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Greg
20-Feb-2016, 17:57
Am at the point of after removing my less that adequate darkroom sink, have replaced it all with an 8 foot exterior plywood base and shelves and atop it a 2x8 foot sink. Getting ready to paint the interior of the plywood sink. Over the years have constructed and used 2 plywood sinks for 10+ years each. One was marine and the other exterior plywood but both covered only with many coats (top a base coat) of exterior paint and never had a problem. Epoxy paint seems to be the choice of many... adequate ventilation obviously a must. Will be installing an exit ventilation fan in the darkroom but not till the spring so epoxy paint not an option till several months from now.

Anyways one of my former students built a darkroom. Plywood sink. Base coat of paint. 2 or 3 coats of exterior paint. And then he uses car wax to coat the sink a few times per year. Told me takes only 10 minutes each time. He told me water beads off the sink like off a waxed car. He and his wife use the sink for various other things and he told me anything and everything always just beads and washes away!!

Anybody else has tried using coats of car wax? Sounds like a simple practical fix to me verses using epoxy paint in an unventilated room.

LabRat
20-Feb-2016, 18:16
I posted this a couple of weeks ago...

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?128464-PVC-sheets/page3

See post #25…

I was skeptical when I first was told of this, but it worked out very well, and I would use it again… (But I'm careful not to spill anything harsh on it…)

Steve K

vinny
20-Feb-2016, 18:36
West systems marine epoxy.

Richard Wasserman
20-Feb-2016, 18:58
This is what I used and I'm very happy with it. http://protective.sherwin-williams.com/detail.jsp?A=sku-26234%3Aproduct-6859

Memyself
20-Feb-2016, 19:03
I'm getting ready to construct another darkroom, which will include building a sink. Don't know what ventilation is required, but I've considered using Flex Seal, the liquid rubber advertised on TV. It is now available in pint, quart and gallon cans so it can be applied by brush or roller.

Rael
20-Feb-2016, 19:32
West systems marine epoxy.

There's another brand called RAKA that is a lot cheaper than West Systems, but it's a great product. http://www.raka.com/epoxy.html

"All Raka Epoxies are 100 % solids with no evaporating solvents and have low viscosity for superb penetration and wetting out of wood and fiberglass"

Wayne
20-Feb-2016, 20:57
I used swimming pool paint and that was almost 18 years ago. I see they make a water based one now which might be more pleasant.

Roger Thoms
20-Feb-2016, 21:34
West systems marine epoxy.

My recommendation also. They also sell a grey pigment that I like. Lots of info on their website on how to use the product. Haven't built a darkroom sink, but I've been using West System epoxy for years and can highly recommend their products.

Roger

Doremus Scudder
21-Feb-2016, 03:10
I like the wax idea, I think I'll try it out.

FWIW, I have painted my sinks (past and present) with white gloss marine topside paint (over two coats of marine primer). Pyro stains it a bit, but it's easy to repaint when needed. My sink never holds water; it's just there to catch spills and drain water from the washer and holding tray. Topside paint worked fine on my sailboat to keep everything above the waterline dry and sealed. It's been working well for my sinks for a long time too.

Doremus

LabRat
21-Feb-2016, 04:39
With the wax, the down side would be if the sink was re-finished in the future, the wax would be hard to remove, and provide a less-than-ideal substrate for the new finish, probably causing the finish to lift/crack/peel in long or short term… And might interact with the application of the new finish…

Steve K

Jim Noel
21-Feb-2016, 09:47
Am at the point of after removing my less that adequate darkroom sink, have replaced it all with an 8 foot exterior plywood base and shelves and atop it a 2x8 foot sink. Getting ready to paint the interior of the plywood sink. Over the years have constructed and used 2 plywood sinks for 10+ years each. One was marine and the other exterior plywood but both covered only with many coats (top a base coat) of exterior paint and never had a problem. Epoxy paint seems to be the choice of many... adequate ventilation obviously a must. Will be installing an exit ventilation fan in the darkroom but not till the spring so epoxy paint not an option till several months from now.

Anyways one of my former students built a darkroom. Plywood sink. Base coat of paint. 2 or 3 coats of exterior paint. And then he uses car wax to coat the sink a few times per year. Told me takes only 10 minutes each time. He told me water beads off the sink like off a waxed car. He and his wife use the sink for various other things and he told me anything and everything always just beads and washes away!!

