It may be time to get serious...

Why not just black out the room? Then you only need black vinyl curtains/sheets for the door and window. You can take the curtains down and let fresh air in light in when you are not working.
 
Because one of the doors won't close once opened and the other door doesn't close at all. It would be more a pain in the arse to try and lightproof the room than it would to just create something that I could tear down.
 
If all else fails, you could just do all your printing at night! You seem to be a bit of a night owl anyway...
 
I have concerns about your using a laundry area. I once tried that. When the area is sealed off for darkroom purposes, there may well be a build up of humidity that would be unacceptable. You'd have to build into your plan a good-size venting system.
 
We actually have a dehumidifier down there and I could get a small, cheap one for use inside the actual 'darkroom' structure as well. I *am* rethinking ventilation now but I really need ideas where that is concerned. Just remember that I have an 8x8 space to work with.

All else fails I could try and find disposible masks that block out vapors...I saw some on a UK site, but I haven't seen a US version yet.
 
Stephanie Brim said:
Because one of the doors won't close once opened and the other door doesn't close at all. It would be more a pain in the arse to try and lightproof the room than it would to just create something that I could tear down.
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It does not matter if the doors are open or closed if you use a proper darkroom curtain. The curtain just needs to be larger than the opening and hang against it. I have run professional and personal darkroom with just curtains as the light trap. You will also find this a more comfortable solution in the summer.

The room only needs to be light-tight, not air-tight. So you should only need a vent fan, air will naturally enter. Blowing air in is not a good idea as you can create a really bad dust problem.
 
There is one other problem with just using the whole room: it is used all day by people other than me as well. People go in and out all the time. They want to do laundry (my mother is especially fond of doing laundry absolutely *all day long* without stopping), they want to iron, etc. I need a place that I can use that wouldn't be in the way of them doing that. It's why I've come up with this solution.

In a perfect world I'd be able to use the room for whatever I want without having to worry about it...but yeah, I don't have that luxury. The only way I can have something is if I can make it so that laundry is still doable while I'm working, I don't take up more space than I really need, I don't block access to the sink where the heating/cooling drains to, and I can tear it down when I'm done. That being the case...a tent is all I have to work with.

Also, about the heat in the summer: this basement is naturally cool. It stays about 70 degrees (F) all summer long. I won't have as many heating problems because of this.
 
Steph, but your mom isn't going to be doing laundry or ironing at night when you'll be printing. I think it would be best to use the whole room. Just my opinion.
 
If I did use the whole room I'd have to somehow get both the doors working again. My sisters sleep in the room next to mine and, at the moment, I have to walk through it to get to the laundry room due to the door that won't open. I planned on fixing that door so that I could use it if I did this, but the other one remains open...I'd have to be super quiet.
 
Can I make another suggestion. Try using a drum processor or drum tanks such as the ones made by Jobo. That way you only need to make a dark area for the enlarger - once the paper is in the drum, it is protected from light. If this is just black and white, you can use the drum with just a roller base and temper the chemicals in a bucket or sink rather than having to use a processor. Drum processing also cuts down on fumes greatly.

I would think twice about the laundry room. Dust is going to be a huge problem. But if that is all you have, then don't let the air get too dry - dust will just travel when the air has no humidity. It will be a tricky balance as you don't want it to be too damp. Do not dry your film there as dust will stick to the wet emulsion.

Anyway, good luck.
 
I know how I'm going to build now. I plan to use the laundry room as is and lightproof the doors for now, but I'll eventually put my tent plan into action as soon as I can afford some kind of an exhaust fan. But I do have some interesting questions.

I know that keeping chemicals at the right temperature is important. Anyone used aquarium heaters for this purpose? Would be a simple, cheap solution that doesn't take a water bath. I've also been toying around with the idea of developing my own C41...I'd definitely want good ventilation and/or a mask for that.

Also, what paper should I use now that Kodak has gone out of the paper-making business? Ilford Multigrade? I know of *one* place that still has some Kodak paper, but it's been a while since I've been there so they may have sold out. Also, I plan to start with 8x10 paper and move up to 11x14 paper. What amount of paper do you guys recommend that I buy?

I'm also planning on using some kind of an odorless stop/fix. Does anyone have experience with these and how they perform?
 
Also, on trays: stainless or plastic? Stainless or plastic tongs? I'm also pondering getting another tank with this as well and I'm guessing you'll recommend a stainless tank and stainless reels. ;)

Blah, this is so exciting. I don't want to wait for my tax return to come to get it all. :p
 
No real suggestions on the darkroom itself, although I'm definitely interested in hearing how it turns out. I've been toying with the idea of doing the same to my laundry room.

