Lets See Your Darkroom

[welly]

Just been down to our darkroom in progress and Jack, one of the crew, with his father have started (and mostly finished) our workbench and enlarger table. Progress is coming along great - the sink will be built on Wednesday, we'll be painting the walls next weekend, we have complete light-tighting it and fitting the extractor fan and we should be more or less close to completion! It's very exciting.

We went to Reverse Garbage in Marrickville on a tip off that there was an enlarger and some trays available. The enlarger was probably not good (no lens, no carrier, bellows full of holes) but the trays were perfect! So we're now the proud new owners of three 24x20" trays which cost us a lofty $5 each.

Here's a few photos showing progress.







and the sink (in progress)



We're going to build wedges into it so when the sink is mounted on a slight gradient to help funnel the water out, the trays will remain horizontal and flat. It'll be big enough to print 24" x whatever photographs.

[victorknotzel]

I just need a bigger table and a bigger enlarger. This low table makes my back hurt

[manet]

@ welly : great work, good courage for the finishings

@ victorknotzel : yes, the table is appropriate before dinner drink !

[victorknotzel]

It would be great for eating sushi while sitting on the floor. I usually bring a chair so I don't have to move at all.

[ataim]

Mine is not too impressive, but it work for me. I have plenty of storage, but I need to build some better drying racks.

[J.B. Harlin]

Mine is not too impressive, but it work for me. I have plenty of storage, but I need to build some better drying racks.

That enlarger looks familiar Paul. . . NICE!!!

[Roger Cole]

I just need a bigger table and a bigger enlarger. This low table makes my back hurt

Do you work standing?

I've never understood why people do this, and why they design their darkrooms for this. I'm using folding tables now, but if I build a real permanent darkroom the benches will be the same height. I use a rolling, armless office chair with some height adjustment and adjust it to suit. My feet and legs would kill me if I had to work standing. A stool is an improvement but doesn't roll around. I like working from a rolling chair.

EDIT: Oops, should have read the rest:

It would be great for eating sushi while sitting on the floor. I usually bring a chair so I don't have to move at all.

Yeah, that one does look way TOO low even for a chair. My chair will go lower than I like, but then my knees are nearly around my ears sitting in it - also not comfortable.

[Fred L]

Every darkroom I've worked in was standing. My personal darkroom is also set up for standing work for both dry and wet side work. What I plan to invest in eventually are better anti fatigue mats, something that makes a HUGE difference in comfort and allows me to work for hours at a time.

I'm also never standing in one spot for long and am always shuffling back and forth between the enlarging bench and the sink.

[Robert Hall]

I sit enough. I prefer to stand. Besides, I would need roller skates in mine.

[welly]

Another update on our darkroom! The sink is finally fitted -



The trays are 21"x26" so we should be good for pretty big prints - 24" x whatever wide. We've got the light-proofing to do, fit the hot water heater and we're very close to being done. Very exiting!