Anybody else has tried using coats of car wax? Sounds like a simple practical fix to me verses using epoxy paint in an unventilated room.

West Systems Epoxy from a marine supplier. I finished my sink with it in 1989 and still no leaks.

John Layton
21-Feb-2016, 13:34
I will second the vote for Rakka Epoxy...great stuff and about half the price of West Systems. Rakka is pretty low in VOC value - so my darkroom ventilation system was more than adequate to take care of any fumes.

I built my sink out of 3/4 inch birch plywood - two sheets to get the interior to 3x16 ft. with five inch front panel (rise) and 12 inch rear with shelf - the whole deal attached to a 2x4 wooden framework and resting on six 4x4 posts, adjusted so that sink base is one inch lower on the drain side over the 16 ft. run - which works great for drainage while maintaining a reasonable level of solutions in trays/tanks. Working height of sink averages 36" (sink bottom surface to floor).

At any rate...with good tight seams, and three coats of Rakka inside, this sink will never leak - didn't need any extra caulking...and the epoxy really brings out the grain of the birch nicely, so I've decided not to paint over with anything but perhaps another coat of epoxy in maybe five years or so.

Kirk Gittings
21-Feb-2016, 16:52
I have a fiberglass covered plywood sink. I got it from a friend when he moved. There are no leaks but whatever the clear resin the FG was embedded in has a lot of unsightly stains and I would like to paint it, probably just white. I would sand it down a touch first. But what paint? Suggestions?

Willie
21-Feb-2016, 17:36
Why not lay in the waterproof rubberized/pvc liners builders use in shower stalls?
Friends use it. No painting, absorbs bumps and works well.

Rael
21-Feb-2016, 19:34
I have a fiberglass covered plywood sink. I got it from a friend when he moved. There are no leaks but whatever the clear resin the FG was embedded in has a lot of unsightly stains and I would like to paint it, probably just white. I would sand it down a touch first. But what paint? Suggestions?

It's probably overkill, but I've used this before on an old clawfoot tub and it's still hanging in there after ten years.

http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7860519-Refinishing-2-Part-White/dp/B000PTSBKW

Kirk Gittings
21-Feb-2016, 20:27
I think that is what I'm looking for. Thanks Rael.

John Layton
23-Feb-2016, 02:16
Kirk...the last sink I built before my current one was done with fiberglass over plywood - which I then painted with a marine epoxy paint (from a local boat shop) which worked great. White...yes. Anything but blue, which turns absolutely black under Red or OC safelights (ask me how I know!)

Kirk Gittings
23-Feb-2016, 09:28
Thanks John.

John Layton
23-Feb-2016, 11:49
Kirk - Just a postscript on the sink issue...for the fiberglass sink I'd mentioned - after the fiasco with blue paint, I ended up painting it a middle gray - with the thought that white might make it more difficult for me to judge print brightness under my examining light...under the assumption that light spilling around the holding tray and onto a white sink would reflect back too much light into my eyes and thus darken my vision slightly. Probably a bit of overkill - but this is what I went with and it seemed to work out.

Kirk Gittings
23-Feb-2016, 17:25
Kirk - Just a postscript on the sink issue...for the fiberglass sink I'd mentioned - after the fiasco with blue paint, I ended up painting it a middle gray - with the thought that white might make it more difficult for me to judge print brightness under my examining light...under the assumption that light spilling around the holding tray and onto a white sink would reflect back too much light into my eyes and thus darken my vision slightly. Probably a bit of overkill - but this is what I went with and it seemed to work out.

That makes some sense actually.

Richard Wasserman
23-Feb-2016, 18:26
My darkroom is decorated via The Zone System. Zone 6 sink, 8 walls, 5 floor, and 9 cabinets. Ansel would be so proud....

I too like the gray sink, it is easy on the eyes.

jk0592
23-Feb-2016, 19:57
I have made my darkroom sink out of plywood, and coated it with west epoxy almost 30 years ago. It is still very good, does not leak. However, indicator stop bath discoloured the epoxy when in contact. So be careful, empty the stop bath trays slowly directly in the drain.

Wayne
23-Feb-2016, 21:06
My darkroom is decorated via The Zone System. Zone 6 sink, 8 walls, 5 floor, and 9 cabinets. Ansel would be so proud....

I too like the gray sink, it is easy on the eyes.

How's your shadow detail?

Richard Wasserman
23-Feb-2016, 21:26
How's your shadow detail?

That's a rather personal question! :rolleyes: