stacking trays

[BetterSense]

I am considering moving my darkroom out of a tiny full bathroom into an adjoining bedroom. I am considering building a small sink, maybe 14x36 inches, with a platform next to it for my enlarger to sit on. I just need a small space to knock out contact prints and 5x7 and occasionally 8x10 RC prints.

If I put 4 trays side by side (and I really prefer 6, for 2-bath fixing plus a water holding tray) it takes up a lot of sink-room. Has anyone had good luck stacking trays up to save space? With some kind of rack system?

I have heard of single-tray processing but I don't think I would have the patience for all the chemical changing for the casual work I do.

[vinny]

tray stacker
tray ladder
http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?71603-Tray-racks
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum43/126699-16-x-20-tray-ladder.html

I've seen some pics of them somewhere on this site. pretty simple to make.

[blindpig]

I took an idea from Joe VanCleave and bought some small stacked storage trays from Walmart,pretty inexpensive and work well.Mine will hold 8X10 sized prints and are stacked three high so you might need two stacks for your needs.The result would be six trays in two trays space on your counter.Just a thought.

[seezee]

Here's how I did it. The large tray is made from scraps from my friend's sign shop, epoxied together. You could build a similar one on a small budget with a trip to the hardware store.

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[Jerry Bodine]

There have been times when I wish I'd thought to install a john in my darkroom.

[bigdog]

Commercial and homemade:

[seezee]

There have been times when I wish I'd thought to install a john in my darkroom.

*SIGH* There's one on every forum. ;-b

[Jerry Bodine]

*SIGH* There's one on every forum. ;-b

One what? That was a serious comment, applicable especially to doing semi-stand development of film - once you start you're committed to staying in the room unless you can afford a light-tight means of leaving.

[seezee]

One what? That was a serious comment, applicable especially to doing semi-stand development of film - once you start you're committed to staying in the room unless you can afford a light-tight means of leaving.

:) True. My eventual darkroom will be my breezeway, which is currently plumbed for the washing machine. Might be worth putting a toilet in there, too.

[Jim Noel]

Think 2 or 3 times before installing a toilet in the darkroom. I won't list the several reasons.

[Randy]

...applicable especially to doing semi-stand development of film - once you start you're committed to staying in the room unless you can afford a light-tight means of leaving.Jerry, have you considered the molded plastic darkroom paper-safes? I got an 8X10 model for cheep specifically for doing stand development of single sheets of 8X10 film. So I can leave the room...which is a bathroom...so, technically I could stay in there for ever if I had to :)

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[Jerry Bodine]

Jerry, have you considered the molded plastic darkroom paper-safes? I got an 8X10 model for cheep specifically for doing stand development of single sheets of 8X10 film. So I can leave the room...which is a bathroom...so, technically I could stay in there for ever if I had to :)

145059

That may work for stand development which I've never done, but my tested semi-stand development/agitation technique involves putting the 8x10 film in a hanger and submerging it in an 11x14 tray to keep it submerged; agitation is by slowly raising and lowering at tested intervals while keeping it submerged. I've got the agitation down to the minimum time that will avoid non-uniform development. I use highly dilute (1:123) HC-110.

[Randy]

Jerry, just FYI, those paper safes come in various sizes. I have an 11X14 model also - it is about 2" deep and the removable lid hinges from the very back so the entire tray part can be accessed. No reason you could not use it as a tray with the added advantage of being able to close the lid between agitations and go light. BTW, what is your agitation method, as I may want to give it a try with X-ray film, though I will be using Rodinal.

[Jerry Bodine]

Randy, don't know why I never thought of covering the tray so I could leave the darkroom if necessary - seems so obvious. I too have a 11x14 paper safe, but I'd rather make an opaque cover to place over the tray in the sink, so that's what I'll do. My semi-stand agitation is as I've described in #12; I used a 31-step wedge and 4x5 film to test for semi-stand results that avoid non-uniform development (attached). Obviously, you'd have to test your film/dev combo.

Note: Net density zero is fb+fog. Results show that, to retain shadow detail, an extra stop of camera exposure is called for when intending to use this development process. Note also that the attachment calls for 25ml of concentrate for the two 4x5 sheets of film in the test. So when developing a single 8x10, in order to maintain the same concentrate energy used for normal development of 80 sq.in. of film area you'd need 50ml of concentrate; 50ml conc + 6150ml water = 6200ml in the tray. For this volume of working solution an 11x14 tray gives an adequate depth to allow for agitation by raising/lowering under the surface.

[Jerry Bodine]

That thumbnail may be too tiny to read, so try this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/home?preview=Test+for+Max+N-+%28Semi-Stand+Dev%29.jpg