As a follow up to my last question. Does anyone know what it would take for me to set up my own darkroom. I have a small apartment and I have been told it would be easy to set up a place to develop my film. However, from my days of processing in a darkroom I remember the fumes from the chemistry and worry that without a vents that I will be harming my health.

-- Ellie Ballard (eeb_wach@yahoo.com), October 19, 2001

Answers

Ellie, I have built several "gypsy" darkrooms over the past few years. Right now I am in a 375 square foot apartm,ent here in the Park. I have a table that I made from 3/4 in plywood,4X4 and 1X4 lumber finished with spar varnish. It all bolts together so I can take it apart and move. Table is 8 feet by 3 feet. Enlarger at one end and room for four 11X14 trays. Gotta be careful with the tray next to the enlarger so the chemicals don't splash. I have it set up in what passes for the kitchen area of the apt. I can only print after dark since I don't have the capability to blackout the windows but will soon. I have a vent fan mounted to a piece of 1/4 inch plywood that fits into the kitchen window. Print washer goes into the bathtub where I have installed a two way valve to attached the incoming water hose. For film developing I go into the closet and load the tanks. It is a little inconvenient but I like it better than the college darkroom that I used to have to use. Too many people in the same room, cleanliness issues etc. I built my own darkroom because of that. I have used this same setup for the past four years and don't see myself changing my setup in the near future. Bob

-- Bob Smith (rangerbob1993@yahoo.com), October 19, 2001.

In addition to the previos post here's a poor man's start. Before you have the correct equipment and space you may just want an easy way to make some prints.

What it takes... Are you looking for a shopping list?

An enlarger, a timer, 4 trays, A 500ml measuring thingy (metal is bad), poly contrast filters, a red "party bulb" you can pick up where normal lightbulbs are sold, and a 1 gallon jug each for the fixer and developer. If you use a milk jug, then store it in the dark. You may also like to pick up a contact printing frame, or an 11x14 plate of glass, but the glass has to be weighed down tight to get a good contact.

For negatives: A tank and reel system, clips to hang the negatives, you can use the fixer you use for prints, acetate sleeves and a notebook to store them in, a thermometer, another jug for developer, and photo flo.

The party bulb is safe, but not perfectly. Keep it well away from your enlarger, and expect to work in a dim environment.

You can skip the stop bath, and save yourself some fumes, but after many prints your fixer will smell like amonia. Stop bath, is cheap, and yeilds cleaner whites in your prints. Use it and throw it out. Its mostly aceatic acid.... the main acid in vinegar, so I doubt the fumes will kill you immediatly. It may take an hour or two.

You need the 'wash' tray after the fixer so that you can work, and take your prints to the bathroom/kitchen for a proper washing at your leisure. If you let them sit in the fixer, they may rise to the top, and cause chemical burn marks.

There's more; enough to max out a credit card, but this should get you going.

Good luck.

-- ted (ted@elfintrader.com), October 29, 2001.