My Darkroom Plan - Any advice?

[Alessandro V.]

Hello!

I am lucky and I have a nice space where to create my new darkroom, basically it's the kitchen of my previous apartment (so I'll have the connection to running water)

Attached here there is a plan of how I think I would design it at this moment but, please, help me as I am almost new to this.

So far I've been only developing film with my Jobo CCP-2 processor on a simple table and then scanning the film but now I would also like to print some images myself (only contact prints as I don't have an enlarger).

As you can see in the plan the room is 4,5 mt x 3 mt and there is a window on the east side of the room (orange line) and a door that goes to the balcony in the north-east part (I'll mask them with some black stuff).
The dotted lines are the metal cables to hang films and prints while the two half-circle on both side of the room (north and south) are two red safe lights.

WET PART
All the water pipes are on the southern side of the room and so I am forced to put the wet part there.
As I already have the tables the wet part measure 300x75 cm (2 tables 150x75 cm) and I will create a waterproof plastic tabletop with high borders to have water running on the table (sorry I don't know the technical name). In this way it'll be easier to clean everything and I'll be able to unload the CPP-2 unit easily.
Do you think this tabletop should have some inclination to let the water flow better? I thought so but then the Jobo CPP-2 would be not on a horizontal plane and the tank will rotate not parallel to the ground anymore...
In this part I'll put my Jobo CPP-2 processor (I want to connect it to cold running water to cool down the temperature when processing black and white film) and some trays for when I'll develop prints or other stuff.
To recap I though I should have 4 connection to the water system:
- 1 cold that goes to the Jobo CPP-2 processor
- 1 cold that goes with a loose tube to a tray to wash prints and film with running water
- 1 cold and 1 hot for general purpose...
On the shelf on top of the Jobo I'll put tanks, measure tools, etc.
I'll keep the chemicals on the ground inside of some waterproof plastic boxes.

DRY PART
I am not 100% about how I'll use this part.
As you can see I would like to make some contact prints up to 100x70 cm but I don't have any enlarger and so I'll use only a bare bulb hanging from the top.
The rest of the tables is, so far, empty.
As I plan to try some alternative printing methods I guess I'll end up using these tables to prepare the materials etc...


As I said I am not an expert so please any advice is more than welcome!

Thank you very much for your help!


Alessandro

[Larry Gebhardt]

I don't know if this will work with your door in the corner, but I would put the Jobo on a table or cart next to the sink (in front of the window), thus giving you the option of more sink space. You can never have too much sink space, so expand the sink all the way to the wall. Also, since you need lots of vertical space above a jobo for the lift, the window is a good spot for it.

If you have the money, get a temperature mixing valve. I wouldn't be nearly as efficient without my Intellifaucet.

Run a double wire shelf above the sink for the whole length. It's a good place to store and dry lab ware. I use a closet organizer system above mine, as it was very inexpensive.

[Alessandro V.]

Hello,

thank you for the answer!

So you mean something like this?
As I will build the sink myself I can give it the shape I want.
Will a L shape sink work well as a normal rectangular one? Anyone as any experience?
How tall shall I make the borders?

Also, at which distance shall I put the metal cable to hang the pictures?
I was thinking about putting them horizontally over the whole lenght of the sink but then I would have all the drop going down on the trays and I guess it's not a good idea...

I attach a new versione of the plan...

Thank you!


Ale

[banjo]

hey Alessandro
it all has to do with how big of prints you thank that you may
wont to print! as Larry said the biger the sink is the better!
like if you was going to make 16" x 20 " prints you need an
2' x 8' sink or a .60 M x 2.5 M sink

[jeroldharter]

The more sink space the better? Even so, you can use single tray print processing to minimize the space required. The Jobo on a cart or L-sink is a good idea.

If you are building your sink, include as much shelf space as possible below the sink. The shelving should be solid, e.g. 3/4 inch plywood substrate, to support storage bottles. You might include vertical storage space for trays.

Include as many GFCI electrical outlets as you can, including some below shelving, below the sink, high on the wall, etc. you will find a use for them.

Even though you don't have an enlarger now, build the dry side as if you did. For example, you can build a drop table into the dry side or size the cabinets so that one segment could be removed to accommodate a freestanding enlarger table.

I would include a film drying cabinet, maybe oddly toward the ceiling as an upper cabinet so it won't take up floor space.

[thomas ciulei]

Hi Alessandro,

it seems to me that having 2 entrances is a waste of valuable space.
Couldnt you sacrifice one- that would really help u to increase the work area substantially.
just a thought...

[Dave Langendonk]

Hello!
...Do you think this tabletop should have some inclination to let the water flow better? I thought so but then the Jobo CPP-2 would be not on a horizontal plane and the tank will rotate not parallel to the ground anymore...
In this part I'll put my Jobo CPP-2 processor (I want to connect it to cold running water to cool down the temperature when processing black and white film) and some trays for when I'll develop prints or other stuff.
Alessandro

Several good ideas have been made including putting the Jobo on a cart. Yes the sinks need to slope towards the drain. It doesn't take much but you need some slope (inclination). If you do decide to keep the Jobo in the sink find some plastic shims to make the CPP-2 level again. Jobo used to provide them but I found some at the local hardware store. I've attached a couple of photos of the sinks I built and I keep my jobo in one of them.

[John Kasaian]

Are you right-handed, or a lefty?

[bob carnie]

Nice looking wet side, I too have my Jobo in the sink, building a new unit for use with all my Jobo tanks and reels and I will be putting the processor on a cart this will free up 3 -4 ft of sink.


Several good ideas have been made including putting the Jobo on a cart. Yes the sinks need to slope towards the drain. It doesn't take much but you need some slope (inclination). If you do decide to keep the Jobo in the sink find some plastic shims to make the CPP-2 level again. Jobo used to provide them but I found some at the local hardware store. I've attached a couple of photos of the sinks I built and I keep my jobo in one of them.

[Dave Langendonk]

Nice looking wet side, I too have my Jobo in the sink, building a new unit for use with all my Jobo tanks and reels and I will be putting the processor on a cart this will free up 3 -4 ft of sink.

Thanks Bob. Pretty modest compared to your facilities but it serves me well. I lined the sinks with sheets of PVC and that has held up really well. I generally do any tray work in the left sink and my color work in the right hand sink with the Jobo. Each sink is 8' long.

[bob carnie]

I like a well laid out darkroom big or small , yours is very workable.

We are getting cramped in ours as we are introducing alt processes to our services so we are going to make a smaller dedicated room for alt and maybe one for process film. Alt and Silver and Film Process have different needs and setup with different containers , storage, trays and such so we are currently in a big mess with this.

We use the west system for all our sinks to make them water tight and use wood... but some dumbass, about a foot taller than me set the height and for some of my work I need to be on my tip toes for 5 minutes to process paper in complete dark.... I am making the dumbass come back and cut down to my height... I am reaching an age where there is no hope but height shrinkage, so I need to drop all my sinks and enlarger tables by about 6- 10 inches...
Now that is something to consider when making your personal darkroom..... don't hire a tall dumbass, but someone your same height.



Thanks Bob. Pretty modest compared to your facilities but it serves me well. I lined the sinks with sheets of PVC and that has held up really well. I generally do any tray work in the left sink and my color work in the right hand sink with the Jobo. Each sink is 8' long.