Drew, I worked in a factory and moved huge stuff all the time. I changed out Cummins truck engines by myself. I'm not a big strong guy.
Of course, I bought Darkroom things that could be moved by mere mortals.
Heros may follow Drew, step up and ruin your back.
Thanks for all the tips. This is really helpfull. The door doesnt even exist yet, Just a brick wall. Ill pron opt for a 36” door which will fit my sink and flat file and Im sure I can find an enlarger that will pass through it. The space believe it or not is a 100 year old wood fired bread oven that is no longer functional. Its in the back of my house. This spring Ill be cutting the door and begining the very labor intesive process of removing the brick and sand that are inside. Then Ill have my 12’6” x 14’6” room. There is a De Vere on fleabay right now that is within driving distance to me. Seems like a decent, but not great, deal for whats included.
I hope you take a lot of documentary pics of the Bread Oven. Please post, sounds very interesting.
Originally Posted by Torlief
No injuries, Randy. That huge industrial basement was inaccessible to heavy equipment, and his laborers were superbly trained and high paid. Not only did he own three big photo labs, but a commercial redevelopment empire. He made a science out of work. Threw away about 30 LF enlargers, plus millions of bucks of lab equip impending his own retirement. I had no space for much of it, and he was going to outright croak if he didn't slow down. He didn't need money, but got an adrenaline rush from making it. His current facility has all kinds of heavy equipment on the lower floor, the studio upstairs. But it's slowly winding down too. Time for the guy to spend some time with his grandchildren, before it's too late.
and nobody took pictures...
All I can suggest, which helped me design my space, is to draw it out. Graph paper and get your scale right. I worked with a contractor so needed to have a basis for him to work from, and he gave input as needed. My space is somewhat nontraditional (I don't have a big sink for trays, just a larger kitchen sink) but can and have made up to 20x24 prints. I'd like to get an 8x10 in my place someday if I can find/build one but for now 4x5 is just fine, with 8x10 contact prints.
They took, printed, and published more pictures than you can imagine. Six Sinar P's in operation. Now down to a deluxe kitchen doing the best cookbook photos I've ever seen. But multitasking! - the same assistants who are expert at studio lighting and PS pre-press can run off and supervise a major construction project. Before I was recently reincarnated into a retired bum, this guy bought avg 80K a month of construction equip and supplies from me. Yet he became a multimillionaire first running a high-end studio - actually a six-story highrise in downtown SF, which he outright owned. Ruined his lungs running hundreds of gallons of Ciba chem at a time, ruined his back running jackhammers in his mid-70's, had two heart attacks. Stubborn as hell, but aren't we all?
The room that the oven is in is a mess as you can see because... well we all know how it is to have too many projects going on! But this gives you an idea. Ill be cittung the door in the side. The wall are non load bearing but there are steel rods that run from side to side and attach to braces on the external wall. These helped with the lateral force created by the huge low arch of the hearth. Its going to be quite the project to empty this thing out and create a viable room on the inside but its been in the planning stage for 10 years now so I think Im up to the challenge.
Very cool and thanks for the pics. I really like all old things, especially old tech.
My parents once rented a house in Pottstown Pa, 1963. It was a large stone walled coach house on a big estate. Matching barn. The main house was 1 mile down a paved private road. It was way bigger than our 3 story servant house. Never inside the big house, sadly.
Back to the coach house, the topping stone dated 1789. The house had burned off it's wood roof twice. The damn thing lit on fire from lightning while we were in it. Firemen to the rescue. Stone houses survive well.
It had the biggest fireplace I have seen, I could walk into it, it was 5 ft high, 10 ft wide and maybe 5 ft deep. A big cast iron pot on a pivot for cooking large meals.
I have no pictures of it. Maybe I do, hard to find. I can find the house and barn on Google Maps, the mansion is unviewable.
The attic was spooky for some, the basement got me running.
So, I like to see pics or visit old homes.
Thanks again!
All that brick might give you some dust control issues. There are some low-sheen clear glazes that can mitigate dust without ruining the ambiance. My own
lab was previously a commercial gunsmithing shop. Some nitrate powder stains got into the concrete floor and tends to lift floor paint, even epoxy after acid etching, so I just touch up the bad spots from time to time. Always something to do.
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