Limited space Darkroom suggestions

[ManWithManyHobbies]

I have limited space. I've been considering using our sauna room to develop my film (medium format and 8x10). I only have 4 feet from wall to wall where the current sink is. What do you think is the ideal sink size (and type of sink, ceramic, stainless, etc.) for this particular setup, and is it feasible? It would also be nice to have a landing zone on the right side of the sink. Any suggestions from those in the know would be appreciated.

-JW:

249420

[Ulophot]

Hi, MWMH.Hard to tell dimensions from the image distortion, but, yes, a sink-level platform/counter will be essential next to the sink. It might have to be a moveable table; just make sure it's study, steady, and chem resistant. You might wish to drape from plastic over the surface.

The problem I see is the size of the sink. You can dump chemicals, but washing a tank will be pretty snug, especially for 8x10. If you can shift that operation to your kitchen sink, great. If you need the darkness of the sauna room because you're developing in trays. that's another matter. You'll have to measure your trays to figure out exactly how much table counter surface you will need and come up with a table/counter to match. Keep in mind the importance of keeping film completely safe and dry while unloading your holders. You might need to create some sort of barrier between the trays and the unloading area. Test it all out as dry run on your dining room table and measure from there.

Will you be drying your film in the sauna also? Perhaps yo are already aware the the DUST enemy and controlling that.

[ethics_gradient]

If you're only developing and not printing, I'd look into a daylight tank and one of those changing tents for your 8x10.


I have limited space. I've been considering using our sauna room to develop my film (medium format and 8x10). I only have 4 feet from wall to wall where the current sink is. What do you think is the ideal sink size (and type of sink, ceramic, stainless, etc.) for this particular setup, and is it feasible? It would also be nice to have a landing zone on the right side of the sink. Any suggestions from those in the know would be appreciated.

-JW:

249420

4' should be workable at least up to 8x10; that's the approximate width of Ilford's Pop Up Darkroom. Worst case, a 4' Lifetime table on some risers to get it over the sink, and three 8x10 trays should get you there.

To save space, I've used a set of plastic A4 filing drawers for doing prints up to 8x10; using a soldering iron I melted off the little tabs on the back of each drawer, which makes it easier to remove them and decant the chemicals at the end of a session. I do the developing in a tray on top, then cycle it down through each drawer. For the 5 drawer ones I'll have a tap water rinse between each step to help prevent cross contamination, so it looks like this:

[developer - in tray on top of drawers]
---------------------------------------------
[tap water - to rinse developer off] |
[stop] |
[tap water] |
[fix] |
[tap water] |
---------------------------------------------

Then I drop them into a big tray full of water to hang out until I'm heading out of the darkroom next time for a final rinse. While obviously really nice to have, you don't actually need a proper sink or running water in a darkroom as the rinse can be done in daylight.

In my old closet-based darkroom, I did make my own "off grid" sink as a quality of life upgrade. I found a $5 stainless sink at the tip and made a stand for it out of some scrap timber I had in the shed, and plumbed the train into a 15L jerrycan below for catching the waste water. On a shelf above it, I had a 10L jerry can I'd refill with tap water, which I connected to some tubing that ran over to the sink, so I could give prints or plates a quick rinse in running water before putting them in the holding tray. Not necessary, but easy and cheap enough to set up.

Probably the most valuable realisation I've gained from setting up my previous darkrooms is that it is far easier to get a door or window light-tight with two overlapping layers of "whatever" effort, rather than getting one layer perfect :p As a renter, I've found the most straightforward way to lightproof a door is to buy an oversize piece of blackout fabric, use a grommet punch to put some grommets into it for reinforcement, then sink screws into the top of the moulding (where nobody will ever see the holes when you remove them) to hang it from. May use painters or gafff tape on the sides if needed.

