Establishing a darkroom.

[Derwent]

I am in the process of settin up a darkroom now...got a damn good deal on a bunch o gear from a pro lab that shut down.
DeVere 5x4 enlarger with Rodagon lenses.
Got carriers from 110 up to 5x4....
Picked up a FB print glazer and an RC print dryer, Nova washer, and loads of assorted bits and pieces.
Contact frames, an Ilfochrome contact printer, safelight, timers and colour analysers and a weird device for making some kind of sensitometry strips that hadn't been used in twenty years but is seriously cool with its knobs and dials...

I think the time has never been better for gettig high end darkroom gear cheap!

 

[Tom A]

My current darkroom, using a digital camera of some kind (could have been a Ricoh Gr1). I have built ay least 5-6 darkrooms in my life - always try to improve upon past designs. This was a clear space when I started. I built the walls form 3/4 marine plywood (I never have to look for studs to attach anything). The sinks are stainless steel (one 8ft by 30" and 6" deep), the other is 36's by 30" by 18" (should be used for washing print, but is now the storage for odds and ends. 2012 resolution is to clean t up! Water intake runs (cold) through a 5 micron filter and a 220v/3 phase water heater. This means that I dont have to worry about draining the hot-water tank.
Two enlargers, a Focomat 1c Color (ie, has a filter drawer and not visible to the right is a Focomat IIc, again with a filter drawer.
Notice the power outlets - high up on the wall and plentiful. This means that I dont have too much of tangled power cords to contend with. Multiple Gralab 300 timers (3 at the moment as well as a back-up).
Large collection of Paterson reels - never can have too many as they can take a while to dry.
There is a workspace outside, kind of an office with negative files, books, drymount press - Seal 210 for flattening fiber prints and a print drying rack (25 "racks" - each capable of holding two 11x14" prints. This is also the area where I mix chemistry for film and print developers.
The yellow colored walls are a Kodak matched color - one advantage is that it will not fog RC prints if you get spill light from the enlarger.
One of the rules for building darkrooms is "never finish it completely - once you do - something happens and you have to move!". Hence the wall behind the Focomat 1c is still yellow instead of black!

 

[ooze]

The highest quality enlarging lenses have never been cheaper. But printing smaller than 11x14 you'll never notice the difference between a Nikkor 50/2.8 and the APO-Componon-HM 45.

my wet side left to right

It seems you loved Agfa paper 😱

So did I.

I'm amazed at your drying racks. So many!

 

[sepiareverb]

It seems you loved Agfa paper 😱

So did I.

I'm amazed at your drying racks. So many!

I sure was a fan of Portrigia and Insignia. Record wasn't so bad either. Been printing on the new Adox version MCC which is certainly an improvement over the AGFA MCC.

Here in Vermont it can take a really long time for prints to dry in the summer months, even with a fan running. Days sometimes. If I print three days in a row I would certainly run out of space with fewer screens. Winter-time fiber prints dry incredibly fast here, even faster than my last darkroom. Last week I had stuff dry in almost seven hours. Couldn't believe it.

 

[ChrisN]

Here's mine:


Darkroom by Another Chris, on Flickr

Build details in this thread.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Here's mine:

Wow, must have been hard getting those pipe and conduit bends, curved counters and shelves just right to match those walls... 😉

Chris

 

[kuzano]

try to visit Craigslist 3-4 times a week.

try to visit Craigslist 3-4 times a week.

If you are not in a large community, put Craigslist for a larger nearby city on your favorites list. I am about 100 miles and I see complete darkrooms listed for near giveaway prices for the whole shebang. Anything you don't need you can resell on eBay or Craigslist, if you buy a whole setup.

I live in a town of about 90,000 (150,000 for the greater 3 county area) and, on craigslist, I found a like new 7 foot stainless steel custom made darkroom sink with a stainless steel back panel. The back panel was fully plumbed with a hot/cold temperature mixing valve setup. Run both hot and cold water lines to the mixing valve, set the desired temperature and let the system maintain the desired temperature through the valve.

Paid $100.00 for the setup.