What have you done to save money?

[ROL]

Just looking for some tips on how to save money with darkroom photography. I don't specifically have a question, just want to discover what others have done.

Not only is there not specifically a question, you haven't specified what kind of "darkroom photography". B/W only, contact or enlarging? That would help pin things down for you pretty fast. A DR for my dreams (or anything else for that matter) is realized fiction for me. Tray process your film. K.I.S.S. The biggest concern should be the DR space and wet area (sink) itself. You may want to read this, where you may find some useful tips discussed in the building, economies and tradeoffs of one DR.

[Roger Hesketh]

I built a darkroom utilising an old touring caravan. It is. I still have it though not used it for many years, a 1970's Sprite Major caravan, the body of which is 17ft long by 6ft wide. I bought it for fifty quid due to somebody having taken it under a low bridge and having knocked off the skylight and put a ripple in the roof. I did not know they made bridges that low. I fixed the roof and it has not let in a drop in the what must now be the best part of twenty years I have owned it.

The wet and dry benches are at one end of the van opposite each other. The other end of the van is the print preparation / mounting area. It was all kitted out with scrounged bits. The dry bench top is an old hardwood fire door that was being discarded by the school I worked at as did the large Belfast sink and teak wood surround that make up the wet bench. The darkroom is fitted throughout with a mains and 12 volt electric points as well as also having gas for the lights stove and fridge.

I did the conversion for very little but the biggest savings have resulted from having a facility separate from the house. My house does not have to be as big as it might otherwise have had to have been. Saving on mortgage , property rates etc. It is mobile. There is no mains electricity where it is stored but moving it to where their was one as never been a problem . I also at one time converted some of my enlargers to 12v operation to save me having to do that. The main drawback is the low headroom. So wet bench and dry bench are set at the level of the original caravan seating which is less than ideal but overall the advantages outweigh the disadvantages especially where my pocket is concerned.

I have however only used it for 35mm and medium format work.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I've been looking to scavenge a piece of granite counter top for use as a weight to flatten newly dry mounted prints.

Good idea. Where I live is a travertine quarry with literally tons of milled scrap, but shipping costs are a killer.

How about a bookbinder's press? Works for me. Search the auction site for book press.

[DrTang]

giveaways pop up and you must be the first caller

heck..for darkroom stuff - you don't even have to hurry on it anymore - plenty out there to just pick up

[Jac@stafford.net]

heck..for darkroom stuff - you don't even have to hurry on it anymore - plenty out there to just pick up

In this part of the USA, the days of cheap, free dumpster darkroom stuff passed eight years ago. That is how terrible it is. Gone are tons of process lenses, temperature controls, nitrogen burst systems ... you know the litany.

OTHO, dIgital dumps are beginning now, and IMHO within their paradigm there is NOTHING to redeem.

[Jac@stafford.net]

Fate, and a confident mentor has made one part of imaging possible - film: any format, no realistic limits. The last was 400 sheets of 8x10 film.

Given the unfortunate prognosis of my lifetime it may all fall into an estate sale.

So be it.

[Tin Can]

I always tell the vultures, 'Not dead yet!' I think I got it from Monty Python. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGFXGwHsD_A

Fate, and a confident mentor has made one part of imaging possible - film: any format, no realistic limits. The last was 400 sheets of 8x10 film.

Given the unfortunate prognosis of my lifetime it may all fall into an estate sale.

So be it.

[ic-racer]

My biggest money-saving measure has been to not waste any money on digital equipment.

[Tin Can]

+1

My biggest money-saving measure has been to not waste any money digital equipment.

[alavergh]

Not only is there not specifically a question, you haven't specified what kind of "darkroom photography". B/W only, contact or enlarging? That would help pin things down for you pretty fast. A DR for my dreams (or anything else for that matter) is realized fiction for me. Tray process your film. K.I.S.S. The biggest concern should be the DR space and wet area (sink) itself. You may want to read this, where you may find some useful tips discussed in the building, economies and tradeoffs of one DR.

Thanks for hunting for more info. I'm not necessarily asking for my own help, just to have a conversation and see what kinds of ingenuity people have shown if they're low on cash or resources.