my darkroom: this weekend
- Thread starter FrankS
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raid
Dad Photographer
Great! I wish you success in such endevors, Frank. One day, I shall have my dark room to enjoy making my own prints and also to develop B&W film.
Raid
Raid
FrankS
Registered User
Thanks Raid. I've been doing this for 15 - 20 years now. In a few more years upon retirement from my real job, I will try to increase this sideline.
Charles Binns
Leicamadman
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- Nov 25, 2006
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- 17
Inspirational Clutter
Inspirational Clutter
Having spent all weekend BUILDING my darkroom, its nice to see one complete and in use. I detect at least 4 enlargers and lots of other interesting stuff. Most of all I can see a darkroom in use!! I have hit a snag with the need to reposition my water heater which will delay completion - intend to exploit this problem to fit an Intellifaucet. When complete and with a few drying prints to show for it (some weeks off now sad to say) I will return the gesture. For now, you showed me what I am aspiring to - thanks for sharing, after a frustrating day.
Inspirational Clutter
Having spent all weekend BUILDING my darkroom, its nice to see one complete and in use. I detect at least 4 enlargers and lots of other interesting stuff. Most of all I can see a darkroom in use!! I have hit a snag with the need to reposition my water heater which will delay completion - intend to exploit this problem to fit an Intellifaucet. When complete and with a few drying prints to show for it (some weeks off now sad to say) I will return the gesture. For now, you showed me what I am aspiring to - thanks for sharing, after a frustrating day.
FrankS
Registered User
Good luck, Charles! It's worth it!
PetarDima
Well-known
Very impresive, Frank! Everything on the right place ... you don't have problems with dust & scratches, that's clear! 😀
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
Awesome. That's a fair sized space as well!
I'm pretty sure I won't have room to turn around in the shed once the Beseler CB7 and Rank Aldis 35mm are put in it!
I'm pretty sure I won't have room to turn around in the shed once the Beseler CB7 and Rank Aldis 35mm are put in it!
FrankS
Registered User
Thanks Vlad! Ash, it's a spare bedroom, right beside the bathroom so I could access the plumbing.
Hey everyone! If you have one, show us YOUR darkroom.
Hey everyone! If you have one, show us YOUR darkroom.
PetarDima
Well-known
FrankS said:
that is good idea! I'll post a snap photo, but ... it loks funny 😀
Ash
Selflessly Self-involved
ok well here's my darkroom equipment 😀
My bedroom is still full of junk, and hasn't been redecorated - I missed the RFF canal meet last october to redecorate my old room for my sister, and yet my new room has multicoloured walls and other people's stuff in it!! I do NOT sleep in this room with its current decor by choice!!! :bang:
The ceiling slopes from the roof, so on a small cabinet my two small format enlargers sit, with easel, developing frames, toolkit, some music CD's, and on the left, half plate film holders and my boxes full of prints and negs. On the right you can see my handmade classical concert guitar's case, and one of my electric guitars.
This is to the left of the enlargers. More mess. Underneath the piece of card with "House Key?" on it lay my 3 developing trays, full of more negs, a few prints, and some bits and pieces. On the left are a Durst condenser head I believe, and a box with all the class condenser and diffuser add-ons for various formats. Another guitar case, and also a bag full of comics 😀
On the opposite side of the room (it's a large room, the size of a garage) is my Beseler CB7, and a ladder - my access to the loft full of junk. On the baseboard of the enlarger there's an ancient Ilford safelight with brown filter, two lenses in lens panels, a metal footswitch, and a box of extra pieces for the enlarger. I believe that is a piece of leather on the floor, not a sock 😉
Oh man sleeping in my sister's old room is pretty embarassing come to think of it.
My bedroom is still full of junk, and hasn't been redecorated - I missed the RFF canal meet last october to redecorate my old room for my sister, and yet my new room has multicoloured walls and other people's stuff in it!! I do NOT sleep in this room with its current decor by choice!!! :bang:
The ceiling slopes from the roof, so on a small cabinet my two small format enlargers sit, with easel, developing frames, toolkit, some music CD's, and on the left, half plate film holders and my boxes full of prints and negs. On the right you can see my handmade classical concert guitar's case, and one of my electric guitars.