Aquarium heaters can be used for tempering a water bath for C41, but you may have to hunt around for one that doesn't have a temperature limit that's too low. I ended up grabbing a surplus laboratory water bath off of ebay; it was very cheap, cheaper than a decent aquarium heater actually.
 
Well, I'm already starting to purchase things...bidding on another tank and a polycontrast filter set (Kodak). Should get the ball rolling at least. I'm inquiring about some stainless 11x14 trays.
 
At least for developing your own black and white film, I found using an aquarium heater too slow. It did eventually heat up the bath for my chemicals but for, what is practically a 15-minute affair with the dev tank, it took waaaay to much time. Now I'd simply use half boiling water, half cold water; mix them together to get around 40 degrees C; place the jars with chemicals in the 40 degree bath; and let the chemicals warm up to about 21 degrees C. The water will stay hot long enough to do so. Much easier and cheaper. Aquarium heaters are also energy drainers. If you have one of them electricity meters with a revolving disc, take a look at it when you turn on the aqaurium heater. :eek:

Now, when it comes to making prints....
 
I looked into using aquarium heaters to temper chemistry for developing, but eventually decided against it (mainly on account of the surprisingly great risk of exploding glass everywhere).

These days, I stick a jug in the microwave - the liquid for a two-reel tank hits 20C in about 40 seconds!
 
Well, I'm talking for developing prints, not film. I don't really need to worry about that...water is around 70 degrees F if it's left down the basement.
 
Be careful of electric shock. Your fingers will get wet, you'll switch the light on or the heater or something and the shock will throw you across the room.

Happened to me many times.

Wash your fingers frequently and have a dry towel nearby.

I used to like the foot-operated enlarger switch. Tap it with your toes and 'play' with the image on the paper with your hands and then tap again with your toes to end the exposure.
 
The Leica is the enlarger to go for.

C41 processing at home is a pain. Take it to the 30 minute shop.

Large prints 11x14 need a very high column or a slightly wider lens.
 
Plastic trays are fine for prints. And if you ever want to get into toning, you don't want stainless steel. Get colored trays so you can use the same tray for the same chemical. Good trays should not have flat bottom; there should be ridges to add agitation during processing. Plastic tongs are fine as well.

If you water supply is a fairly consistant temperature, then develop based on the temperature. Trying to keep chemicals to a specific temperature that your situation does not allow can drive you nuts.

I always liked Ilford paper over Kodak. Ilford is a fine product.

If you can swing, get a medium-format enlarger or 4x5 enlarger. They are steadier and taller then their 35mm cousins and if you ever head to larger formats you are all set (except for the negative carrier). The enlarger lens is important as mentioned above. Get current lenses as they are significantly better then old style lenses (but don't look as nice). Nikkor EL are good lenses. Both Schneider and Rodenstock make excellent lenses, but they have a entry-level line - Rogonar for Rodenstock, I don't remember Schnider's economy line. A good enlarge lines should be a 6-element design, not 4.

Recommended enlarger manufacturers - Omega, Bessler, and Saunders/LPL. Enlargers are simple machines and what is important is alignment and sturdiness. The enlarger lens is where the fine optics need to be.

If you like to print a black line around you photos, you will need a full-frame 35mm carrier. A normal carrier crops in slightly. I perfer glassless carriers. Glass carriers come with a host of problems and the glassless carrier should hold the film flat.

I see no practical benefit to 4-bladed easels. Two blades are good enough and cheaper.

Peak grain focusers are good, whether is is the top or bottom of the line - they work equally well. I tape a piece of the photo paper I am working with to the base rather than always sliding in a sheet every time I focus. And no, you cannot really focus an enlarger without a grain focuser.

I use simple sheet of heavy glass (with rounded edges) as a contact printer. I always found the complicated contact easels a pain. I contact the film is the film storage sheets so I have less of a chance of damaging the film - and it is faster. Put a carrier in your enlarger and focus the carrier frame on the baseboard so it covers the contacting area - focusing the enlarger gurantees the area is evenly illuminated. Then take the carrier out and start contacting. For contacting, once I have the basic exposure, I will print 10 or 20 contacts and then develop the paper in a batch. Depending on the size of the tray, I develop the sheets back to back and separate them in the stop and finish the process.

BTW, one way to lessen the chemicals in the air is to use a rigid clear plastic sheet (plexiglass) over the trays. Just lift the plastic to add or remove a print. And air born chemistry will disolve itself in any drinks in the darkroom so keep your coffee in the kitchen.

Anyway, I am just spouting random thought of the darkroom now.
 
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