groping in the dark

Setting Up a Darkroom: The Plan

Through the profound generosity of my brother's father-in-law, I recently received an early Christmas present of a box full of darkroom supplies. I've been tinkering with the idea of setting up my own darkroom for some time and now, suddenly, I have 80% of the equipment I need! Still, I'm somewhat paralyzed by the shock of such a gracious gift and the daunting task of putting it all together, so my first step is putting together a plan.

What I have:

• enlarger, good for up to 8x10
• 8x10 easel
• timer for the enlarger
• enlarger accessories (neg carriers, filters, lens, etc.)
• safelight
• single roll Patterson developing tank and reel
• in-tank film washer
• 3 8x10 trays
• tongs
• thermometer
• print dryer

What I need:

• chemistry
• jugs for mixed chemistry
• various beakers and graduates for measuring chemistry
• grain magnifier
• space to set all this stuff up

Heh, that last one is the trick. I've got the physical space for everything, the setup will be tricky. There are three design constraints for every darkroom: absence of light, available running water and ventilation. Actually, only darkness is strictly necessary, but the other two are highly recommended. Oh yeah, there is also the Second Rule of Darkrooms: keep the wet side and dry sides separate. (The First Rule is keep the darkroom dark.)

Here's my space (not drawn to scale). It's in the basement. Which means dust. Also means not much ventilation. Also means somewhat crowded overhead w ductwork, wiring (ethernet, cable tv, electrical), piping and whatnot. But note the good things: the sink, the big workbench, plenty of shelving/storage space. So that's cool. Here's the plan for phase 1:

Purchase the remaining equipment/material

Calumet Photo has a good website for photographic supplies. There is also B&H Photo. In town, the best option for darkroom supplies is Lumiere Photo. The RIT student store is another option that I haven't checked out yet.

Make the room light-tight

Seal the window and put a curtain over the storeroom door (there is another window in there).

Set up the wet side

The sink isn't big enough to hold the trays, but I can set up a long table in front of it. I'll need a hose connector for the sink faucet and some clothesline to hang prints on for drying.

Set up the dry side

I'll need a paper safe and the workbench is made of particle board, so that has to get sealed somehow. A coat of paint might do the trick, but I'm thinking I'll need to add other surface altogether. Maybe shelf/drawer liners? linoleum? suggestions are welcome...

For phase 2, I'll be trying to figure out the ventilation issue. Luckily, the dryer vent exits through the window over the sink, so I should be able to plug into that somehow. I'll also want to put up a wall between the photo area and the furnace to cut down on the dust.

Some online sources for information on setting up darkrooms can be found at Black & White World, Apogee Photo and elsewhere. As always, the photo.net forums contain helpful info as well.