This is to the left of the enlargers. More mess. Underneath the piece of card with "House Key?" on it lay my 3 developing trays, full of more negs, a few prints, and some bits and pieces. On the left are a Durst condenser head I believe, and a box with all the class condenser and diffuser add-ons for various formats. Another guitar case, and also a bag full of comics 😀
On the opposite side of the room (it's a large room, the size of a garage) is my Beseler CB7, and a ladder - my access to the loft full of junk. On the baseboard of the enlarger there's an ancient Ilford safelight with brown filter, two lenses in lens panels, a metal footswitch, and a box of extra pieces for the enlarger. I believe that is a piece of leather on the floor, not a sock 😉
Oh man sleeping in my sister's old room is pretty embarassing come to think of it.
sepiareverb
genius and moron
My Latest & Greatest Darkroom
My Latest & Greatest Darkroom
So here's my darkroom, my 'Lucky Seventh' one. 9x12' room, purpose built as a darkroom, galley style. This is off the back stairs which go up to my office.
First pic:
I've got a printing sink, big enough for 20x24 in a pinch, comfortable for 1620- (30"x 8'), then a second, lower wash sink that holds the print washer- again the 2024 works but is a little high, but the 1114 washer is a great height. The sinks are cedar rails & plywood bottom, with epoxy on the plywood and across the corners. Thats the 1114 print washer in there now, and the gravity works film washer in the main sink. Chemistry on the wall- mixed fixer, hypo-clear, fixer remover and photo-flo in the cubes- another cube of stock sprint print developer back by the trays. Timer & clock over the trays. Trays are usually under the sink, but I didn't finish cleaning up friday.
Second pic:
From the trays, looking back toward the pocket door. Drying screens & film drying cabinet are through the door and to the left, to the right is a big bookcase of negatives & books, then the two steps up to the landing of the stairway upstairs. A little 'Fawlty Towers' arrangement with the stairs- two up from the darkroom onto the landing then one down to main house level. Did this to get enough headroom for enlargers. You can see my standing desk to the right of the door; Telephone, lightbox under a glass panel, big bookcase above where proofsheets (blue binders) notes (black binders) and my 810 proof prints (tan boxes) are stored. Cd's too, tho many of them have become obsolete since I got my ipod. Use that or a cd walkman for music, a tiny radio for news. The desk is my staging area for printing- loading the neg carrier, cleaning the neg. 2 Lamps: one with a 5watt bulb for use while printing the other 60watt for reading/writing. That's my big print squeegie glass standing in the hallway.
Third pic:
From the door again- the nearer enlarger is a Zone VI 810, behind that the Saunders 4500VC. Safelights off the ceiling between the enlarger and between the saunders and the wall. Below the counter are three big pull out shelves with 2024 papersafe, easels, etc. Drawers hold my stash of film cannisters, towels, neg carriers, enlarging lenses, etc.
Opposite the door is a window, with a plywood panel hinged from the top. I love having the window open when running film or toning. Also controls temperature in the summer- I open up at night and close up during the day. Below the window is a wall mounted propane heater to keep me at 68° F all winter. Nice blue ceiling and grey walls suck up light- I like it dark- have lots of safelights to illuminate task areas. Lineoleum floor is maintainence free. A fan is behind the trays in pic 1, with an intake in the pocket door.
I spent about a year building this one, then worked in it for about seven years before tackling a second go. Put the standing desk on the counter, moved around some water faucets, added some safelights. One of my favorite changes was hanging up my reels over the sink. Now I can just put them away wet! Don't have to be cleaning up to print the day after I run films.
My Latest & Greatest Darkroom
So here's my darkroom, my 'Lucky Seventh' one. 9x12' room, purpose built as a darkroom, galley style. This is off the back stairs which go up to my office.
First pic:
I've got a printing sink, big enough for 20x24 in a pinch, comfortable for 1620- (30"x 8'), then a second, lower wash sink that holds the print washer- again the 2024 works but is a little high, but the 1114 washer is a great height. The sinks are cedar rails & plywood bottom, with epoxy on the plywood and across the corners. Thats the 1114 print washer in there now, and the gravity works film washer in the main sink. Chemistry on the wall- mixed fixer, hypo-clear, fixer remover and photo-flo in the cubes- another cube of stock sprint print developer back by the trays. Timer & clock over the trays. Trays are usually under the sink, but I didn't finish cleaning up friday.
