jessica_reed Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 I have just moved to Ohio and I have been on the search for a darkroom sink for over a month. I need one that is around 8 feet long so it will accomodate 20x24 trays. I am willing to drive to pick it up, that way I do not have to pay outrageous shipping charges, but I have no idea where to find one. I have read that people use anything from restaraunt sinks to autopsy sinks - I am willing to use whatever i can get. I have also considered making my own - but I'm not sure how much faith I would put in my building skills. Please let me know if you have any information on where i could get one in the Ohio/Indiana region. Thank You, Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hans_beckert Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 You don't need a big sink at all, just a big surface to hold the trays. A standard folding long table will do just fine. You need a sink only for the washing of prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_kaplan1 Posted January 1, 2004 Share Posted January 1, 2004 Back in 1968 I built my sink ouy of 1/2 inch exterior grade fir plywood covered with fiberglass and polyester resin. The glass cloth and resin are available in marine supply stores. "Trays on the table" will work but could be messy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard_ilomaki Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Jessica I know of one for the asking in Mass., near Boston, or at least it was a few weeks ago. It was oferred to me but I do not have the room for it. The guy offering it suggested I could use it for amateur autopsies if I chose to augment my income a bit. If you are interested in a short drive to Boston, E Mail me and I can put you in touch. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amul Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 "Amateur autopsies?" *shudder* Although I haven't tried it myself, I've read in a variety of sources that you can simply build a sink using wood and marine varnish, although you need to re-apply the marine varnish every six months to a year. Essentially, you need countertop or long hunk of plywood, strong enough to support the weight of everything. Then mount a 2x4 across the front to create a 4" deep front lip, and either another 2x4 in back or some kind of backsplash board. Coat the entire thing in three coats of marine varnish, and again, add a fresh coat every six-12 months. It seems to me that, from those instructions, you could do equally well buying a used kitchen countertop with a sink built in, and then add the varnish-coated 2x4s, and seal edges with some kind of joint compound (I'm planning on using my old tube of aquariam tank glue). But like I said, I have yet to TRY any of this yet. I'm still tearing out the existing woodwork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_rosenberg1 Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 If you are reasomably talented with a skil saw or have a friend who is you can make a relatively inexpensive simple sink out of PVC. I have tried epoxy paint and fiberglass, and have had a much better sink using PVC sheets The specifications can be found at: http://www.largeformatphotography.info/sink-manufacturing.html My current sink is 20 ft x 32in, and nicely fits 20 x 24 trays. Regards, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curly_too Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Jessica: In a nut shell you need a custom sailboat but without the pointy end and the ability to keep the mess in, not out. I've had great success with constructing the basic box to what ever size will fit out of a 4x8 sheet of (min) 5/8 birch ply wood, screwed and glued dadoed joints and then encasing the whole rig with at least 2 coats of "West System Epoxy". The epoxy should then be lightly sanded and then two coat of paint applied. I used a polyeurethane fortified floor enamel. I have made dip and dunk e-6 and c-41 commercial lines this way and they are tough, plus I've never had a boat sink. The West System guys have a great information booklet on application of thier product line and a good carpenter can help you with the box construction. A last note is that generally polyester resins should be avoided as they form a very poor bond to wood as I've pealed this along in combination with fiberglass matt off of a number of poor marine repairs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
william_whitaker1 Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Have you checked with Midwest Photo (http://www.mpex.com) in Columbus? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everheul Posted January 4, 2004 Share Posted January 4, 2004 Jessica: I bought the 8' delta sink and stand for my darkroom. Yes, the shipping was outrageous, but I think it was worth it. For me, the $200 in shipping was less than the cost in time trying to figure something else out. If you can get a good deal on a sink locally, then great. Otherwise, you need to assess what your time is worth. I suspect that the time you waste looking for alternate solutions might be more costly than biting the bullet and paying the shipping. Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_lentz Posted January 6, 2004 Share Posted January 6, 2004 I built a 10.5' sink out of plywood on a 2x4 frame. Covered it with bondo fiberglass resin and put glass around all the corners. It took a few days, but its a great additon to my darkroom. I don't run out of room either. (I almost built it to 8' but changed my mind when I started arranging my trays around on the floor) Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_burke3 Posted January 11, 2004 Share Posted January 11, 2004 Hi, I have had a custom made, 25 inch by 7 feet, very heavy duty, welded, stainless steel sink liner, for 40 years that is sitting in the back yard unused. Rats! I have no place for a darkroom. On the off chance of your being in Southern Arizona any time soon you could stop by and see it. It requires that a frame of 3/4 inch plywood be made that fits under the edge. The weather man says that it will be 70 degrees and sunny this week. Old Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now