Fluoro Safety Light question

[Carsten Wolff]

I've helped set up a darkroom at the local university.
My (cheapskate, but reasonable) choice for safety lights had been to re-install a pair of old 5.5" round Kodak safelights that are lying around. I suggested just to get OC filters for them (they currently have a OA and 1A in them) and run them with e.g. ceiling mounted string-pull switches.
Well, you know committees and executive decisions and all that....anyway, the sparky installed bright red fluoros instead, which turned out to fog the paper (enough said)
So, to remedy the situation, aforementioned electrician suggested this solution:
http://www.encapsulite.com/shieldonly.html

Has anyone used these filters? Which type?

thanks!

[Jay DeFehr]

I use a bright red spiral fluoro in my darkroom, and it works great!

Cheap, too!

[banjo]

I have 1 R10 & OC Amber from http://www.cpmdelta1.com/safelights.htm & also #10 color
I like them & had not seen any fog the paper ! BUT you do need to be I thank that they say to
be 4' away from your work!!
BUT I have tried all most every thing as for as for safelight's & I like the 8' long the best as for
lighting my big darkroom the best all over with even light !
I have used Thomas Duplex Super Safelight they are GREAT IF you have a high
ceiling BUT not good in my basment ! I have used Nuarc 10"x12" safelight & the KODAK UTILITY SAFELIGHT LAMP MODEL C they can have a hotspot that can fog the paper if to close!
the small SAFELIGHT like the 5 1/2 " are just to small in almost any Darkroom.
But the ones that I probly like the best are the OSRAN DUKA 10 or the bigger one BUT the price
for them is High SO I use Fluorescent with the R10 & OC Amber the most as I have 20 SAFELIGHT that I use here most are Fluorescent with the R10 & OC Amber

[Leigh]

I use a Thomas Duplex safelight in my basement darkroom with no issues whatsoever.

Just don't hang it in the middle of the room.

- Leigh

[Roger Cole]

I use a Thomas Duplex safelight in my basement darkroom with no issues whatsoever.

Just don't hang it in the middle of the room.

- Leigh

Why not in the middle of the room?

[Leigh]

Why not in the middle of the room?

Because you'll hit your head on it.

The subject was use of it in a basement darkroom, with low ceilings.

- Leigh

[EdWorkman]

I set my darkroom up with "safe" sleeves over flourescents- can't recall whose, but advertised as safe for printing.
Fogged VC paper until I masked them with cardboard to very dim light.
Also FBs glow for some time after they are "off", I found out when switching to some film loading after printing.
Tossed FBs after I got a Thomas.
The Thomas hangs from a standard 8 ft ceiling and I don't hit my 6'-4' head on it.
But if you don't have 8 ft- watchout

[banjo]

will with any Safety Light you need to do a fog test ! as if you light is to close with any Safety Light
you can fog in time ! to test you put down two sheets of the paper that you are going to use most of the time. one on your enlarger & one where your trays will be then cover 1/2 of each the paper with some thing light proff NOW leave it for 1 HR then process it and see if the half has any tone ! if it does your Safety Light is to close!!

[Roger Cole]

Because you'll hit your head on it.

The subject was use of it in a basement darkroom, with low ceilings.

- Leigh

Humm..I don't see any reference to a basement other than yours, and it didn't say you had a low ceiling. I'm putting my darkroom in my basement - no ceiling yet but the joists are about 9' off the floor. I doubt there'll be a problem. The things are pretty big though so I could see it dangling that far.

I have an old (but working fine) Duka 50 sodium vapor. When the lamp finally dies I'll need something else. I also have a Jobo LED and Paterson conventional so it's not like I can't work, but a Thomas might be tempting after being used to the Duka. It was even safe (tested and proven) set on its lowest setting for printing both RA4 and Ilfochrome (and Kodak type R 2003, RIP..) back in the day.

[Leigh]

Humm..I don't see any reference to a basement other than yours...

But you're the one who quoted that post.

Memory fade?

And previously, in post #3 by banjo:

I have used Thomas Duplex Super Safelight they are GREAT IF you have a high ceiling BUT not good in my basment !

with a typo in "basement".

That's the post I was responding to.

- Leigh