Second pic:
From the trays, looking back toward the pocket door. Drying screens & film drying cabinet are through the door and to the left, to the right is a big bookcase of negatives & books, then the two steps up to the landing of the stairway upstairs. A little 'Fawlty Towers' arrangement with the stairs- two up from the darkroom onto the landing then one down to main house level. Did this to get enough headroom for enlargers. You can see my standing desk to the right of the door; Telephone, lightbox under a glass panel, big bookcase above where proofsheets (blue binders) notes (black binders) and my 810 proof prints (tan boxes) are stored. Cd's too, tho many of them have become obsolete since I got my ipod. Use that or a cd walkman for music, a tiny radio for news. The desk is my staging area for printing- loading the neg carrier, cleaning the neg. 2 Lamps: one with a 5watt bulb for use while printing the other 60watt for reading/writing. That's my big print squeegie glass standing in the hallway.
Third pic:
From the door again- the nearer enlarger is a Zone VI 810, behind that the Saunders 4500VC. Safelights off the ceiling between the enlarger and between the saunders and the wall. Below the counter are three big pull out shelves with 2024 papersafe, easels, etc. Drawers hold my stash of film cannisters, towels, neg carriers, enlarging lenses, etc.
Opposite the door is a window, with a plywood panel hinged from the top. I love having the window open when running film or toning. Also controls temperature in the summer- I open up at night and close up during the day. Below the window is a wall mounted propane heater to keep me at 68° F all winter. Nice blue ceiling and grey walls suck up light- I like it dark- have lots of safelights to illuminate task areas. Lineoleum floor is maintainence free. A fan is behind the trays in pic 1, with an intake in the pocket door.
I spent about a year building this one, then worked in it for about seven years before tackling a second go. Put the standing desk on the counter, moved around some water faucets, added some safelights. One of my favorite changes was hanging up my reels over the sink. Now I can just put them away wet! Don't have to be cleaning up to print the day after I run films.
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FrankS
Registered User
That's an amazing darkroom!
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Well, gosh, thanks. (blushes)
I spend so much time in there I wanted to get this last one right.
I spend so much time in there I wanted to get this last one right.
pesphoto
Veteran
Here's my current one.(my 2nd darkroom) Soon to come down as Im planning a new one for the house we just bought. Will have a sink with running water finally.
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T
tedwhite
Guest
You guys embarass me. Mine is study in chaos theory. Tomorrow I'll toddle down and take a few pics and post them here.
M
Magus
Guest
Post deleted by posters request
sepiareverb
genius and moron
Well thanks again. The darkroom is rarely this neat- this post came right after spring cleaning (spring has finally arrived here in VT) so I look pretty good...
I don't know who made my 1114 (named Frankenstein). It is apparently the front half of a Kodak 2D 810 camera with an 1114 rear standard of unknown origin. Research has not turned up any Kodak 2D 1114 models that were made, so it is a mystery. Strangest thing is the exact match of wood and finish on the front & back standards.
More darkroom pics! More darkroom pics! More darkroom pics!
I gotta get back to grading.
I don't know who made my 1114 (named Frankenstein). It is apparently the front half of a Kodak 2D 810 camera with an 1114 rear standard of unknown origin. Research has not turned up any Kodak 2D 1114 models that were made, so it is a mystery. Strangest thing is the exact match of wood and finish on the front & back standards.
More darkroom pics! More darkroom pics! More darkroom pics!
I gotta get back to grading.
R
ruben
Guest
Hi Frank,
Am I seeing a Sauders enlarger out there ?
What a pity we are not married😀 . We could save a lot of money.
Cheers,
Ruben
Am I seeing a Sauders enlarger out there ?
What a pity we are not married😀 . We could save a lot of money.
Cheers,
Ruben
Last edited by a moderator:
AGN
Established
FrankS
Registered User
Ruben, there's a 4x5 Besseler, Omega 67, a Saunders, and a Vivitar, and an oldie high on a shelf.
"Unfortunately" I am already married. 🙂
"Unfortunately" I am already married. 🙂
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