[Jim Jones]

For many years I used a second-hand wood and plywood sink. It was totally satisfactory. No plumbing protruded from it's top, so a sheet of plywood laid on it's top made a nice work surface. In your sauna, the space beneath the sink would be mostly available for storage or for developing trays in a rack. A less intrusive solution would be a sheet of plywood resting on the sink and on rails on the walls. Cutouts to clear the faucets and to provide drainage in the sink promote developing.

[xkaes]

Since you asked -- What do you think is the ideal sink size (and type of sink, ceramic, stainless, etc.) for this particular setup, and is it feasible? -- I assume that the existing sink can be removed. If that is the case, that opens up you available options tremendously. But since I'm not sure it is an option, I won't go any further. I like Jim's idea of trays on racks -- they would be easy to drain, into a new sink (underneath) of the correct dimensions.

[Doremus Scudder]

Build yourself a sink overlay out of epoxy-painted plywood that just fits in the space. Make it with splashboards and a drain that drains down into the sink. Rig up a way to get water up to it from the sink, maybe just hoses through a standpipe, but make sure you can control the temperature. Now you have yourself a 4-foot wide mini-sink that should hold enough trays to do your developing. Drag in a card table or whatever for loading/unloading. You should be able to make up chemistry, fill your trays, turn out lights, unload holders and develop the film just fine. I worked in an much smaller space with much the same set-up, albeit with 4x5, not 8x10. If you don't have room for four trays, find or build a tray stacker or get in the habit of turning on the lights halfway through the fix and dumping and rinsing the developer tray quickly so you can use it as a wash tray.

Hope this helps,

Doremus

[Duolab123]

If you use the sauna I wouldn't mess this up. Just get one of the small white plastic 2x4 ft tables from Costco. Otherwise gut it and build a proper darkroom.

[Andre Noble]

For the longest time I had my 4x5 enlarger in a tiny closet and developing trays in a tiny bathroom. I stuck the exposed paper in a special Ilford light tight cardboard print box and walked it from tiny closet to tiny bathroom.
(That set up was actually better than my current setup of adjoining rooms, because as I stepped out of closet I got a blast of fresh air conditioned air, could grab a bite to eat, etc.)

I would leave sauna alone. They have great health benefits.

[esearing]

4x6 was my smallest darkroom and I did tank developing and printing up to 11x14 and the 4x5 enlarger took up most of the width. For larger prints I had to resort to using a table in the garage on a spring or fall evening. If you don't mind doing single sheets a 5 reel tank will easily hold an 8x10 or 2 taco style and there are 8x10 plastic drums as well. Then you can use your tiny sink or the kitchen. You could even develop your prints in a tank/drum after exposure.


https://www.searing.photography/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/darkroom1.jpg
blog post my-tiny-darkroom/ (https://www.searing.photography/my-tiny-darkroom/)

[ManWithManyHobbies]

Thank you for the responses. I plan to use a Stearman system for my 4x5 and 8x10 cameras and scan the negatives.

[Andre Noble]

249524
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/Products/Nova-Print-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.

https://i.ibb.co/N9sZXPg/Darkroom-operating-9082.jpg (https://ibb.co/9bNsJLm)

[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.

https://i.ibb.co/N9sZXPg/Darkroom-operating-9082.jpg (https://ibb.co/9bNsJLm)

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


249813

[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.

[Tin Can]

https://youtu.be/PxHi4CF2vAQ?si=2CevSZSacAHId-dX

Young woman

excellent

[Genas]

My compact darkroom was in a basement half-bathroom (sink & toilet). (https://meufortunetiger.com.br/) 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.

Your compact darkroom setup sounds ingenious and very efficient. Hinged tables are a great space-saving solution, and it seems like it worked perfectly with your Beseler 23CII. The L-shaped table/sink design that drains into the bathroom sink is practical and clever, especially with the protective coating of epoxy or polyurethane. Implementing a similar setup in the pictured room would definitely optimize the space without compromising the bathroom's functionality.