Invention: Darkroom Sink.

[jeff bishop]

My darkroom is also a tool room and a storage shed (sort of). Never

mind the fact that it looks like hell.

 

I really wanted a sink in my darkroom, for temperature control.

There was no running water in it. Yesterday, I noticed that a woman

a couple floors down tossed out her aquarium pump/filter. Not being

too proud to drag something out of the trash, I dragged it out.

 

Checked it out, it ran. Cleaned out all the fish stuff (charcoal,

filters, etc.). Filled it and my kitchen sink with really hot water

and a lot of bleach, and had it pump it's way through the bleach for

a few hours. My wife wasn't too pleased until she saw how clean the

sink gets with a couple hours of bleach in it. :)

 

Ok, so I have a pump. I'm thinking about building a small sink with

light wood and fiberglassing the whole thing together. While I was

digging out junk from the 'darkroom' I came across a lid to one of

those long tubs that fit under a bed. I wanted it's tub, but it's

on the other side of the state.

 

Ok, this is getting long. I cut a hole in the bottom of the lid,

and installed a "Bar Sink Drain" fitting. I put one short length of

pipe under it, going nowhere.

 

I set "my sink" on a make-shift counter top (held up with paint

cans, classy, eh??); with the drain end hanging over the side.

 

Under the drain, I set a 5 gallon bucket. Into that bucket I put

a "U" shaped piece of pipe I plumbed together, connected a plastic

hose between it and the pump. (Note: This particular pump gets fed

by a siphon, which fills it, then it pumps it up and out).

 

From the other end of the pump, I ran a hose to the sink.

 

Filled my bucket with nice warm water, got a siphon going, and

dropped a fish tank heater I bought for this project a couple years

ago in to the bucket.

 

There it is, a make-shift sink. Ugly as hell. Much more stable

than you might imagine on those paint cans.

 

Not only does it work, it works really good. I took the rubber

drain plug, drilled a 5/8" hole through it, and pushed a hose barb

through that. This gives me a couple inches of water for warming

chemicals.

 

Now, if that great in depth description didn't scare you away from

building your own sink, these pictures might.

 

Don't bother telling me it's ugly, and that I need to clean out the

storage room. I already know that. My wife has made sure of it.<div></div>

[jeff bishop]

Another...<div></div>

[jeff bishop]

It works....<div></div>

[jeff bishop]

The drain plug.<div></div>

[david_m]

Very ingenious, but now I remember why I went to a digital darkroom...

[thanz]

Guerilla developing at it's best, what ever it takes to get the job done. Nice job using what

you have on hand, very resourceful, keep it up.

 

Todd

[jukka_lehmus]

It is very encouraging to see that a darkroom exists that has more clutter on the wet side than my own does! I built it in a garden shed (a former sauna).

 

Good luck!

[davidv1]

How do you wash your prints?

[grahams]

If it works.....why not? Well done Jeff. Put another feather in your cap!

[frank_scheitrowsky1]

Oh, how we suffer for our art! :)

[richard_oleson]

hey, if you don't suffer it ain't art

 

:)=

[ken_jeanette]

And then the bowling ball runs down the ramp. It runs over the dog's tail, dog barks.

That scares the cat, who jumps onto the scratching post. The post tips over, hitting the broom handle on the way.

The broom handle falls down the stairs, bumping all the way---and on and on and on-You get the picture Rube.

Good Job, but What's a darkroom??

[alex_lofquist]

I had planned to set up a digital darkroom, but couldn't find a safelight for it!

[kram]

LOL! You guys crack me up!

 

It's a work of art! Bravo!

Next: make a good digital camera in your spare time. I don't care what it looks like. Maybe it

could be made of tupperware, or a coffee can or ...?

[dan flanders]

Beats hell out of anything (well, almost anything!) I ever did in the bathroom. I have several disfuncional Water Picks (broken hoses)and I'm trying to think of something creative to do with them. Noisy to distracton but they really move the water!

[frank.schifano]

Man that set up is UGLY, and I love it. Reminds me of the contortions I went through when I had my first darkroom at age 12 or so. My current one doesn't look much better.