John's Darkroom

In the main view above, is the stainless steel wet work area. The sloping sheet in the centre is the print assessing board, it can go up on the ledge behind to allow 16x20 trays front to back. 20x24 trays can be fitted sideways only. There are 2 flickmixers, one with a hose, the other without. When the print washer is constructed, it will reside in the alcove at left. The larger analogue timer has been retired in favour of a small digital timer from radio shack. The Jobo CPE-2 on the shelf was a disappointment. There is a drying rack at right for tanks, bottles, etc. Eventually I plan a splashback and narrow shelves to the ceiling at right. The frame under left is for print drying racks that have been ordered from the local fly-screen outfitter. The black rubber strips on the shutter provide an excellent light tight seal, and it's nice to be able to work in bright sunlight when darkness is not required. Unseen to the left of the wet area is a passive exhaust vent.

Dry Side.

 

Two enlarger stations are separated by a curtain. Eventually I plan to wall-mount the 4x5 enlarger. The underspace is supposed to eventually be drawers. In the right alcove are shelves for stereo and various enlarging gear. There is a small set of plastic drawers housing enlarging lenses, etc. Dodging wands and burning boards are behind the enlargers. To the top left is a positive pressure fan, blowing filtered air into the darkroom.

Entrance from workroom. To the left is the lightbox for assessing negatives and mounting into neg holders. A Bronica ETRS WLF serves as a loupe. To the right, the shelves house camera bags, tripods, photographic books, tools, matted prints, etc. A carton of matboards fits between the shelves and the wall behind. To the right are rolls of dry mounting tissue. Attached to the top right corner of the architrave is a single retractable clothes line with coloured pegs. This is strung diagonally across the workroom as an interim print drying method, until the print drying racks arrive. In the white drawers within the darkroom are stored neg holders, dry chemicals, etc. In the narrow vertical cupboard are enlarging tanks.

Dry mounting and matting bench. The Edwardian wardrobe at right will go, making more area available around the dry mount press. The press is extremely heavy, and required an extra strong table to support it. I made a stainless steel SHS frame, and fitted a 30mm mdf top to support the press at one end, and the other end became the mat cutting area. The cupboards under contain the matcutting tools, etc. To the side we see the 20x24 trays standing. There is insufficient storage space for these within the darkroom.

 

I see you have correctly blackened the walls around the enlarger stations. I would recommend you also blacken the ceiling above them. You'll be surprised how much reflection comes from there.

quite something you have there, J. . so this is where all the masterpieces get pressed out, huh? thanks for showing us.

now i don`t like mine so much. i hope you are happy now...

Hi John,Some of this looks familiar but there have definitely been some developments since my visit.[excuse the pun}.Hope to be taking some tuition from the "wet work "expert at the camera club soon.Now all I have to find is space for a comprehensive darkroom like this.In the age of digital trickery it is a treat to see this kind of dedication to traditional skills.Regards to all at home.Pete.

P.S.Just curious,these shots taken on 300d?Pete.

Thank you for your comments fellas. Good advice Alec, shall do, thanks. Balaji, David and Pete, I'm sorry if envy is the overriding feeling you get from this exercise. I had hoped that info and inspiration would supercede the envy factor. If it's any consolation, almost every piece of kit in my darkroom was bought used or hand-made on the cheap. My means are really quite limited. I was certainly lucky to have had the space available and the freedom to carry out such an exercise. I appreciate that many others don't have such abundant freedom and access to resources in their lives. Yes Pete, the 300D was used for these pictures. I guess the white cupboard and the drying rack would be new since you visited. And I'm not sure if I had the press in place then.

Thanks for sharing. Quite a set up you have there. If only I had that much space. I've got plenty of equipment, packed into a small "dry" area. Aside from a small holding tray, my wet side is the master bath or kitchen. But hey, I'll take what I can get. Good idea to post these, as it's interesting to see what others have to work within. I'll have to post some of mine soon. Now, off to your portfolio.

Now I'm completely intimidated at the prospect of having to set up my own space once I'm moved. Just kidding, but the wet sink area is the thing that really does have me a bit intimidated. The place I'm moving into has a pretty lame little slop sink in the basement that I think I'm going to try and jury rig for a little while at least. Sans enlargers, what's your ballpark about what it cost to get the wet and dry sides set up as we see them here?

 

Mind you, this is a fantastic space. If I ever get down your way, please allow me to make a pilgrimage to this hallowed place.

USD 7G.

Umm...seven grand? Well...back to the drawing board...

I think I've mentioned this before to some of you, probably off photo.net, but I work in an engineering business that specialises in stainless steel fabrication. Over time I was able to accumulate a pile of off-cuts and scrap at relatively low cost, and arrange to have the welding performed at mates rates by some of the other staff members. It would be beyond my means to order this wet side otherwise, so I am thankful for this opportunity. I'd be happy to settle for an improvised set-up in a laundry trough or bathroom etc. if I didn't have this access to cheap stainless steel work.

