[hks_kansei]

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When I was younger I learned how to use cameras and take photos, I learned on film.
Dad for a few years had a darkroom setup at our place where he originally developed Black and White, and after a few years of that he and a friend decided to share costs in converting the darkroom to process colour. They were avid motorsport photographers and would often be caught sneaking into the restricted areas of the Grand Prix.

Fast forward many years later and after my basically cracking the shits with digital I decided to get back into film, and I’m loving it. Film seems to attract more people interested in the image and the art over the technology (sorry, but digital discussions often seem to just end up as a megapixel dick measuring contest)

So, now having converted to about an 80/20 mix of Film/digital I’ve decided to build a darkroom and make use of dad’s kit (he was rapt that it’s being used) so far I’m only going to do black and white, dad needs to talk to his friend about what he wants to do with the colour gear, and most of it’s all useless now anyway (dad always worked with Cibachrome, he preferred the positive to positive process)

Now, the darkroom itself has some design criteria to fit my needs.

It must be cheap – I’m a cheapskate, plus money’s usually tight anyway.
It must be discrete – Discrete means security, and also means the landlord doesn’t get annoyed (rental)
It must be removable – since it’s a rented house, I can’t go banging nails into the walls.
It must be compact – the space I will be utilizing isn’t large.

I’ve chosen to build the darkroom inside the back garage, it’s quiet, it’s already wired for power, and it’s in pretty rough shape already (meaning I don’t need to be as concerned about damage)
It does however have a leaky roof, and no running water.

The plan is to build a “room within a room” making a completely separate floor/walls/roof so that the darkroom requires no structural changes to the existing garage beyond simply resting it upon the existing floor.

In this thread I’m going to try to cover everything from this post (the idea) through the design, to the actual building.


I do warn beforehand though, it won’t be a fast process. Progress will happen as parts and budget permit (I will be trying to re-purpose as much as I can as far as materials go)

[cscurrier]

(sorry, but digital discussions often seem to just end up as a megapixel dick measuring contest)

No truer words have ever been written...

Have fun building up the darkroom. Fortunately for people like us, the equipment can be found for cheap!

[TheOtherRob]

Just do it.

After a couple of years shooting digital, I took up film the Christmas before last and haven't looked back. My advice is not procrastinate too long on building a perfect dark room. About twenty seconds after I got my first prints back from the lab a bit over a year ago, I knew I wanted to develop and print my own, so I started planning a "good" darkroom. I thought I had the answer when the studio I joined had an old darkroom, but endless small issues with plumbing and electricity meant it never got up to speed. The problem I had was that I had no idea what I was doing and no-one to teach me so I could not tell what was really important or not. I was going for text-book perfect because text-books were all I had to go on.

Then, one afternoon over this Christmas just gone, I was looking at my enlarger and other gear sitting in the garage (scrounged for next to nothing over the past twelve months)... and just decided to do it. I taped up the kitchen window, put up a curtain rail with an old black out curtain across the threshold, dragged in a trestle table and set up the gear. I waited for the sun to go down and two hours later I had my first prints drying on pegs. They were okay, too.

Now, I won't be doing chemistry in my kitchen again anytime soon... but the simple act of running a few prints has given me a huge insight into what I actually need. The real dark room is underway in an old laundry now that I previously thought was too small.

You are lucky to have someone to teach you... so just scrounge that gear, set it up someplace and get printing...

Best of luck, and love that film

[wombat2go]

Maybe the darkroom does not need as much construction work as you describe.
My best bang for buck was when I built from scrap plywood a "dusthutch" which sits on an old bar in the basement.
It has a downflow of filtered air and houses the neg drying wires, the cutting, the scanner, and the enlarger.
The safelight is bolted to it and the wet print trays sit alongside the hutch

https://app.box.com/s/ugsv2xu8kxp50a9umb8m

As a renter, such a portable hutch may be an option for you.

I don't think you really even need running water for bw negs and prints, and definitely not for C41.
which is a consideration with the price of water.
Use a small galvanized tub etc

For the film loading, there are changing bags. but I do that on an old card table in the water heater room,
but that can cause "strife with the wife" next morning with the flame off to do some rolls and forgetting to turn the hot water back on.

