It gets worse

[Ash]

If being contacted by someone I was trying to forget this morning, and then being hit with a nosebleed after cleaning my teeth and before my shower wasn't bad enough.... EVERY DARKROOM IN SWINDON IS CLOSED TO ME!


A few weeks ago I found out that the one in the town centre was now closed, and will not be re-opened when the other facilities (such as video editing) are relocated 🙁

The college I was previously a student of will not allow me to use their darkroom as 'its an insurance risk because you don't go here any more, besides we're over capacity and a number of enlargers are breaking down as it is' 😕


The Link Centre leisure centre now has a GYM where their darkroom once was 😱



My last hope is the other college, which I doubt will allow me access for the same reasoning as above, but if not then I'm seriously considering plastering a wall to divide half my bedroom into a mini darkroom.


:bang: :bang: :bang:

 

[kully]

Wow - you have(had) publicaly accessible darkrooms in Swindon!?!? Count yourself lucky you had them while you did - never heard of the like before.

You can get darkrooms which go up like tents - if room is tight. Expensive new (~£600), but I saw one on eBay not sell for £100.

 

[SDK]

Luckily used darkroom equipment is going for a song these days. Lots of great enlargers and enlarging lenses are selling for much less than they used to fetch. Get yourself a nice Durst, Kaiser, Meopta or LPL/Saunders enlarger and an Apo-Rodagon 50mm/2.8 or EL-Nikkor 63mm/2.8 lens. You won't regret it!

 

[markinlondon]

Time to build your own, Ash. How much competition do you have for the bathroom?

 

[Ash]

No chance, the bathroom isn't a viable option!

Not so much public access, you needed to be interviewed and have the induction, then pay fees and provide your own chemicals - but that's as good as it gets I guess.

STUPID thing is, when I was little my mother had the enlarger, and trays, and all the stuff I'd need, but no. My father threw it away due to issues with space management.

 

[pesphoto]

Ash, just find a desk for your room, get yourself a used enlarger, some trays, etc and go to work. It's more fun that way anyway, you can print anytime you want. Into the wee hours of the morning you you like.

 

[Ash]

pesphoto that's my thoughts really.

My mother does wonders with talking my father around. He was ready to throw me out the house for my lip piercing and my mother somehow managed to have him indifferent to it within an hour.

She said she'll talk to him and maybe her old shed/study can be converted (it's about the size of a very small bathroom, so could be worth a try, but that's only once my sis has moved into her new room so the old room can be turned into mum's new study - sooo much effort!!).


I could probably have just as much room by plastering up a wall at the far end of my room, (EDIT) - 2,5ft by 9ft. Slanted ceiling on that side of the room but should be tall enough on one side to allow the enlarger to reach, or else enlarging lenses are cheap enough these days I'll use a wider lens

 

[Toby]

The Link Centre leisure centre now has a GYM where their darkroom once was 😱

Time to take up bodybuilding - people will leave you alone if you take their picture without asking 😀

 

[Ash]

Time to take up bodybuilding - people will leave you alone if you take their picture without asking 😀

But I won't have anywhere to print the image!! 😀

 

[FrankS]

Things getting worse is often the catylist required to make things better. Remember that you do not need running water and a sink in the room that use for the enlarger.

 

[pesphoto]

Ash, why the need to plaster a new wall. Just put up dark curtains, plug in a couple safelights, buy chemicals and your ready to print. I guess it all depends how anxious you are to get going.

 

[Benjamin Marks]

I'd add this to pesphoto's comment: Nova made a standing slot processor (kind of like upright trays) for 8x10 that drastically reduces the footprint needed for a darkroom. If you are using a wash-aid like Heico Permawash, print washing can be done using a 5-gallon paint bucket with standing water and 10 water exchanges (dump-and-fill) over a period of an hour or less. I have had darkrooms in very cramped quarters. You can even buy stop-bath that smells like vanilla and no-oder fixer . . . give it some thought.

Ben

 

[FrankS]

I've read about photographers setting up their enlarger and printing trays in a broom closet.

 

[Keith]

I'll tell you something tragic Ash. The house I am renting at the moment has a purpose built darkroom that the original owner incorporated in the design when he had the house built ... the real tragedy is I don't use it (yet)! You're welcome to use it any time you want though!

😀 😀

 

[pesphoto]

I've read about photographers setting up their enlarger and printing trays in a broom closet.

But then where do you keep the brooms Frank.....

 

[Ash]

pesphoto, I'd prefer the plaster wall because it's semi-permanent, and I'm going to be living at home for at least a couple more years, so I'd prefer a wall I can trust to stay upright and light-tight, rather than kinda dodgy opaque curtains. No doubt I'll end up with curtains as it's not really my house to modify!

Benjamin, I actually don't mind the smell of chemicals!! I also prefer the smelly type because I always used it to differentiate between them in the dark - college darkroom, you can't trust the other students! I'm sure the girlfriend will learn to live with it too 😀

I'm one of those people who print by inspection, so I'm thinking maybe I'll still use trays, although the upright processor sounds nifty. I only really need 3 shelves - top one is dev, and I can easily see and pull the print out, then underneath into stop, then into fix under that, probably as much space using an upright.

My main concern is print/neg dryer. I'm getting wound up with makeshift arrangements for drying my negs as it is, so I gotta work out where I can create a drying rack/cabinet/enclosure with dust filter.

 

[Ash]

FrankS, I'd hope to save my spine such horrors!!

Keith, I don't know whether I can dignify a response to that!!! 😀

 

[Keith]

Keith, I don't know whether I can dignify a response to that!!! 😀[/QUOTE]

Ash mate .... if you lived around the corner I really would let you use my darkroom any time you wanted 'cause you're one of the 'good guys'!

I hope you can work something out with your current dilema!

🙂 🙂

 

[Ash]

Heh, thanks Keith. I'd probably end up buyin your beer, or paying rent since I'd have a sleeping bag in the darkroom and spend a few nights at a time there!! 🙂


Looks like I may be having the shed after all, it's got electric, but it feels like it may be just as, if not more cramped than converting half my room. Cheaper in the long run I guess, since it only needs blackout and a desk (instead of plastering up a wall, then blackout and desk)

 

[kaiyen]

You can also get a Nova vertical processor to save room, or trays in a rack. The former is pretty expensive (even used). The latter is cheap 🙂.

allan