then there was the walk-in coat closet darkroom (the roommates weren't too crazy about that.) Then the pirate basement darkroom in the Brooklyn apartment house where we lived, near the laundry room (pirate because I never told anyone I was taking over the vacant room down there.) Then another basement darkroom in our suburban house.
Now I'm almost 70, and we moved from the 'burbs to the country. So this one is my last, and I wanted it to be the best one I ever had. I just finished it--it took a year to build. Here a couple of pix.

 

[Sonnar Brian]

It's beautiful. Easy to see why it took a year to build.

 

[raydm6]

Awesome job! Love those 'Blads on the shelf.

 

[BillBingham2]

WOW. I've been without for many years and seeing you EXCELLENT work just reignites my GBAD syndrome (Gotta Build A Darkroom).

Thank you for sharing and enjoy.

B2

 

[Timmyjoe]

WOW!!! That is sweet. Very jealous.

Best,
-Tim

 

[rumbliegeos]

That is one nice darkroom. I also built one recently and I suspect it will be my last one, too. And I have used some pretty ad hoc ones in the past!

 

[nikon_sam]

GREAT darkroom...I had one when I lived in my parents house...like you just went and built it...currently, I set up in a downstairs bathroom or use the office/bedroom at night since I have to block a window but only when using the Beseler 45MCRX.
If we ever move I'd love to have a permanent set-up like this...

 

[raydm6]

Question from one who's only used community college darkrooms and barely much darkroom experience: I thought walls/ceilings are typically painted a flat black. Is that not a requirement anymore? Thanks.

 

[sdotkling]

Question from one who's only used community college darkrooms and barely much darkroom experience: I thought walls/ceilings are typically painted a flat black. Is that not a requirement anymore? Thanks.

Yeah, I've done that in the past (the light lock to this darkroom is flat black, actually), but since the safelights are pretty dim, I usually use white walls and ceiling, to take best advantage of the little light I do have when the I switch off the mains.

 

[j.scooter]

WOW. I've been without for many years and seeing you EXCELLENT work just reignites my GBAD syndrome (Gotta Build A Darkroom).

Thank you for sharing and enjoy.

B2

+1 for the GBAD syndrome

Currently set up temporarily in the tiny basement bathroom. There is not much room to maneuver, so much so that the grain focuser ended up in the toilet...
I really GBAD

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I'm about to get rid off my first ever darkroom...

 

[farlymac]

Never had one of my own, just used others or rented time in a campus darkroom. I preferred to have my photos done by someone who had the knowledge already to manipulate times, chemistry, and paper on a consistent basis. Had one guy who was a master at bringing out the best in my prints, but then he decided that a career in IT was the way to go. Congrats on completing your latest iteration, Stephen. I wish you many years of joy using it.

PF

 

[Joao]

Good work .
You can imagine how envious I am, being limited to a minimalist 1.7 square meter space. I had to place a grid (old fridge shelf) over the sink to increase the bench area.
URL=https://public.fotki.com/BlueWind/assorted-photos/darkroom-1-7sq-mt.html]

[/URL]Hosted on Fotki
Regards
Joao

 

[Horatio]

Looks great! Enjoy.

 

[bluesun267]

Wow! Just beautiful and drool-worthy, coming from someone whose experience closely mirrors your own (at least up until the moving to the country part!) May you produce much brilliant work there!

 

[ranger9]

Really nice! I especially like the woodwork. I assume you've got excellent ventilation, so humidity from the wet side doesn't get to those 'Blads on the shelf?

For the person who asked about white vs. black walls/ceiling: Traditionally I always heard that you paint most of the room in light colors to get maximum benefit from the safelights. It's only above and around the enlargers that a lot of people like black, so during printing light doesn't bounce off the paper and easel, get reflected off a light wall or ceiling, and fog the highlight areas of your print. If the OP later finds this is a problem, it would be easy for him to set up some black flats around and above the enlargers.

 

[sdotkling]

Ventilation, right. Since this darkroom is in the basement of the house, I fitted a homemade light trapping vent into a small basement window, and paired it with an exhaust fan. There’s no door to the darkroom, just a maze-like light lock, so air can enter freely. To gild the lilly, I installed a vent at one end of the sink that opens into the utility area of the basement. Hopefully, that will be sufficient.
I’ve seen photos of other darkrooms with major venting systems, but I never bothered with that myself. I’m doing pretty prosaic Dektol/Kodak indicator stop bath/Hardening fixer b&w printing, and I’ve never even opened a bottle of selenium toner, much less used it. (That stuff is nasty.)

 

[Cascadilla]

Question from one who's only used community college darkrooms and barely much darkroom experience: I thought walls/ceilings are typically painted a flat black. Is that not a requirement anymore? Thanks.

Our community college darkroom does have black walls and ceilings since there are 12 enlargers in there and light spill can be a problem when a lot of people are working and processing prints at the same time. The enlargers are in carrells along the walls and the large stainless steel sink and trays are in the middle of the room so the all black surroundings help to prevent fogging. The safelights are sodium vapor so the darkroom is still bright enough to see things. In my own darkrooms I have always painted walls and ceilings white with black near the enlarger since I have always used conventional safelights with filters that are not as bright as the sodium vapor ones. If you have good filters and maintain proper distances from the lights to areas where paper is handled then white walls shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Rayt]

That’s great. I am waiting for the community darkroom to reopen but there’s nothing like your own space.

 

[raydm6]

Our community college darkroom does have black walls and ceilings since there are 12 enlargers in there and light spill can be a problem when a lot of people are working and processing prints at the same time. The enlargers are in carrells along the walls and the large stainless steel sink and trays are in the middle of the room so the all black surroundings help to prevent fogging. The safelights are sodium vapor so the darkroom is still bright enough to see things. In my own darkrooms I have always painted walls and ceilings white with black near the enlarger since I have always used conventional safelights with filters that are not as bright as the sodium vapor ones. If you have good filters and maintain proper distances from the lights to areas where paper is handled then white walls shouldn't be a problem.

Interesting. Thank you for the detailed explanation. Yes, I do remember a similar set up at the college with "enlargers are in carrells". Brought back some memories.