Limited space Darkroom suggestions

[Andre Noble]

Darkroom printing is the best part of 4x5 and 8x10 photography! Here is a 27 inch by 32 inch space large enough to process 8x10 contact prints.
It consists of a Nova 8x10 slot processor (https://www.theimagingwarehouse.com/...int-Processors) and an 11x14 Versalab print washer https://versalab.com/PRINT%20WASHER.html).
(I could swipe out my 11x14 Nova Slot Processor and get 11x14 prints in the same 27"x 34" space.
You really just need a tiny closet to expose the print and an enlarger and enlarger lenses.

[Mark J]

Here's a 5' x 7' darkroom with a 5"x7" enlarger that can do 20x16" prints. There should be a Nova 6-slot washer in the corner on the wooden table - I had just commissioned the enlarger here and was doing resin-coated at that stage.
I will admit that there's usually another 20x16" tray holding part-washed prints, in the main kitchen.

[Carl J]

Here's a 5' x 7' darkroom with a 5"x7" enlarger that can do 20x16" prints. There should be a Nova 6-slot washer in the corner on the wooden table - I had just commissioned the enlarger here and was doing resin-coated at that stage.
I will admit that there's usually another 20x16" tray holding part-washed prints, in the main kitchen.

Great examples, both very encouraging. Mark, are you only using a single tray (besides the holding tray in the kitchen)? I guess no one knows when Nova will be shipping their slot processor again, but I hope they eventually do so. I've looked at the Optima processors online (https://www.optimadarkroom.com/product-page/optima-12) but seems more complicated and I think more expensive.

[Mark J]

There is a set of three trays, one on the worktop and the stop and fix on the shelves underneath. Then in the main kitchen I have a holding tray if I'm doing a mix of stuff, some which needs washing later in the Nova, or for selenium toning in between using the Nova.
The shelves below the worktop were made as a seperate unit from 3/4" ply and have been recently faced with white acrylic, I can show you that unit if you want. It works very well if you can stand a bit of dripping on the flooring.

[Megapixel]

My compact darkroom was in a basement half-bathroom (sink & toilet). I had an L-shaped section of plywood hinged to the wall which when down became a darkroom enlarger table (Beseler 23CII) and darkroom sink that rested on the toilet tank+edge of sink and drained into the bathroom's sink.

Similar setup could work in your pictured room. Hinge the table/darkroom-sink to wall to right of the bathroom sink. When down, the L-shaped table/darkroom sink rests on the bathroom sink where it opens to drain into the bathroom sink. Edges of the L-shape are about 2 inch high wood except where it drains into bathroom sink. As suggested by previous poster, paint this L-shaped table/sink with epoxy or polyurethane or marine paint. Latched in up position you lose maybe 2 3/4" of width in the bathroom.

[Carl J]

There is a set of three trays, one on the worktop and the stop and fix on the shelves underneath. Then in the main kitchen I have a holding tray if I'm doing a mix of stuff, some which needs washing later in the Nova, or for selenium toning in between using the Nova.
The shelves below the worktop were made as a seperate unit from 3/4" ply and have been recently faced with white acrylic, I can show you that unit if you want. It works very well if you can stand a bit of dripping on the flooring.

Thanks for clarifying (I didn't notice those two trays on the lower shelves). I guess they slide out somehow. I've always wondered how stacked trays work without making a mess....but sounds like that's inevitable.

[Mark J]

I guess they slide out somehow.

Yes, you slide things onto them, and slide things off them ..... ;o)

No but seriously, here is a picture, they were made years ago from rough 3/4 ply, and refurbished by me recently, to paint the units a bit better, and bond white acrylic to the top surfaces for easier cleaning.

The 'mess' issue is not too bad if you work on your procedure. The method is to pull out the 'Stop' tray 2 or 3 inches before you lift and drip the print from the 'Dev' tray on top ; then orientate it so that it can slide into the Stop tray without too much handling. Repeat in a similar way for the Stop to Fix step. The acrylic tops made this easier, recently.
However , yes, there are some drips, and I wouldn't try this in a converted bedroom with carpets, for instance ! I do have to wipe up the (vinyl) floor briefly after I've been doing the bigger prints.
Smaller prints up to A4 can go in three dishes on the counter, so that's fairly clean

[tgtaylor]

Living in a one bedroom apartment, I solved the darkroom problem by:

1. Placing black-out curtains (Walmart ~ $25) across the 6' wide windows. When it's time to print, I just close the blinds and slide the curtains shut. I print at night and this keeps any outside light from entering.

2. The Beseler 45MXT is on a Beseler Adjustable Table in a corner just inside the bedroom entrance. The width of that corner is the same as the width of the hallway closet on the other side so the enlarger is completely hidden from view from the hallway and occupies an otherwise dead space in the room. A small 5x7 safe light provides enough illumination to see the easel. A paper safe is used to transport exposed paper up to 11x14 across the hallway to the bathroom equipped with a Thomas safelight where trays are set-up on a Rubbermaid cart for processing. For 16x20 a Jobo 3063 drum is used and the sheet is processed using one 16x20 flat-bottom Cresco tray. This means pre-measuring and storing the chemistry in beakers and using the shower for the final wash. RA-4 and B&W resin can be rotary processed in the Jobo

3. A 11x14 Versalab washer conveniently fits in the kitchen sink and is used for washing fiber based paper up to 11x14 and hand washed for 16x20 in the Cresco tray. C-41 and RA-4 is rotary processed in the Jobo from the kitchen sink area.