 

The workroom already existed in much the same condition you now see it. It just needs painting and refurbishing, and a small area of floor needs replacement of some rot. I'll get around to it in a few months.

 

The darkroom was an old room that had been poorly added under the main floor of the house back in the 40's I'd guess, and I had to demolish it and start completely from scratch. I poured a new reinforced concrete floor with a builder friend, who also helped me to build new stud walls and fit the plaster sheets. I had to hire an electrician for 2 visits, to run the wires before the plaster sheets went up, and then to fit-off afterwards. I tried to save a few bucks by buying all the electrical fittings and issuing them to the electrician, but he gouged me badly and I'm sure he more than made his missed margin on the fittings. I should never have commissioned him as a do'n'charge job, should have got a quote up front, as I definitely felt wounded when he submitted his outrageous bill. In these pictures you don't see the two Kodak 10x12 safelights that are ceiling mounted with pull cords. They were from the Launceston police station's decommissioned darkroom, and I got them from a building materials recycling depot for $30 the pair. I hired a plasterer after my mate and I had fitted the sheets, to do the cornices, corners and sanding. He was cheap and it was worth getting a professional finish. My builder friend came back to help fit the dry side bench, which is a huge slab of 30mm MDF, and he also quickly fitted the skirts and architraves. I did all the varnishing and painting. The wall colour is a blend of left-over paint from earlier painting jobs. (With a 100+ year old timber house there is always painting to be done.) I did most of the plumbing myself. There was an ancient disused drain I hooked up to which proved to be blocked and broken, but perseverance made it good. I bought an off-cut of chemical resistant laboratory grade vinyl really cheaply, and paid a vinyl guy to fit it properly.

 

The rest is really just equipment, and virtually all of mine was bought used. There're still a few things I'd like, such as better quality easels and good storage bottles, but I'll get them in time.

 

Peter Nixon has dropped in for a look from Northern Ireland. Our families enjoyed a great evening together. When are you other blokes popping in?

John, that's awesome about the sink. It's really a dream come true. I have a few plans I've accumulated on how to build one for under $100 US with basically 1/4 inch plywood and marine paint, but it still seems a daunting task.

 

One thing I didn't see was ventilation. What are you using? Do you have one of those window-mount units with the built-in light baffle?

 

Oh one other thing, lighting. I see the safelight above the enlargers. Is that the only one in the space? What's been the best color of safelight to minimize the fogging risk?

 

Sorry for so many questions.

Mate, I can assure you that this career is anything but a dream come true. Still, every job has it's perks, and mine's is affordable stainless steel.

 

There is another safelight identical to the one you saw, which is over the wet bench. They are wired separately for independent control. I use amber filters, Ilford 902. I also have a small Paterson red dome safelight for doing lith printing.

 

Regarding ventilation, the fan at left above the enlargers blows filtered air into the darkroom from the under house cavity. For filtration I got an offcut of proper air filter material from a local commercial ventilation company and fitted it to the back of the fan with duct tape. Pretty basic, but it works. The fan is on a variable speed switch. The stale air exits to the left of the wet side, just around the alcove out of sight. I fitted a cheapo plastic vent cover, and behind a small length of flexible hose directs the air from the under-space of the house, to a nearby outside vent. Light entry is not an issue. I fitted some felt duststrip around the door, and a draught excluder under the door, and together they help to reduce stray light and air from creeping under the door.

 

Peter A, glad to be of service! Good luck with your darkroom.

Another thing Andy, there is heaps of info and support on the web from guys who have made great marine ply sinks such as you have in mind. Spend the time to do the research and it should go together fine. Balaji's $7K would buy a really great darkroom, and it's an accurate estimate for what I spent, but I'm sure you'll be able to produce first class prints in any darkened space, and a dining room table does most people for spotting and matting, etc. I have a good friend who knocks out fabulous prints in a converted chook shed in his back yard! No stainless steel, no fancy construction, just timber benches and a rusty galvanised sink. He's 83 and still printing beautifully. His one concession to failing eyesight was to get a Leitz autofocus enlarger, and there it sits in a chicken coop producing excellent work. He does colour too!

 

The bloke who first showed me how to develop and print still does his films at the kitchen sink, and his prints in the laundry. He just gets the enlarger out of a cupboard and plonks it down on the washing machine for the session.

 

I have another friend who built the tiniest darkroom imaginable. It's so small he planned from the start to use single tray technique, pouring back into bottles after each bath. His prints are fine.

 

So don't be daunted, just do loads of research and planning before you start.

Will do, John. This has made a great start for both research and ideas. Many thanks.

it has also encouraged me to come out of the closet, so to speak :D

A & B, good luck with your darkroom projects!

 

And don't be shy with more questions if you have them. If I can't answer them there are many great darkroom enthusiasts on the forums who will.