tring to build a darkoroom on a very tight budget any thing i could do I know nothing

-- amy king (fairyfingers_2000@yahoo.com), April 09, 2002

Answers

Try this link, it might help.

http://darkroomsource.com/

-- Marc Leest (classicphoto@leest.net), April 09, 2002.

Amy, depends on what you mean by 'build a darkroom'.... I built a darkroom last year by partitioning off a part of my double garage with plasterboard on a wood frame, added some kitchen cabinets and tops, put a door in with blackout additions. I didnt put in running water and a sink as that would have significantly increased the cost - this probably the biggest decision you have to make. I wash up prints and films in the utility room and carry water to the darkroom in a 5litre jar - 5l is enough to set up for 12X16 printing with a wash holding tank. I purchased secondhand a 5X4 enlarger plus lenses and other darkroom paraphenalia. I guess total expense has been £500 - £750 ukp including building costs. I now have a permanent darkroom that is easy to use whatever time of day with minimal start up and take down time.

-- David Tolcher (davidjt@btinternet.com), April 09, 2002.

Some of my first darkrooms where a 4x8 sheet of plywood put on 3 saw horses for the trays putting the enlarger on the washer in the basement... of course I was limited to printing at night but that was my time anyway. A tray of water on the set tub with a syphon works to wash the prints pretty well and then put your prints into a blotter book to dry them. I also had an apartment that had a closet for a washer and dryer right next to my second bathroom. I made the closet into a darkroom with my D2 on a microwave cart with a set of ladder trays behind me and all my tools and supplies on shelves I put up to my left. I would expose the print, turn around to process and then go into the bathroom to wash and hang the prints. My print dryer was, at that time, a plastic garment bag with a hair dryer in the top that worked well for prints and negatives!

-- Scott Walton (walton@ll.mit.edu), April 09, 2002.

Here is the minimum that you need:

Two long tables, one for a dry area (enlarger and an adjacent space for handling paper and negatives) and one for a wet area (your trays).

A safelight.

Enlarger.

Timer.

Three trays for developing, stopping, and fixing.

A container for rinsing prints.

A sink somewhere near (mine is across the basement from my darkroom area.

An area to dry your prints.

Some shelves for storing chemicals and supplies.

The table for the enlarger should be sturdy enough to minimize shaking when you are exposing prints.

-- Peter Schauss (schauss@worldnet.att.net), April 09, 2002.

One more thing:

You can develop film without a darkroom using a changing bag and a developing tank.

-- Peter Schauss (schauss@worldnet.att.net), April 09, 2002.

I use cardboard black plastic and gaffers tape to black out the bathroom window, Black plastic over the outside of the bathroom door, and turn on the vent. The suction holds the black plastic over the door, yet allows for easy entry and exit between batches of film.

-- Eric Verheul (everheul@cnetech.com), April 10, 2002.

Sounds like you dont have an intake vent, Eric. there should be some fresh air exchange going on. Anyway this brings up a good point for building a darkroom-proper venilation. I bought several used muffin fans for $5 at a surplus store. These are quiet and move a high volume of air. I didnt have to make them light-tight because I only print at night. I mounted them to a board and just place them in the window when I work. The window is behind my sink, so the setup is ME-->Sink and fumes-->fans-->outside. This way I never even get a whiff.

I built a sink from 1/2 inch plywood and drywall screws. I plumbed it similar to the setup shown at darkroomsource, which (in hindsight) isnt the best setup but it works. That setup allows crossover of hot-cold water to the other side, which can happen occasionally if pressure drops. But it all cost less than $100 and was fun to build, and i'm pretty inept at such things. I coated my sink in swimming pool paint.

I bought just about everything else for my darkroom at very reduced prices by being patient and making phone calls. Got my safelights on ebay. Got 4x5 Beseler enlarger, 20x24 dry mount press, electronic timer, for about $125 total from a newspaper that phased out their darkroom. The only thing I spent any real money on was the Rodagon lens

-- Wayne (wsteffen@skypoint.com), April 10, 2002.