I think the lowest cost workflow I have is C41 using the Rollei C41 kit, hybrid, flat bed scanning, Gimping and uploading to Office Depot for prints.
Office Depot (and I suppose the others) now has big pro printers, and for the fast service, quality and price, I don't think could we could possibly match with printing at home.

Hope it works out for you !

[mrNewt]

I was wondering if you could use one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Darkroom-ll-150-Portable-Indoor-Grow-Room-60-x60-x80-/280709845250
http://www.alternativehydro.com/

If is truly a darkroom, I think is the perfect setup since is portable and with everything you need for ventilation and accommodates for ducting.

[ChrisPlatt]

I plan to utilize an existing bathroom as a temporary darkroom for occasional use.
I too rent and can make no permanent structural changes.
I will have to build adequate work surfaces that can be removed and stored between uses.

Chris

[hks_kansei]

Some really interesting thoughts in this thread, and a lot of it is indeed opening my eyes to other options.

For reference, I’ve already got daylight bags/tanks etc so I can happily develop film without a darkroom. The darkroom will be purely for prints.

As for the comments about scanning and printing at local shops, it’s an option, but for me the whole point of this is to get back into the darkroom after all these years.
I find using a darkroom is fun, I find using a scanner is tedious.


I’m really liking the ideas about the tubular PVC darkrooms, they seem to very much fill most of my needs. I’ll look into them more once I’m not at work, not sure how work will feel having structures marketed for “alternative farming practices” in the browser history.

I may consider making my own PVC pipe-room, then the benefit is that as well as being completely portable, it’s also modular, so that if I get a bigger enlarger etc I can expand easily (or if I need more space, I think a couple of friends are interested in learning how to use a darkroom)



I’ve got to say, I’m very much liking the PVC pipe idea, it’s simple, lightweight, modular, portable, and possibly quite cheap (really depends on what materials cost)



edit:
I have contemplated using the bathroom at home, but discounted it since it's not particularly large, and mainly because it is unpowered.
Also, I'd prefer not smell the main house out with chemicals, I always liked the odd smell darkrooms had, not sure guests and my partner will agree though...

[ChrisPlatt]

FWIW Clayton and other manufacturers make low-odor darkroom chemicals.

With normal ventilation darkroom smells are not particularly objectionable.
The average bathroom fan makes fast work of any odor in the air.

Not so the smell of fixer on your fingers though...

Chris

[mrNewt]

With a lot of the companies that are not processing films anylonger, I might consider building my own darkroom as well... for B&W and Color... so I have a question that is very important.

How do you dispose of all the used chemicals?
I understand that they are very harmful for the environment!?

[ChrisPlatt]

The chemicals used developing and printing black and and white film are not particularly harmful.
Used fixer is the greatest concern but treatment for safe disposal is not difficult.

Clayton and other manufacturers formulate their chemicals for minimal toxicity and environmental impact.

Chris

[Jamey777]

I am setting up a darkroom in my garage. The only condition is that it has to be dark outside :-) There is no light coming in from the storm sealed door to the house. I do have a question, for anyone who might know.... I got a safelight (the huge bulb kind) and when it is on you can see minute spider web like cracks on it. Assuming that the light is 4ft away or better this won't hurt anything will it?

I haven't ever done prints (well since high school many moons ago) so I don't know what amount of light will cause fogging. I also have a garage door opener button but it is already a reddish orange color.

Thanks,

Jamey

[tuco]

... I got a safelight (the huge bulb kind) and when it is on you can see minute spider web like cracks on it. Assuming that the light is 4ft away or better this won't hurt anything will it?

Simple enough to find out. Do a test. Pull out a piece of print paper and subject it to the safe light for a few minutes at normal working distance and process it. It should turn out nice and white.

[Jamey777]

Simple enough to find out. Do a test. Pull out a piece of print paper and subject it to the safe light for a few minutes at normal working distance and process it. It should turn out nice and white.

Doh! (headslap to forehead) that does sound easy enough!

[cscurrier]

Not so the smell of fixer on your fingers though...

One of my favorite parts of the process!

[tuco]

Many modern films and paper don't require a hardener fixer. And for these and the pyro staining class of developers, the Forumlary TF-5 Archival Rapid Fixer is one orderless fixer I know of and use. FYI