What is the most important

[ROL]

Simple. Install the largest sink you can.

[ROL]

Since I'm just starting out with one, which will look very crude to some that I saw here, what is the one most important "factor" I should consider, to make sure I get off on the right foot?

TIA

Oh, wait a second ...I may have misunderstood the post. Push off with the left foot.

[RichardSperry]

My darkroom is a converted bedroom.

I don't find a sink in there essential or important, in the least.

Sink is in the bathroom. Samsonite plastic foldup table to set trays on is fine by me. Rinse prints in the shower in a developing tray with hosed shower head above it, that's my print washer.

Music is important. Pandora is good for that, it has requisite variety.

I watched a video of Adams where he takes a wet test print to the kitchen to put in the microwave to dry. Same sort of thing, I suppose.

[joselsgil]

I watched a video of Adams where he takes a wet test print to the kitchen to put in the microwave to dry. Same sort of thing, I suppose.

Adams was using a microwave oven to dry a test print. He wanted to see how the clouds looked once the print was dry.

At that time, microwave ovens were still very expensive and all I could think of was. Wow, I could never afford a microwave oven just to dry a wet photo print. This was back in the mid '70s.

Jose

[Joseph O'Neil]

I second a lock on the door, do so before you do anything else. Ventilation is good. but whatever you have, I find having a "place" ahead of time for everything really helps you find things in the dark and low light.
joe

[Pfiltz]

Appreciate all the info guys. I'm so clueless as to what I'm doing right now, but that's slowly changing. Putting in a faux drop ceiling in the DR this a.m. I'm still contact printing in the bathroom right now, but hope that will change in the next week or so

[lab black]

I agree with all the above suggestions; white or light colored walls except around the enlarger, keep negatives out of the darkroom, explore safelights and distance to unexposed paper, ventillation ( I've got vents spaced every 16 in along the bottom perimeter as well as larger Doran blowers at other heights (See Edwards Engineering site), filtered water system, I also have dish sprayers every 3 feet in the sink to spray hands between trays, quality music system, as mentioned, many, many electrical outlets, the height of my sink has been critical to a comfortable workflow to match my forearms at a working in tray level (approx 45 to 50 degrees flex at elbow) Turn off valves at al the water outlets, master electrical turn off, as few shelves that will gather dust as possible. I use craftsman tool chests without the wheels with counter tops built on top which provide instant drawers on glides. If it is manageble, a sink that will take 20x24 trays will somehow come in handy, as long as you are able to reach and touch the back wall of the sink, to turn off valves. I also have wooden epoxied and fiberglassed boxes with wheels that pull out from under the sink that hold chemicals so that all chemicals stay low to the ground. Drying screens are nice. I also have an old metal shop stool that I refurbished in black with crutch tips on the legs. It is nice when you have long negative developing schedules and want to sit for a bit to ease the strain on your back. I also have a light bar above the sink, five lights; one screw in safelight on each end and three white lights in the middle, all on pull cords. I also have boards that fit in sections on top of the sink. They can cover a portion of the sink or the entire sink. they have been very useful in providing working different types of working surfaces; i.e loading 120 film, spotting, looking at negs with a small or if necessary a large light box, loading large film, all sorts of things... lots of outlets and last, lots of outlets. Good luck!

[Colin Graham]

I used changing bags and daylight processing drums and printed at night for ten years until I recently got a light trap for my window.

I could really use one of those- I've been stuffing a giant black-out cork into my window for the last 10 years. Where did you find it?

[rdenney]

Adams was using a microwave oven to dry a test print. He wanted to see how the clouds looked once the print was dry.

At that time, microwave ovens were still very expensive and all I could think of was. Wow, I could never afford a microwave oven just to dry a wet photo print. This was back in the mid '70s.

Jose

Actually, that movie was the John Huszar biography that FilmAmerican brought out in 1981.

Rick "still available at the AA Gallery, but with different and less interesting music behind the voiceovers" Denney

[ic-racer]

I could really use one of those- I've been stuffing a giant black-out cork into my window for the last 10 years. Where did you find it?

It was not an easy quest. I went with these people (seesawusa.com). It is a mom-and-pop operation that will order the shades from the shade company. Otherwise, trying to order direct is futile. SHY ZIPSHADE in UK would send direct but the shipping would have doubled the cost of the blind.
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum43/9...ml#post1415633